Top Stories Nashville

Memphis, TN – The Nashville Sounds beat the cross-state rival Memphis Redbirds, 6-4, on Friday evening at AutoZone Park in the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.

Nashville (46-41) racked up ten hits in the seven-inning contest, as Adam Stern went 3-for-3 with an RBI and Ben Johnson added two hits and two RBIs.

The Sounds scored in the opening to take an early 1-0 lead after the first three Nashville hitters reached base to load the bases. Stern led off the contest with a double followed by a Lorenzo Cain bunt single and Mat Gamel walk. Brendan Katin then grounded into a 5-4-3 double play that allowed Stern to score for the first run of the game.

Johnson added to the Nashville lead in the top of the fourth inning with a two-run double. After shortstop Luis Cruz and second baseman Johnny Raburn singled earlier in the frame, the Nashville catcher smoked a two-run double to center field to plate both runners to give the Sounds a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning with two outs, Cain hit an inning-ending grounder to Donovan Solano, but the shortstop made a throwing error to first base and allowed Johnson to score from second for a 4-0 advantage.

The Sounds picked up another run in the fifth for a 5-0 lead. After Katin was hit by a Lance Lynn pitch to reach base, the outfielder advanced to third base on a Joe Koshansky single and then came home as Cruz grounded into a another double play.

The Redbirds got to Sounds starter Marty McLeary in the bottom of the next frame as Memphis trimmed the lead to 5-4. After McLeary hit the first two batters and walked the next, Ruben Gotay crushed a grand slam over the right field wall. It was Gotay’s eighth homer of the season.

The Sounds scored an insurance run in the next frame to make it 6-4. Johnson led off with an infield single to reach base, moved to second on Ray Olmedo’s PCL-leading 12th sacrifice bunt, and then came home on a Stern RBI base knock.

McLeary allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts in 4 1 /3 innings. Reliever Mike McClendon (4-2) earned the win after contributing 2 2/3 shutout innings while fanning three.

Lynn (6-7) picked up the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on seven hits and three walks with five strikeouts in four innings pitched.

July 9th, 2010

Lynn pitched to 1 batter in the 5th.

WP: McLeary.

HBP: Shorey (by McLeary), Luna, A (by McLeary), Katin (by Lynn).

Pitches-strikes: McLeary 99-59, McClendon 27-20, Lynn 95-59, MacDougal 29-17, Sanchez, E 12-9.

Groundouts-flyouts: McLeary 4-6, McClendon 1-3, Lynn 4-3, MacDougal 4-1, Sanchez, E 1-0.

Batters faced: McLeary 20, McClendon 8, Lynn 22, MacDougal 8, Sanchez, E 3.

Inherited runners-scored: MacDougal 1-1.

Umpires: HP: Eric Loveless. 1B: Shaun Francis. 2B: . 3B: Dixon Stureman.

Weather: 90 degrees, cloudy.

Wind: 1 mph, L to R.

T: 2:37
Compiled by MLB Advanced Media

Sections

Sports

Topics

Adam Stern, AutoZone Park, Ben Johnson, Brendan Katin, Doubleheader, Joe Koshansky, Lorenzo Cain, Luis Lynn, marty McLeary, Mat Gamel, Memphis Redbirds, Mike McClendon, Nashville Sounds, Ruben Gotay

Related Articles:

• Teeter, Faulkner recognized with College Football Performance Awards
• Sounds Close Out Season With 10-2 Loss
• Sounds Close Out Season With 10-2 Loss
• TVA Ranks in Top 10 for Economic Development for Fifth Straight Year
• New EMS Chief Announced