Nashville, TN – The Nashville Sounds claimed the series with a 8-3 win over the Gwinnett Stripers on Saturday night at First Horizon Park. Nashville jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back. Left-hander Thomas Pannone tossed his first quality start in 616 days while Freddy Zamora set his Triple-A single-game career-high with four RBI to lead the way.
Nashville could not have asked for a better start to Saturday night. Pannone worked a three-up, three-down top of the first on the mound to get the night started. The Sounds offense faced Braves no. 2-rated prospect JR Ritchie for the third time this season and were looking for more success than the first two appearances in Gwinnett. The first two times against Ritchie, the right-hander worked 12.2 IP and allowed just three hits and one run with 12 strikeouts and three walks to earn a pair of wins.
Saturday night he faced just six batters and his night began with a leadoff double for Tyler Black. Ritchie would then walk four of the next five batters he faced before exiting after walking in the first two runs of the night. Jeferson Quero welcomed Javy Guera to the game with a two-RBI double to make it 4-0. Zamora then added to the lead with a two-RBI single as the Sounds batted through the order in the first inning. Five of the six runs in the bottom of the first were charged to Ritchie, who saw his ERA jump from 1.36 to 2.70 in a matter of 31 pitches.
Pannone cruised through six quality innings on the mound with four 1-2-3 frames. He earned his lone strikeout to begin his sixth and final inning of work and ended the night with two runs allowed on four hits. The Sounds offense stranded a pair of runners in both the second and fourth innings as they were unable to build on the early advantage.
That changed in the fifth when Quero reached base for the second time as he drew Nashville’s eighth walk of the night. Following a flyout, Zamora headed back to the plate and did more damage, adding his second hit and fourth RBI of the game with a two-run home run to make it an 8-2 game. The Sounds drew two more two-out walks in the inning but left both stranded.
In relief of Pannone, right-handers Easton McGee, Jacob Waguespack, and Will Childers each threw an inning out of the bullpen for Nashville. McGee and Waguespack each turned in scoreless innings with Waguespack stranding two on base after allowing consecutive singles to start his appearance. Childers also allowed a pair of hits and allowed one unearned run to cross the plate as the Stripers scored the final run of the night on Jose Azocar’s second hit of the ballgame.
The Sounds and Stripers will close out their series on Sunday afternoon as the Sounds look to end the month of May with their 19th win in 27 games. Nashville has already secured the series win this week, their fifth of the season. RHP Garrett Stallings (3-2, 3.72 ERA) will make his second start of the series in a pitching rematch with LHP Austin Gomber (0-7, 8.02 ERA). First pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 1:05pm CT.
