Link Report for Games of Sunday, August 10th

[Mass Haas]

http://www.brewerfan.net/images/store/dailylinkreport.jpg

[Mass Haas]

Sunday's Daily Menu:

 

All times Central except Arizona League; pitchers subject to change --

 

Nashville: LHP Chris Narveson at home vs. Omaha (Royals), 5:45 PM pre-game; 6:00 gametime

 

Audio link via WNSR, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link):

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t556

Huntsville: RHP Alex Periard at West Tenn (Mariners), 4:20 PM pre-game; 4:35 gametime

 

Audio link via WUMP, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link):

http://www.minorleaguebaseball.com/multimedia/audio.jsp?sid=t559

 

Brevard County: TBD (probably RHP Jeremy Jeffress) at home vs. Vero Beach (Rays), 12:00 PM gametime

 

Sorry, no audio for this series...

West Virginia: LHP Dan Merklinger at home vs. Hickory (Pirates), 4:55 PM pre-game, 5:05 gametime

 

Audio link via WSWW, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link):

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t525

 

Helena: LHP Efrain Nieves at Ogden (Dodgers), 4:50 PM pre-game, 5:00 gametime

 

Audio link via KCAP, be sure to select the proper date (game will also archive at this link):

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/clubs/ip_index.jsp?sid=milb&cid=t433

 

Arizona: TBD vs. the Rangers' kids at home in Maryvale, 7:00 PM local Mountain Standard Time

 

Never any audio for the Maryvale Crew

[Mass Haas]

Follow Sunday's action as it happens:

Here's what you do, right click on each of the links below and choose "Open in New Window". Open the Nashville Gameday. For the others, choose "Recap". While you're listening to your minor league game of choice (or watching/listening to the big league Crew when they are playing), simply refresh your game log browsers every so often.

 

Nashville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_omaaaa_nasaaa_1

 

Huntsville:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t559&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_hunaax_wtdaax_1

 

Brevard County:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=t503&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_vbdafa_breafa_1

 

West Virginia:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_hicafx_wvaafx_1

 

Helena:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_helrok_ogdrok_1

 

Arizona:

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?sid=milb&t=g_box&gid=2008_08_10_rngrok_brrrok_1

[Mass Haas]

This link will be included in each daily report when the Nashville Sounds are scheduled to play. Normally it is updated several hours prior to gametime.

 

Nashville Media Notes (Adobe .pdf format):

 

[Mass Haas]

 Pacific Coast League (AAA) - PCL American North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Iowa 70 50 .583 - 42-22 28-28 W1 Memphis 64 56 .533 6.0 30-27 34-29 L3 Omaha 52 69 .430 18.5 24-35 28-34 L2 Nashville 50 71 .413 20.5 23-34 27-37 W2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Southern League (AA) - SOU North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Carolina 31 18 .633 - 17-7 14-11 W1 Tennessee 24 25 .490 7.0 11-14 13-11 L3 Huntsville 22 27 .449 9.0 11-14 11-13 L3 West Tenn 21 27 .438 9.5 9-14 12-13 W3 Chattanooga 21 28 .429 10.0 11-13 10-15 W3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Florida State League (A+) - FSL East Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Daytona 27 18 .600 - 16-7 11-11 L1 St. Lucie 25 19 .568 1.5 12-9 13-10 W3 Jupiter 26 21 .553 2.0 13-11 13-10 L1 Palm Beach 24 24 .500 4.5 14-10 10-14 W1 Brevard County 21 25 .457 6.5 9-12 12-13 W1 Vero Beach 14 34 .292 14.5 6-19 8-15 L11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 South Atlantic League (A) - SAL Northern Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- West Virginia 33 15 .688 - 19-6 14-9 W3 Lakewood 32 17 .653 1.5 14-8 18-9 W4 Delmarva 26 22 .542 7.0 10-12 16-10 W1 Lake County 21 27 .438 12.0 12-14 9-13 L1 Hagerstown 20 29 .408 13.5 9-18 11-11 L5 Lexington 18 29 .383 14.5 9-17 9-12 L3 Greensboro 17 31 .354 16.0 9-16 8-15 L3 Hickory 15 33 .313 18.0 4-17 11-16 L4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

 Pioneer League (R+) - PIO North Division Standings ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Team W L PCT GB HOME ROAD STREAK ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billings 11 1 .917 - 8-0 3-1 W5 Great Falls 6 6 .500 5.0 3-3 3-3 W1 Helena 3 9 .250 8.0 1-4 2-5 L5 Missoula 3 9 .250 8.0 3-2 0-7 L4 

[Mass Haas]

Arizona League Standings

[trwi7]

Brevard County: TBD (probably RHP Jeremy Jeffress) at home vs. Vero Beach (Rays), 12:00 PM gametime

Wasn't Jeffress promoted to Huntsville?

