Hicklen Makes History, Sounds Fall to Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C. – The Nashville Sounds (66-60, 28-23) jumped out to an early lead behind four home runs in the first three innings but fell to the Charlotte Knights (58-66, 25-25), 16-7, on Tuesday night at Truist Field. Brewer Hicklen became the first player in Nashville Sounds franchise history with 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season with his solo shot in the second inning.

It was all Sounds out of the gates with multiple big home runs through the first few innings. Christian Arroyo got the home run party started with a blast off the batter’s eye in center field, making it 1-0 in the first. After Charlotte plated an equalizing tally with the help of a Sounds error, Wes Clarke led off the second with a solo shot that made it 2-1. Hicklen followed with a laser beam off the bat, clearing the porch in left field to make it a 3-1 contest. The right fielder’s homer had an exit velocity of 107.8 miles an hour off the bat and made him the first Triple-A player since 2005 to have 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season.

The most impressive of all of Nashville’s homers came in the third inning. Tyler Black crushed a mammoth three-run shot that left Truist Field and landed on Mint Street in uptown Charlotte. The ball traveled an estimated 433 feet, as Black’s 12^th homer put the Sounds ahead 6-2.

After the great start, Charlotte answered with a rally that would prove to be unmatchable. An RBI double from rehabbing White Sox hitter Yoan Moncada, a sacrifice fly from Zach DeLoach and a groundout from Tim Elko brought the Knights within a run through five. Charlotte piled on, taking the lead and then some in the sixth. A grand slam by Mark Payton made it 9-6, then Elko followed with a two-run shot to give the hosts an 11-6 advantage. The homers forced the exit of Sounds reliever Easton McGee (0-2), who was charged with eight runs (all earned) on seven hits in 1.2 innings.

The runs kept coming for the Knights, who scored three more in the seventh and two in the eighth to total 16 runs. Black ripped a double to score Nashville’s seventh run in the eighth, but an inning-ending double play off the bat of Hicklen put an end to the Sounds’ rally hopes. After being up by as many as four runs and outhitting the Knights 7-1 through two and a half, Charlotte bested Nashville in the hit column, 13-10. Rehabbing White Sox pitcher Michael Soroka (1-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless sixth inning.

Carlos Rodriguez (7-8, 4.56) will try and even the series tomorrow night for the Sounds. He’ll face right-hander Cory Abbott (4-3, 4.97) at 5:35 p.m. central at Truist Field.

Post-Game Notes

• Brewer Hicklen (1-for-3, HR, RBI) became the first Sounds player in franchise history (46^th season, since 1978) to have 20 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season. He is in a three-way tie for seventh place in home runs in the International League. Hicklen leads the league with 41 stolen bases. He had gone 30 games without homering prior to tonight, with his last being on July 14 vs. Iowa, the final game before the All-Star break.
• There were eight total home runs in tonight’s game. It was the most in a Sounds game since June 2, 2022 at Durham (9), where Nashville hit three and Durham hit six. Tonight’s losing pitcher, Easton McGee, was the winning pitcher for Durham in that game.
• Carlos Rodriguez’s 10-game hitting streak came to an end after the left fielder went 0-for-4. He entered the night hitting .378 (14-for-37) since the streak began on August 10 vs. Indianapolis.
• Wes Clarke and Brewer Hicklen hit back-to-back homers in the second inning. It was the fourth time the Sounds have hit back-to-back jacks and the first since Francisco Mejía and Owen Miller on June 9 vs. Louisville.
• Christian Arroyo is batting .324 (11-for-34) with two home runs, six RBI and six extra-base hits over his last nine games.
• Craig Yoho (1.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) gave up runs for the first time in his sixth Triple-A outing. Counting his time with Double-A Biloxi, the Brewers No. 20 prospect (MLB Pipeline) had not allowed an earned run since June 14 vs. Tennessee, snapping a streak of 19 appearances.
• Jacob Misiorowski retired the final two batters in the eighth. After giving up a pair of runs in his Triple-A debut, the No. 3 prospect in the Brewers system and No. 66 in baseball (MLB Pipeline) has not allowed a run over his last six appearances (9.2 IP) or a hit in his last five (7.2 IP).
• Though the Sounds tied a season high in home runs (also May 12 at Durham), they allowed a season high 16 runs.

The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. Season ticket memberships for the 2025 season are on sale now. For more information call 615-690-4487 or e-mail [email protected].