Link Report for Mon. 5/21 - LHP Will West debuts on TV in Rattlers matinee

[Mass Haas]

Sounds Outslugged By 51s In Series-Opening 10-8 Loss

Conrad, Maldonado Homer As Nashville Suffers Another Close Defeat

Nashville Sounds

 

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - David Cooper legged out a go-ahead, three-run, inside-the-park homer and former Sound Chris Woodward contributed four RBIs to lead the Las Vegas 51s to a come-from-behind 10-8 victory over Nashville on Monday evening at Cashman Field in the opener of a four-game series.

 

The teams combined for 18 runs and 27 hits on the evening in a three hour and thirty-seven minute slugfest, marking the most runs and hits recorded in a game involving the Sounds this season.

 

Las Vegas failed to score in the first inning then plated runs in each of the following six frames en route to victory.

 

Nashville (16-27) suffered its 15th loss of the year by two runs or less and fell to 0-7 in road series openers.

 

The Sounds took a 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the top of the second inning against 51s starter Scott Richmond. Corey Patterson, who paced Nashville with a 3-for-5 evening, led off the frame with a single and came all the way around to score from first when Andy Gonzalez followed with a single to right, which was misplayed by Danny Perales. The single by Gonzalez extended the infielder's season-best hit streak to six games.

 

Las Vegas evened the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the second with a two-out rally against Mark Rogers. After the first two batters were retired, Perales doubled to left and scored the tying run when Woodward (3-for-4) ripped a run-scoring two-bagger off the left field wall that was nearly gloved by Caleb Gindl.

 

The 51s grabbed the lead in the third when Adeiny Hechavarria singled off Rogers with one out, stole second, and later pushed the home team in front by a 2-1 margin when he raced home on Travis d'Arnaud's two-out single to left.

 

Las Vegas upped the lead to 5-1 in the fourth with a three-run frame against Rogers, keyed by a two-run double off the bat of Woodward.

 

The Sounds rallied for five runs in the top of the fifth inning, batting around to pull back in front by a 6-5 margin.

 

Martin Maldonado and Logan Schafer opened the frame with consecutive doubles to make it a 5-2 contest. After Gindl drew a walk, Brooks Conrad knotted the game at 5-5 when he crushed an opposite-field, three-run homer to left (audio). The infielder's team-leading sixth longball of the season chased Richmond from the contest and extended Conrad's hitting streak to 11 games, dating back to his first stint with the Sounds.

 

The Nashville rally continued as Bobby Korecky took over on the Vegas hill. After the right-hander retired Sean Halton on a groundout for the inning's first out, Patterson doubled off the right-center wall. Gonzalez followed by lifting a fly ball to center, which was dropped by Anthony Gose for a three-base error which allowed Patterson to easily score the go-ahead run (audio).

 

Once again, the 51s had an immediate answer for a Nashville score with one of their own in the home half of the frame, tying the game at 6-6 in the bottom of the sixth on Adam Lind's two-out solo homer to right off Rogers. The roundtripper was the first Triple-A blast of the year for Lind, who was sent down by Toronto over the weekend.

 

Rogers did not factor in the decision for Nashville after allowing season highs of six runs and 10 hits over five innings of work for the Sounds. He tossed a season-high 99 pitches in his fifth consecutive no-decision.

 

Las Vegas pulled back in front in the sixth against Sounds reliever Amaury Rivas on a three-run, inside-the-park home run off the bat of David Cooper. After Mike McCoy and Hechavarria drew walks from Rivas during the inning, Cooper lifted a fly ball to deep right-center that was nearly caught by Logan Schafer at the fence. However, Schafer was unable to corral the baseball and landed awkwardly as the ball bounded away, allowing Cooper to race home without a play at the plate.

 

Cooper's three-run roundtripper, which staked the 51s to a 9-6 lead, was the first baseman's sixth big fly of the year and the first inside-the-park homer against the Sounds since Albuquerque's Robert Stratton accomplished the feat during the 2003 PCL playoffs at Isotopes Park.

 

Las Vegas stretched its lead to 10-6 in the seventh on Woodward's third run-scoring knock of the evening, a two-out infield single off Victor Garate.