[Mass Haas]

Brevard County: TBD (probably RHP Jeremy Jeffress) at home vs. Vero Beach (Rays), 12:00 PM gametime

Wasn't Jeffress promoted to Huntsville?

Darn, made the same mistake when Alex Periard was promoted. I hate TBD's http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

I know I can always count on our readers to help me, well call me, out. I need an editor!

[DHonks]

Interesting to see Brent Brewer moving to a tougher hitting league, and yet now his hot streak has him pushing .250. Nice progress

[uwisfan]

Escobar has taken the league in batting average with a 3-hit performance so far

[PrimeTime955]

Alcides Escobar continues to mash. 3-3 already today with his 20th double of the season. Average is now up to .343 and passed Angel Salome for the league lead in batting average as a 21 year old. Also just noticed that he has 31 steals this season. To tell you the truth I didn't even realize he was much of a base stealer. Looks like he's going to make our front office make decisions on our major infield sooner rather then later.

[twobrewers]

Man, the baseball must look like a BB to Gamel right now. He is really struggling.

 

Gillespie has 35(!) doubles.

 

Glad to see Huntsville looking like themselves this evening.

[trwi7]

Gamel started the game 0-3 but has drawn two walks in his last couple at bats so that's nice to see.

 

Lorenzo Cain is just cruising right now. 1-3 with a triple and two walks tonight.

 

Escobar 4-5 tonight and Salome retakes the batting average lead going 3-5 with two doubles with 5 RBI's!

 

Periard with a decent enough outing. 5 innings, 4 hits, 2 earned runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts.

 

Huntsville leads 13-6.

 

Any chance Rob Wooten gets sent to Brevard County? Two more scoreless innings for West Virginia today with 4 K's.

[molitor fan]

A couple stat bits on 2 '08 draftees:

 

Wooten, since drafted, has not allowed a run over 18 innings, with less than a baserunner an inning and 22 k's.....superb results from him so far.

 

Komatsu, the 8th round pick, is now 2nd in the Pioneer league in hits, and is over two years younger than the one guy that is ahead of him.

[Minigoon]

Blake Billings the starter tonight for the Arizona Crew.

[trwi7]

If I'm looking at Wooten's stats correctly (they haven't updated yet) he has pitched 17.2 innings, allowing only 13 H, 4 BB and 26 K's.

[Mass Haas]

Final: Arizona Rangers 5, Arizona Brewers 1

Brewers fall to 9-31 overall this season...

 

Arizona Box Score

21-year-old RHP Rigoberto Almonte of the Dominican Republic made his pro debut in relief -- if the MiLB.com birthdate is accurate (1/4/87), that's quite a bit older than most Latin Brewer debuts; 18-year-old 2nd round pick RHP Seth Lintz struck out the side in both his innings, allowing one run; RHP Blake Billings with a strong three-inning start, but 2008 10th round RHP Greg Miller, out of Seton Hall, has had only two scoreless appearances among ten overall, all but two brief relief stints; Brewers committed more errors (four, two by SS Carlos George) than hits (three, all singles), Brewers drew four walks but K'd 12 times...

 

Arizona Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Ogden (Dodgers) 10, Helena 7

Brewers drop fifth straight

Helena Independent Record

 

The Helena Brewers lost their sixth game in a row Sunday, falling to the Ogden Raptors 10-7.

 

The game featured an offensive display, as the two teams banged out a combined total of 31 hits, including 15 for extra bases.

 

The Raptors rapped 17 hits, led by three base knocks apiece by Nick Buss, Anthony Delmonico, Travis Vetters and Matthew Wallach.

 

Vetters belted a homer and a triple, while driving in four runs. Delmonico stroked three doubles and posted four RBIs. Buss and Wallach had a pair of two-baggers each.

 

Jonathan Runnels was the winning hurler.

