Link Report for Sat. 7/10

[Mass Haas]

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Sounds starter tames Redbirds

Team gets hits, but runs scarce

By Pete Wickham, Memphis Commercial Appeal

David Kopp's first decent outing in Memphis fell victim to another spotty night by Redbirds hitters, as veteran starter Sam Narron and the Nashville Sounds subdued their cross-state rivals, 5-1, before 11,089 Saturday night at AutoZone Park.

 

Narron (4-3), a 6-7 left-hander who returned to Nashville in June after starting the season in an independent league, gave up 10 hits but just one run -- on a triple by newcomer Aaron Luna and an RBI single by Kopp in the third. He struck out five, didn't walk a batter and improved his career record against Memphis to 6-2.

 

"We've got to find a way to beat him sometime," said Redbirds manager Chris Maloney, whose team fell to 6-9 in the season series with the Sounds going into their final meeting today, the 14th game between the teams since June 14.

 

"He's been tough on us, and it wasted a good effort by Kopp. (Saturday) he pitched hard, and really gave us a chance."

 

After giving up three hits and two runs to start the game, Kopp (0-4) settled in for the first time in a Memphis uniform, blanking the Sounds the next five innings, striking out four.

 

"I made some mistakes up in the zone in that first inning as I tried to settle in, and they made me pay for it like good hitters do," said Kopp, who came in with an 8.36 ERA after his promotion last month from Double-A Springfield. "After that, I tried to just go pitch by pitch and attack them with everything I have down in the zone and that seemed to work."

 

The Sounds chased Kopp in the seventh with a one-out double by Luis Cruz and a walk. Nashville got those runners home against Renyel Pinto, with a single from catcher Ben Johnson (3-for-4) and a bases-loaded walk by Lorenzo Cain, who added an RBI single in the ninth off Rich Rundles.

 

Memphis has struggled since losing leadoff hitters Jon Jay and Tyler Greene to St. Louis and No. 3 hitter Daniel Descalso to a collarbone fracture between June 29-July 3. The Redbirds hit just .199 in their last five games, including a 6-for-46 effort in Friday's doubleheader loss that left Maloney steaming.

 

Memphis did reach Narron for 10 hits Saturday two each by Ruben Gotay, Allen Craig, Matt Pagnozzi and Luna. But Memphis also hit into three double plays, and continued to struggle in RBI situations. The Redbirds have scored just 20 runs in their last six games.

 

"That's baseball, especially at the Triple-A level," Maloney said. "This is where you have to step up, no matter the circumstance."

 

Descalso, second on the team with 52 RBI, said he will be re-evaluated after the weekend series in New Orleans that follows this week's All-Star break. "Hopefully they'll let me loose after that," he said.

 

Redbirds reliever Andrew Brown left after pitching to two batters in the ninth, with what he said was a strain in his lower back, with no word on how severe it might be.

 

Craig, who had the team's one home run during the mini-skid, said, "It'll be good to get the (All-Star) break. It's been frustrating, but you can't let it get to you. It's just one week."

[pete]

The thing that caught my eye in the Brevard boxscore is that they struck out 18 times and never walked. Definitely a game that deserves the "get to the bullpen" cliche.