Sounds Split Doubleheader in Durham

Durham, N.C. – After a tough loss in the first game, the Nashville Sounds (69-58, 29-24) backed Caleb Boushley’s gutsy performance in game two against the Durham Bulls (72-57, 32-22) to secure a doubleheader split on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. They lost the first game 9-4 before snapping their four-game losing skid with a 4-2 victory in the nightcap.

Nashville jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning of game one when Monte Harrison mashed a mammoth three-run homer over the Blue Monster. The Bulls retaliated in the bottom of the frame, jumping on rehabbing Milwaukee starter Julio Teheran for four runs and seizing a 4-3 lead.

Teheran ran into more trouble in the third, loading the bags with one out before handing the ball over to Alex Claudio. The southpaw promptly induced an inning-ending double play, amplifying the importance of Brian Navarreto’s game-tying home run on the first pitch of the fourth. But once again the Bulls responded and then some, tallying three runs in the bottom of the inning against Jason Alexander (2-4) on their way to a 9-4 final.

The second game started much like the first – a quiet first inning followed by a busy second. Patrick Dorrian plated Abraham Toro to put the Sounds on the board first, but Tristan Gray put the Bulls on top with a two-run blast off Caleb Boushley. Nashville went back on top 3-2 for good in the third when they followed a two-out Durham error with three straight hits. Keston Hiura added insurance with his 23^rd home run of the year in the fifth.

Boushley (9-7) pitched beautifully on three days of rest, setting a new season high with eight strikeouts in 6.0 innings and firing his third quality start of the season. Thyago Vieira (S, 8) locked down the win with a clean seventh inning.

The Sounds look to build on their game two victory tomorrow night. They expect to send southpaw Robert Gasser (9-1, 3.85) to the hill, while right-hander Anthony Molina (1-2, 5.65) is set to get the ball for Durham. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. CDT at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Post-Game Notes

• Rehabbing Milwaukee Brewer Jesse Winker continued to show off his plate discipline, adding a couple walks with a single in game one of the twin bill. In seven games on this rehab stint with Nashville, Winker is batting .333 (7-for-21) with nine walks and three runs.
• Keston Hiura extended his hitting streak to 15 games with an RBI single in game one and a solo blast in game two. It is the longest hitting streak by a Sounds player since Esteury Ruiz picked up a knock in 17 straight contests from August 10-28, 2022. Hiura is batting .350 (21-for-60) with a 1.068 OPS during the streak. Additionally, he extended his on-base streak to 25 contests.
• Abraham Toro extended his on-base streak to 20 games with a walk in game one and a double in game two. He is hitting .405 (32-for-79) with a 1.142 OPS during the streak dating back to July 9.
• Thyago Vieira continued his recent form with a lockdown seventh inning in game two. Over his last 15 appearances dating back to the beginning of July, the flame-throwing reliever has a 1.15 ERA (15.2 IP/2 ER), has struck out 22 of 62 hitters faced (35.5%), and is 6-for-6 in save opportunities.
• The Sounds have swept two and split five doubleheaders this season. The last time Nashville lost both ends of a twin bill was June 9, 2022 vs. Norfolk. That is 10 consecutive doubleheaders without being swept.

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].