 

For the Brewers, who collected 14 base hits, Cutter Dykstra went 3-for-5, with a double and a homer, and three RBI. Erik Komatsu and Corey Kemp poked three hits each, both producing doubles. Chris Dennis had a two-bagger and a single, driving in a pair of scores.

 

Komatsu and Dykstra upped their batting averages to .350 and .340, respectively.

 

Nestor Corredor was strapped with the loss.

 

Helena Box Score

Very disappointing outing for LHP Efrain Nieves; 2007 8th round infielder David Fonseca is in a horrible slump, 5-for-44 (all singles, .114); RHP Brandon Rapoza kept things close late, allowing an inherited runner to score in the 6th before two scoreless innings...

 

Helena Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: West Virginia 13, Hickory (Pirates) 6

 

West Virginia Site Game Summary:

 

POWER SWEEP CRAWDADS

 

One night after scoring 17 runs on 19 hits, the West Virginia Power scored 13 times on 14 hits at Appalachian Power Park on Sunday night to sweep the Hickory Crawdads with a 13-6 victory.

 

For the second night in a row, the Power forced the Crawdads to relieve their starting pitcher in the first inning. They scored six times in the bottom of the first. Steffan Wilson and Caleb Gindl ripped back-to-back RBI singles before Curt Rindal and Mike Vass walked with the bases loaded. Lee Haydel singled in the next run and Eric Farris' sacrifice fly scored Rindal to complete the big inning. Hickory plated a pair of runs in the second on Austin McClune's RBI double and Keanon Simon's RBI groundout.

 

West Virginia added three more runs in the second. Rindal belted a two-run homer, his ninth of the season, and Wilson scored on a wild pitch. Hickory drove in three runs in the top of the third. Matt Hague doubled in the first run before Erik Huber and Tom Hagan knocked in the next two on groundouts. Zelous Wheeler doubled in Eric Fryer in the fourth inning and Wilson scored on Rindal's sacrifice fly.

 

The Crawdads got their final run on Greg Picart's home run in the fifth inning. Logan Schafer's two-out base hit in the fifth inning scored Farris, and Wilson's fourth hit of the night was a solo homer, his 18th of the season, plating the final run of the contest.

 

Dan Merklinger (6-8) allowed six runs on five hits over five innings and fanned six to get the victory. Roque Mercedes and Rob Wooten combined to toss four scoreless innings of relief. The Power bullpen tossed 17 scoreless innings in the series. Mike Felix (4-5) allowed six runs on four hits and walked three over a third of an inning and was tagged with the loss.

 

The Power improved to 66-52 on the year and 34-15 in the second half with the win. The Crawdads fell to 45-74 on the year and 15-34 in the second half with the loss. Eight Power players hit safely and three turned in multi-hit games. Steffan Wilson led the way with a 4-for-5 performance. Wilson went 16-33 during the home stand with 13 runs and eight RBI. Curt Rindal drove in four runs on the night and went 11-22 on the home stand with seven runs and 13 RBI. The Power outscored Hickory 47-11 during the four game series.

 

The Power will begin a four game series against the Augusta GreenJackets at Lake Olmstead Stadium on Monday night. The Power will start right hander Evan Anundsen (10-5, 3.95) and the GreenJackets will counter with left hander Scott Barnes (0-0, 0.00). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM (6:05 Central).

 

Link while active, text follows:

 

Power routs Hickory to complete sweep

by Christopher Wade

For the Charleston Daily Mail

 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Even the scoreboard operator at Appalachian Power Park felt bad for the Hickory Crawdads in their South Atlantic League match-up against the West Virginia Power Sunday evening.

 

Curt Rindal hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth inning to score the Power's 11th run of a convincing 13-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirate Class A affiliate. The run wasn't put on the scoreboard in left-center field until there was one out in the Hickory fifth inning.

 

It was the only gift Hickory received, as the Power easily earned a sweep of the weekend series.

 

The game was another blowout over Hickory as during the four-game set, the Power outscored the Crawdads by a combined score of 47-11, including wins of 13-2 on Thursday and 17-1 on Saturday.

 

"We played these guys earlier in the year and they took three of four from us," said Power third baseman Steffan Wilson. "You can't take any team lightly. We had to take it one game at a time. You can't sweep without winning the first three."

 

"Hickory came in and struggled, especially on the pitching side and we have to take advantage of that, which we did," said Power manager Jeff Isom.

 

"I'm proud of the output offensively and the way the kids responded. When you have a team at the bottom of the standings, you have to do your work and make sure you take care of your business."

