Junk, Sounds Shut Out Charlotte For Fifth Straight Win

Charlotte, N.C. – Janson Junk fired six shutout innings and the offense supplied a pair of home runs as the Nashville Sounds (77-62, 37-28) toppled the Charlotte Knights (49-92, 14-52) 5-0 on Thursday night at Truist Field. It was Nashville’s Triple-A-leading ninth shutout win of the season.

Charlotte made it difficult for Junk (7-10) to keep the shutout intact early, putting runners in scoring position in each of the first four innings, including men on second and third in the second inning. But the right-hander managed to work around the traffic, escaping the frames with a strikeout or harmless groundout.

Junk allowed seven hits on the night, did not issue a walk, and struck out four on the way to his first win since July 21 vs. Jacksonville. Jason Alexander (S, 1) relieved him in the seventh, allowing a pair of hits and striking out three on the way to his first save since August 25, 2017 with rookie-level Orem.

The offense immediately spotted Junk a three-run lead. Blake Perkins led off the contest with a double, then after a walk from Abraham Toro, Owen Miller smashed a three-run home run to dead center in his first appearance for the Sounds since August 29. While three would have been plenty, Nashville had some chances to add more tallies in the middle innings, most notably in the sixth when they left the bases loaded. But they finally tacked on some insurance in the top of the ninth when Brian Navarreto blasted his sixth homer of the year to center, pushing the lead to 5-0.

Miller (3 RBI) and Navarreto (2 RBI) supplied the pop with a clout apiece. Miller and Greg Allen each picked up two hits.

Rehabbing right-hander Julio Teheran (2-0, 5.11) gets the ball for the Sounds tomorrow night as they look to clinch the series. Charlotte counters with righty Johan Dominguez (0-2, 4.58). The first pitch is scheduled for 6:04 p.m. CDT tomorrow at Truist Field.

Post-Game Notes

• Blake Perkins was the only rehabbing Milwaukee Brewer to appear in tonight’s game, leading off the contest with a double and going 1-for-5 as the designated hitter. Jesse Winker and Darin Ruf both had a scheduled night off.
• Abraham Toro extended his on-base streak to 31 games with a walk in the first inning, later adding another in the third. Since the streak began on July 9, Toro is batting .369 (45-for-122) with 29 runs, 17 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 22 RBI, 17 walks and a 1.077 OPS.
• Janson Junk snapped a losing streak of four straight decisions and a streak of seven starts without a win. It was Junk’s first scoreless outing since April 21 at Jacksonville (5.2 IP) and first of six innings or more since July 14, 2022 at Las Vegas with Triple-A Salt Lake.
• Nine hits are the most allowed by Nashville in a shutout since August 6, 2018 vs. Sacramento (also 9). The Sounds have not allowed 10 hits in a shutout since at least 2005.

The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. Single-game tickets for the rest of the 2023 season are on sale now. For more information call 615-690-4487 or e-mail [email protected].