Sounds Dominate Redbirds in Opener
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Nashville Sounds opened July with a convincing victory over their intrastate rivals, taking down the Memphis Redbirds, 6-1, on Monday night at AutoZone Park. The offense scattered 13 hits and had at least one in eight of nine frames, and starter Evan McKendry led a quartet
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Nashville Sounds opened July with a convincing victory over their intrastate rivals, taking down the Memphis Redbirds, 6-1, on Monday night at AutoZone Park. The offense scattered 13 hits and had at least one in eight of nine frames, and starter Evan McKendry led a quartet of pitchers that yielded just four hits.
After stranding two runners on base in each of the first four innings, the Sounds found another gear over the next three innings. Brewer Hicklen tied the game, 1-1, with a two-out home run in the fifth inning, his team-high 14th of the season. Then the Sounds scored four runs in the sixth inning. Tyler Blacked ripped a bases-loaded single off Nick Raquet (0-5) for a 2-1 lead, and Vinny Capra cleared the bases with a three-run double to break open the game. Yonny Hernandez added one more run in the seventh, lifting an opposite-field home run to left for the 6-1 score that became the final.
McKendry (2-4) gave up the only Memphis run of the night in the fourth, lasting 5 2/3 innings with one walk and six strikeouts in the win. Janson Junk retired all four batters he faced, Harold Chirino tossed a perfect eighth, and Ryan Middendorf needed just seven pitches to work a scoreless ninth to finish the game.
The six-game home-and-home series continues Tuesday night at 7:05 CT with the second of three in Memphis. Right-hander Taylor Clarke (1-1, 5.34) is scheduled to start for the Sounds (4-3, 42-40), and right-hander Michael McGreevy (4-7, 4.55) is slated to pitch for the Redbirds (4-3, 42-40).
Post-Game Notes
- Tyler Black went 2-for-3 with an RBI, walk, HBP and stolen base in his return to the Sounds…it was his first Sounds game since June 18 after being recalled by Milwaukee on June 19 and optioned Monday.
- Yonny Hernandez’s home run was his second of the season and first since the Sounds’ home opener on April 2…it was the 11th home run of his career in 692 games.
- Vinny Capra went 1-for-5 with a 3-run double and is hitting .341 (14-for-41) with a .926 OPS in his last 10 games.
- Janson Junk’s 1 1/3 scoreless innings marked his 9th consecutive outing without allowing an earned run, a stretch that began on May 23 (13.2ip, 2r, 0er, 11h, 5bb, 17k).
The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. For more information call 615-690-4487 or e-mail [email protected].