 

That's exactly what the Power (66-52 overall and 34-15 in the second half) did against the last-place Crawdads (45-73, 15-34).

 

Despite the sweep, the first-place Power didn't put any distance between themselves and second-place Lakewood, which remained two games behind the Power after sweeping a road series of its own against Kannapolis.

 

"You have to take care of your business at home, and we sure did that," Isom said. "We went 6-2 on the homestand and are in the middle of a playoff hunt. We have to win every game possible."

 

The road now gets much tougher for the Power. West Virginia boarded its team charter bus after the game late Sunday to travel to Augusta, Ga., to take on the first-place Green Jackets of the SAL Southern Division.

 

Augusta is 31-17 in the second half and has the best overall record of any team in the league. Lakewood is host to Savannah for three games beginning tonight. The Sand Gnats are in next-to-last place in the Southern Division.

 

"It's definitely going to be a good series and we are going to have to fight for it," Wilson said of West Virginia's set in Augusta. "I'm sure they (Lakewood) are happy we are going down there. We have to go and take care of our business like we did at home."

 

Wilson helped lead the Power offensive barrage against Hickory, going 4-for-5 Sunday with a home run and two runs batted in. Saturday night, Wilson also had four hits and drove in four runs.

 

"I don't think I've ever had a stretch like this, "Wilson said. "It feels great to do. I've been fortunate to get some good pitches and when you get confidence early on in the game, it makes things a little easier."

 

Isom said the third baseman is seeing the ball well and choosing his swings carefully.

 

"He (Wilson) is seeing the ball real well and is taking very good swings at pitches in the zone and not swinging at pitches out of the zone," Isom said. "He is taking advantage of the good pitches when he gets them."

 

In all, the Power pounded out 14 hits and led 9-2 after just two innings. To go along with Wilson's four hits, Eric Farris had three hits and Logan Schafer added two.

 

Meanwhile, Rindal, the Power number seven hitter, hit a home run and drove in four runs. Every batter in the West Virginia lineup had an RBI except Eric Fryer, who became the first person in Power history to hit for the cycle on Saturday night.

 

"It's been a different guy every night and its fun to watch," Isom said. " You go one through nine and you are going to get some production everywhere. They take great pride in our winning right now and their hitting."

 

West Virginia Box Score

Harvard's Steffan Wilson with an .877 OPS; Roque Mercedes and Rob Wooten cruise on the mound, as noted earlier, while Dan Merklinger thanks his offensive mates for a barely-earned win in his start...

 

West Virginia Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Final: Brevard County 7, Vero Beach (Rays) 6, ten innings

 

TCPALM.com:

 

For the second straight game, the Vero Beach Devil Rays tied up the score in the ninth inning - only to lose in the 10th, this time falling to the Brevard County Manatees 7-6 on Sunday in Viera.

 

It was the Rays' 12th straight loss. Hector Gimenez got Vero back in the game with a three-run homer in the seventh, his second home run in two days. Gimenez then walked in the ninth and scored the tying run on a single by Matthew Fields.

 

But in the 10th, Kenny Holmberg led off with a double, was replaced by pinch runner Scott Houin, and he scored on Yohannis Perez' fielder's choice.

 

The series in Viera continues Monday at 7:00 PM (6:00 Central).

 

Brevard County Box Score

We never did learn why RHP Josh Butler was sidelined for a while, but his second start back was "stretched" to two scoreless innings; Taylor Green singled three times; both Brent Brewer and Kenny Holmberg doubled, singled, and walked...

 

Brevard County Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Pre-Game Audio Interview with Manager Don Money

Click on the WUMP archive of August 10th, right off the top; dissecting Lorenzo Cain's AA start to kick things off, Michael Brantley's ankle still bothering him a little bit, preparing the squad for the next Chattanooga series and the post-brawl rematch...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Huntsville 13, West Tenn (Mariners) 7

Huntsville Site Game Summary:

 

Stars Offense Awakens in Jolting of Jaxx

Five Players With Multiple Hits Pace Offensive Eruption

By Brett Pollock / Huntsville Stars

Angel Salome drove in five runs to power a resurgent Huntsville offense to a 13-7 win over West Tenn Sunday afternoon in the last of a five-game series at Pringles Park. The Stars stopped a three-game slide and raised their record to 23-27 in the second half, while the Jaxx dipped to 21-28 in the half. West Tenn won the season series 12-9, including seven of ten at home, and has won the season series in each of the last five years.

