Norfolk, VA – The Nashville Sounds completed the doubleheader sweep against the Norfolk Tides Sunday at Harbor Park. The Sounds tossed a combined no-hitter led by Brandon Sproat and Tate Kuehner in game one, Nashville’s first no-hitter since 2017.
A dominant 7-1 win in game two was highlighted by Jihwan Bae’s three-run blast in his Sounds debut.
Game 1: Nashville – 2, Norfolk – 0
In game one of the doubleheader, the Nashville Sounds and the Norfolk Tides remained scoreless through three innings as Sproat retired all nine batters he faced, adding five strikeouts. The Sounds’ first threat was in the top of the first inning with a Blake Burke one-out base hit. Luke Adams followed with a walk, which extended his on-base streak to 10 consecutive games, but a groundout and a fly out stranded both runners on base. Kuehner took over the reins in the bottom of the fourth inning and tossed a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts.
Ethan Murray broke the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning and crushed a towering one-out solo home run, his fifth of the season, to left field and gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead off of Michael Forret. Nashville tacked on another run as Eric Brown Jr. lined a single into center field. Sal Frelick then ripped a double into right field and put Brown Jr. at third. Burke grounded out to first base and scored Brown Jr. for the two-run lead.
Kuehner was dominant in the final four innings of the 7-inning contest, adding four strikeouts. The left-hander carried a combined perfect game bid into the bottom of the seventh and was one strike away from the feat after running the count full to each of the first three batters he faced in the inning.
After surrendering the first Norfolk baserunner of the game with a walk, Kuehner plunked Heston Kjerstad to send the potential winning run to the plate for the Tides without a hit in the ballgame. Jose Barrero was just inches away of hitting a two-out three-run walk-off homer to left field but came up just short as Tyler Black made a spectacular catch against the wall to preserve the first Sounds no-hitter since June 7th, 2017, at Omaha.
Game 2: Nashville – 7, Norfolk – 1
The Nashville Sounds got the scoring started in game two as Brock Wilken tallied his 22nd double of the season into left field. After Black drew a walk, Murray ripped a single into left field and scored Wilken. Following a double steal that put Black and Murray into scoring position, Ramón RodrÃguez scored Black with a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. Jacob Hurtubise drew the second walk of the frame and set up Bae to rip a three-run homer to center field in his Nashville debut, giving the Sounds a five-run lead in the top of the second inning.
Nashville poured on an insurance run in the top of the fifth inning as Burke led off the frame with a walk. After Akil Baddoo advanced Burke to second base on a ground out, Black placed an RBI-double, to right field and crossed home Burke for the 6-0 lead. Tyson Hardin ended his almost-perfect day, allowing a hit and striking out seven hitters in four scoreless innings of work.
Joel Kuhnel entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning and worked a 1-2-3 frame before Jared Koenig replaced him in the bottom of the sixth inning. Koenig allowed a double and a single to start the inning with Jeremiah Jackson bringing home the first Norfolk run since the bottom of the third inning on Wednesday night. The run ended a 27.0 IP scoreless streak for the Sounds pitching staff.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Sounds added another run of insurance as Burke drew another leadoff walk in the game. After Baddoo singled into right field, and advanced Burke to third base, Wilken scored Burke with an RBI-single into left field and grew the lead up to six runs again. Brett Wichrowski came into the bottom of the seventh inning and closed it out for the Sounds, tossing a 1-2-3 frame with a strikeout for the 7-1 win.
With Monday off, the Nashville Sounds will continue their two-week road trip and travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jumbo Shrimp in a six-games series beginning Tuesday, August 25th.
