NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Round Rock Express (29-20) fell short of a late rally, suffering a 9-5 loss to the Nashville Sounds (20-29) on Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Rehabbing Houston Astros 2B José Altuve made his Express debut and went 1-5 with a single, a run scored and
NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Round Rock Express (29-20) fell short of a late rally, suffering a 9-5 loss to the Nashville Sounds (20-29) on Sunday night at First Tennessee Park. Rehabbing Houston Astros 2B José Altuve made his Express debut and went 1-5 with a single, a run scored and two strikeouts in the defeat.
Express RHP Rogelio Armenteros (1-4, 5.73) suffered the loss after surrendering five runs on nine hits and a walk in a 3.2 inning start. On the winning side, Nashville RHP Phillips Valdez (1-6, 5.65) let in four runs on four hits while fanning five E-Train batters.
Nashville got things started in the first as LF Zack Granite led off with a single and stole second to set up rehabbing Texas Rangers RF Scott Heineman for an RBI double. Sounds DH Matt Davidson played longball after the double to plate Heineman and serve the Express an early 3-0 deficit.
Red-hot E-Train RF Kyle Tucker answered with a homer of his own in the fourth to put Round Rock on the board. In fact, the longball was Tucker's fourth in as many days, a feat that has not been accomplished by an Express player since Tommy Field in July 2017, also against the Nashville Sounds.
The two-run gap lasted only one out as the Sounds pushed back in the home half, beginning with a double by C Jett Bandy , who advanced to third on a Zack Granite single and was ultimately sent home with a Heineman sacrifice fly. The next at-bat, SS Eli White tallied a double that would plate Granite. The home team kept it going in the fifth, as Nashville 1B Hunter Cole reached base on a Nick Tanielu fielding error before being sent home thanks to a Bandy home run that extended the lead to 7-1.
Round Rock turned the tide on Nashville in the sixth, driving in four runs beginning with back-to-back singles courtesy of SS Alex De Goti and Altuve. Tucker then worked a walk to load the bases and set up De Goti to race home on LF Yordan Alvarez's sacrifice fly. CF Drew Ferguson then followed with a single to plate Altuve prior to scoring on a Tanielu fielder's choice, cutting their deficit to 7-5.
Cole spoiled the Express rally in the seventh as he launched a two-run shot that would score 3B Andy Ibáñez after he jumped aboard via a single to finalize a 9-5 victory for the Sounds.
The Express meet the Sounds for two games on Memorial Day, beginning with the resumption of an April 18 suspended game. The resumption will continue in the second inning and be played to a full nine innings, followed by an abbreviated seven inning game. Round Rock RHP Cy Sneed (2-5, 4.97) is set to start opposite Nashville RHP Tim Dillard (3-3, 5.53). First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m.
For more information on the Express, visit RRExpress.com or call (512) 255-2255. Keep up with the Express on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and join the conversation during our historic 20th season using #20STROng.
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Round Rock Express Baseball, owned and operated by Ryan Sanders Baseball, LP, is the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the Houston Astros and a member of the Pacific Coast League