 

Maldonado crushed a 2-1 Jerry Gil fastball well over the wall in left field with two outs in the eighth inning to pull the Sounds back within 10-7 (audio). The blast was the backstop's fourth of the season.

 

Nashville didn't go down without a fight in the ninth, pulling within a pair of runs at 10-8 and getting the potential tying run to the plate against 51s reliever Ryota Igarashi before falling short in their comeback attempt.

 

Gindl led off the Sounds' ninth with a single, moved to second on a groundout and to third on a Halton single, and score on a Patterson groundout. With Halton on second and two outs, Gonzalez came to the dish representing the tying run but was struck out on an Igarashi curveball as the Japanese right-hander nailed down his fourth save of the year by squelching out the Nashville rally.

 

Gil (4-0) was awarded the victory for Las Vegas after allowing one run in his 2 1/3 innings of relief work. Rivas (2-2) drew the loss after giving up three runs in his lone frame of action.

 

The teams continue the series with another 9:05 p.m. CT contest on Tuesday night. Right-hander Wily Peralta (1-4, 5.36) will man the bump for the Sounds to face Las Vegas right-hander Jesse Chavez (5-2, 3.74).

[Mass Haas]

Stars Drop 12-Inning Marathon to Lookouts

 

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – It was a wild pitch that would end a wild game between the Huntsville Stars and Chattanooga Lookouts early Tuesday morning at AT&T Field. After five and a half hours and 12 innings of play, Stars reliever Bradley Blanks threw a wild pitch to score Pedro Baez and give the Lookouts a 3-2 victory.

 

The Stars had their chances early in the game, but just couldn’t capitalize. They put a runner in scoring position in the first inning thanks to a double from Scooter Gennett. First baseman Hunter Morris grounded out to end the inning and strand Gennett. In the second, Huntsville again had a chance to get on the board with a lead-off double from Jay Gibbons. He advanced to third on a groundout from catcher Anderson De La Rosa. Unfortunately, a fly out and ground out would strand Gibbons and leave the Stars scoreless.

 

Chattanooga left fielder Luis Nunez recorded the first Lookouts’ hit of the game, a double, in the third inning. J.T. Wise followed up with a double of his own on the next at bat to score Nunez and put the first run up for Chattanooga.

 

Outfielder Josh Prince was hot on the base paths in the fifth after drawing a walk. With Gennett at the plate, Prince swiped second. Gennett drew a walk to set the stage for Morris. The double steal was on as both Prince and Gennett stole third and second, respectively. For Prince, those were his 12th and 13th steals on the season, putting him third in the Southern League for stolen bases. Morris grounded out to again end the Stars chances at putting up a run.

 

Lookouts starter Javier Solano replaced starter Ethan Martin in the sixth. Martin went five innings, allowing just two hits. He walked four and struck out five in the no-decision.

 

Gibbons welcomed Solano to the game with his second double of the night, but was again left on base after a ground out from Kentrail Davis and a strikeout by starting pitcher Hiram Burgos.

 

Chattanooga tacked on a second run in the sixth inning thanks to a lead-off double and a RBI-single. For Burgos, his night ended after that second run and an hour rain delay in the bottom of the sixth. He went five and a third innings, giving up two runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out eight before being replaced by Dan Meadows.

 

With two outs in the eighth, the Stars brought in pinch hitter Lee Haydel to hit for reliever Meadows. Haydel singled to center and came around to score on a Tommy Manzella single to finally put the Stars on the board. Never a team to give up on a good comeback, Morris hit his Southern League-leading 19 th double to start things off. De La Rosa grounded out to advance Morris. Davis hit a triple to right-center to score Morris and tie the game up. Domnit Bolivar struck out to leave another runner stranded in scoring position.

 

The bats remained quiet on both sides of the field, even in the bottom of the 12th. The Lookouts’ Baez drew a one-out walk off Stars reliever Blanks. Travis Denker was hit by a pitch to advance Baez to second. A fly out put runners on the corners followed by a walk to load up the bases. It was the wild pitch by Blanks, however, that would allow Baez to score and the Lookouts to walk away with the victory.

 

With this loss, the Stars have lost four of their last five games and seven of the last ten.

 

The Stars return home to open a five-game series against the Birmingham Barons starting Tuesday night at 6:43 p.m.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Media Notes