Sounds Crush Baby Cakes on Opening Day

Nashville Pitchers Record First Opening Day Shutout Since 1999

April 5, 2018

The Nashville Sounds got 16 hits from the offense and five shutout innings from starter James Naile in an 11-0 rout over the New Orleans Baby Cakes on Opening Day.
Every member of the starting lineup had at least one hit for Nashville. Dustin Fowler went 3-for-5 to lead six different Sounds players with a multi-hit game.
Mark Canha got the offense rolling when he launched a solo home run to lead off the second inning. It was one of two homers Nashville would hit on the night. Second baseman Franklin Barreto gave the Sounds a 3-0 lead in third when he drilled a two-run blast to left field.
Nashville busted the game open in the fourth when they plated five runs on six hits to take an 8-0 lead. Hits in the inning came from Anthony García, Nick Martini, Dustin Garneau, Jorge Mateo, Renato Núñez and Canha.
While the offense was busy building a lead, Naile was cruising along keeping the Baby Cakes off the scoreboard. The right-hander wiggled out of jams in the first and fifth on the way to his second career Triple-A win. Naile allowed only three hits and recorded five strikeouts in his five frames.
Nashville used another big inning in the eighth to put up a crooked number. Mateo's RBI double made it a 9-0 game and Fowler's third hit of the night extended the lead to double digits.
The bullpen trio of Jeremy Bleich, Jake Sanchez and Kyle Finnegan went the rest of the way for Nashville. Bleich faced the minimum six batters in two frames while Sanchez worked the eighth and Finnegan closed the ninth.
Nashville and New Orleans continue the five-game series Friday night at Shrine on Airline. Right-hander Frankie Montas starts for the Sounds against right-hander Zac Gallen for the Baby Cakes. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
Post-Game Notes

The Nashville Sounds Opening Day record is now 19-22, including 7-15 on the road. The win snapped a three-game Opening Day losing streak.
Nashville and New Orleans have now met eight times to start their respective seasons. The series is tied 4-4 after Nashville's win tonight.
Sounds starter James Naile made his first career Opening Day start tonight. The right-hander tossed five shutout innings (5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K) and earned his second career Triple-A win.
Mark Canha's second inning home run gave Nashville a 1-0 lead. It was the first Opening Day home run by a Sounds player since Héctor Gómez on April 4, 2014 at Omaha.
Mark Canha and Franklin Barreto homered in tonight's win. The last time the Sounds had two or more home runs on Opening Day was when Brandon Boggs and Edwin Maysonet homered in a win over New Orleans on April 7, 2011.
Dustin Fowler went 3-for-5 and became the first Sounds player to have at least three hits on Opening Day since Sean Halton on April 5, 2012.
The 11 runs Nashville scored is the most ever on Opening Day. The previous high was 10 runs in 2000 and 1994.
Tonight's shutout win was the first for Nashville on Opening Day since a 7-0 win vs. Edmonton on April 8, 1999.

The 2018 season is the Sounds' 41st in franchise history and fourth as the Oakland Athletics' top affiliate. Opening Day at First Tennessee Park is scheduled for Tuesday, April 10 when the Sounds host the Iowa Cubs at 6:35 p.m. Season ticket memberships are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.