 

The Stars, who missed out on numerous good scoring chances in their loss on Saturday, wasted no time jumping on Brodie Downs for three runs in the first inning on a two-run double by Salome and a scoring ground ball by Mat Gamel. Stars' starter Alex Periard worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the inning by getting catcher Gabe Johnson to pop out.

 

West Tenn got on the board in the home third on a two-out, bases loaded walk to Johnson after a Mike Bell throwing error on a routine ground ball allowed the inning to continue. The Stars tacked on another run in the fourth when Cole Gillespie doubled with one out and scored with two outs when Matt Mangini could not field a Martin Maldonado ground ball. The double was Gillespie's first extra-base hit since July 24 at Carolina.

 

West Tenn cut the lead to one in the fifth on a run-scoring double by Johan Limonta and a Gabe Johnson sacrifice fly. Gillespie made a diving catch on a ball hit by Jeffrey Dominguez to end the inning with Limonta at second base.

 

Periard was lifted after five frames with a 5-3 lead, allowing four hits, walking three, hitting two batters and recording two strikeouts. Patrick Ryan took over in the sixth and yielded a run-scoring ground out by Greg Halman and a two-out, run-scoring single to Marshall Hubbard that tied the game. Ryan and shortstop Alcides Escobar committed fielding errors in the frame that contributed to the two runs.

 

Downs was removed after six innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out two. Doug Fister allowed a two-out, run-scoring hit to Salome in the seventh that put the Stars ahead to stay and a two-run triple by Lorenzo Cain that made it 8-5. Salome's two-run double in the eighth keyed a five-run rally that put the game out of reach. Escobar finished with four hits to lead a 15-hit attack, the most for the Stars in a game since they pounded out 17 in a win over Chattanooga July 11. The 13 runs scored by the Stars were the most they had plated in a game since a 15-4 win over the Lookouts on July 9. Gillespie, Bell and Michael Brantley each chipped in with two hits, as well.

 

Ryan grabbed the win after two innings of work during which he allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits. He improved to 4-5, while Fister took the loss and fell to 5-14 after surrendering five runs on five hits over an inning and two-thirds.

 

The Stars return home Tuesday to open a five-game series against Chattanooga with right-hander Jeremy Jeffress making his double-A debut against Lookouts' left-hander Travis Wood. Coverage of the game begins at 6:50 pm central time and can be heard locally on SportsRadio 730 WUMP and through the internet at www.huntsvillestars.com and www.730ump.com.

 

Huntsville Box Score

Maybe a batting title will garner Angel Salome more national attention, although Alcides Escobar may have something to say about that -- hard to believe Mat Gamel has suddenly dropped from that conversation...

 

Huntsville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Nashville Pre-Game Audio Chat with Reliever Joe Bateman

A guy you may see in Milwaukee in '09, if not this September; insightfully long-winded and as he states, "weird"...

[Mass Haas]

Final: Omaha (Royals) 9, Nashville 8

 

Nashville Site Game Summary:

Link for new Adam Heether photo, text follows --

 

Royals Best Sounds In High-Scoring Contest

NASHVILLE - The Omaha Royals outlasted the Nashville Sounds in a high-scoring affair on Sunday evening at Greer Stadium, posting a 9-8 victory.

 

The Sounds (50-72) never led in the contest but rallied to tie the game twice before finishing a run short at the conclusion.

 

Damon Hollins gave the visitors a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when he drove a 1-2, two-out Chris Narveson offering over the 24-foot high batter's eye in center field for his 12th home run of the year. Kila Ka'aihue, who drew a two-out walk, and Ryan Shealy, who followed with a single, scored on the homer, which came after Hollins fouled off three straight two-strike pitches.

 

Omaha added a run in the second when Matt Tupman led off with a double to right-center and later scored on Chris Lubanski's one-out RBI single up the middle. Narveson escaped further damage later in the frame, working out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam by fanning Ka'aihue and Shealy to end the inning.

 

The Sounds got on the board in the home half of the third when Tony Gwynn legged out a one-out triple then scored when Jay Gibbons, who paced Nashville with three hits on the evening, followed with a fly ball to left that was lost in the sky by Lubanski and resulted in an RBI double, making it a 4-1 contest.

