Sounds Stay Hot, Win Fifth Straight

Lawrenceville, Ga. – After being held hitless through five innings, the Nashville Sounds (68-54, 28-20) erupted with four runs in the sixth on their way to a 7-3 win over the Gwinnett Stripers (55-67, 22-25) on Friday night at Coolray Field. Nashville clinches a series win with their fourth triumph of the six-game series, their third-straight series victory.

Gwinnett starter Michael Soroka (4-4) dominated through five, with the only baserunner being Keston Hiura, who reached via hit by pitch in the fourth. However, the Sounds ambushed Soroka in the sixth with a leadoff walk from Payton Henry and three hits to turn the game around for Nashville. A Jahmai Jones double scored Henry, then a Tyler Black single to center evened things at 2-2. Hiura blooped a single off Lucas Lutege that scored Jones and gave the Sounds a lead they would not relinquish. Owen Miller’s infield hit plated Black, capping off the four-run frame.

Robert Gasser (9-1) turned in another quality start, his fourth straight and ninth of the season. The prospect gave up a couple of homers but held Gwinnett to three runs (all earned) on six hits with no walks. He struck out four, moving him to 147 on the season, the 10^th-most strikeouts in a single-season by a Sounds pitcher.

The Sounds bats put the game out of reach late with several key insurance runs. Miller came in clutch again with a double into center field, scoring Patrick Dorrian and making it 5-3 in the eighth. A Josh VanMeter ground ball allowed Miller to break to the plate and slide home safely for a three-run cushion. In the ninth, Jones scored on a wild pitch that made it a 7-3 lead.

After Gasser’s exit, the bullpen combined for three scoreless innings. Jason Alexander worked a quiet seventh, followed by Ethan Small’s easy eighth. J.B. Bukauskas needed just 12 pitches to put Gwinnett away in the ninth for Nashville’s 11^th-consecutive win over the Atlanta Braves affiliate.

Jones, Black and Miller each recorded multiple hits in the victory, with Jones also reaching three times with a walk. Though getting three hits off of Soroka, the Sounds managed six hits over the final four innings off of Gwinnett relievers. Outside of the two homers allowed by Gasser, the Stripers managed seven singles scattered throughout the night.

Eric Lauer (1-2, 5.40) gets the ball for the Sounds in game five of the six-game series tomorrow. He’ll face International League ERA leader, right-hander Allan Winans (8-3, 2.78). The first pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. CDT at Coolray Field in Georgia.

Post-Game Notes

• Robert Gasser did not allow a walk in his second-consecutive start. It is the first time he has not allowed a walk in back-to-back outings since not walking anyone through his first four outings with the ACL Padres and Single-A Lake Elsinore from August 10-September 3, 2021.
• Keston Hiura extended his on-base streak to a personal season-high 21 games (since July 28) and his hitting streak to 11 games with a sixth-inning RBI single. Since the on-base streak began on July 28, Hiura is batting .345 (29-for-84) with 24 RBI and a 1.041 OPS.
• Abraham Toro’s 14-game hitting streak came to an end, but a walk extended his on-base streak to 15 games.
• The Sounds have won 11 straight games over Gwinnett, the most consecutive wins over a single opponent since Nashville joined the Pacific Coast League (1998-present).
• With losses to Lehigh Valley, Worcester and Durham, the Sounds are just one game back from the league leaders in the second half standings. Nashville is eight games over .500, the high water mark in any point of the season.

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].