 

Nashville tied the game at 4-4 with a three-run fourth against Omaha starter and former Sound Jose Capellan. Shortstop Chris Woodward got things started when his two-out RBI single through the left side of the infield plated Adam Heether, who had walked and then stole second. After Hernan Iribarren's ground-rule double to right-center put runners on second and third, Gwynn came through with a game-tying two-run single to center.

 

The Royals pulled back ahead in the fifth when they manufactured a run against Narveson. Hollins led off with a double off the left field wall then advanced the next two bases on consecutive flyouts by Brian Buchanan and Tupman, whose sacrifice fly gave the visitors a 5-4 lead.

 

Adam Heether tied the game in the bottom of the frame when he led off with a solo homer to left-center off Capellan, his ninth roundtripper of the year.

 

AUDIO: Adam Heether Solo HR

 

Sounds reliever Randy Choate ran into control trouble in the top of the seventh as Omaha took its third lead of the evening with a four-run rally. After Gookie Dawkins and Pena opened the inning with consecutive singles, the left-hander loaded the bases with a one-out walk to Shealy before forcing home the go-ahead run with a walk to Hollins, the slugger's third free pass of the evening. Choate's inaccuracy continued as Buchanan followed by drawing an RBI walk to extend the lead to 7-5. Following a Tupman flyout, Josh Labandeira ripped a two-run double down the right field line to wrap up the scoring.

 

Nashville responded immediately, pulling back within a run in the bottom of the frame with three two-out runs off Royals reliever Brad Salmon. Laynce Nix delivered a two-out RBI single to center that scored Gibbons, who hit his second double of the evening earlier in the frame. After a walk to Heether, J.R. Hopf followed with an infield single to shortstop that was accompanied by an errant throw by Dawkins, allowing Nix and Heether to score in unearned fashion to make it a 9-8 game.

 

The Sounds would get no closer, however, as Jeff Fulchino slammed the door for the Royals by working two hitless innings to notch his fifth save of the year.

 

Salmon (8-6) picked up the win despite allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Choate (0-2) took the loss after giving up four runs in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

 

Neither starter factored into the decision. Narveson allowed five runs on five hits while striking out a season-high nine batters in 5 2/3 innings, while Capellan gave up five runs on eight hits over 5 1/3 frames of action.

 

The teams wrap up the series with a 6:00 p.m. finale on Monday evening. Right-hander Nic Ungs (1-2, 12.86) will make his first start since rejoining the Sounds and face rehabbing Omaha southpaw Jimmy Gobble (0-0, 3.86).

 

Nashville Box Score

Jay Gibbons looking more and more like a wise chance to take; heaven forbid, but if Ryan Braun has to go on the DL, Gibbons might be the choice over Tony Gwynn or Laynce Nix...

 

Nashville Game Log

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Sounds walk away with loss to Omaha

By STEVE SILVER

Tennessean Staff Writer

 

Nashville reliever Randy Choate walked three consecutive batters - two with the bases loaded - in the seventh inning and Omaha held on for a 9-8 win over the Nashville Sounds on Sunday night.

 

A Greer Stadium crowd of 2,711 saw Nashville tie the game in the sixth inning when leadoff batter Adam Heether crushed a home run to left center.

 

Omaha answered in the seventh when Gookie Dawkins and Brayan Pena reached base on singles. After Kila Ka'aihue struck out Omaha loaded the bases when Ryan Shealy walked.

 

Choate then walked Damon Hollins to give the Royals a 6-5 lead and Brian Buchanan for another run.

 

Chris Narveson, Choate and Erasmo Ramirez combined for 13 strikeouts. The best single-game strikeout total for the Sounds pitching staff this season is 18.

 

After pitching coach Stan Kyles visited the mound to speak to Narveson, who had loaded the bases with one out in the second inning, Narveson stuck out eight of the next 11 batters.

 

Narveson finished with a season-high nine strikeouts. His previous high was seven strikeouts in two different games.

 

Uncharacteristic loss: Heading into Sunday's game, the Sounds had won four of their last five games decided by one or two runs.

 

On the run: The Sounds were 2-for-2 on stolen base attempts Sunday making them 122-of-164 on the season. Their total leads the Pacific Coast League.

 

One-up: Sunday's game gave Omaha a one-game edge (176-175) on Nashville in the 24-year series between the two clubs. The Sounds and Royals split their first 350 meetings dating back to 1985.