The Colorado Springs Sky Sox sent the Nashville Sounds to a heart-breaking 8-7 loss in walk-off fashion Friday night at Security Service Field.
Multiple late leads were not enough for the Sounds as Manny Pina’s one-out single in the ninth scored Michael Reed with the winning run.
The Sounds held a 5-1 lead in the eighth inning, and then went up 7-5 in the top of the ninth only to see both leads vanish.
Max Muncy belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning to break a 5-5 tie.
The home run for Muncy came just minutes after the Sky Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth to even the game after trailing 5-1.
The two-run lead didn’t last long as Angel Castro’s trouble started right away in the bottom of the ninth. Yosmil Pinto sent a single to the right side to start the rally.
Castro retired Keon Broxton for the first out of the inning, but then issued back-to-back walks to put the winning run at first base. That’s when Hernan Perez sent a fly ball down the right field line for a ground-rule double that evened the game at 7-7.
The Sounds turned to Ryan Brasier in favor of Castro. He delivered an intentional walk to Jake Elmore before Pina finished it with the game-winner to right.
The Sounds led for the greater part of eight innings. They plated three runs in the third, highlighted by Jake Smolinski’s two-run double off the left field wall. Up 4-1, Matt Olson belted his second home run of the season in the sixth to lengthen the lead.
Colorado Springs scored a single tally in the seventh, then three in the eighth off Nashville reliever Tucker Healy who came into the game with a 0.00 ERA in five games.
Left-hander Sean Manaea was in position to get to 3-0 before the bullpen faltered. The 24-year-old allowed just one run on six hits in six innings. He walked a pair and struck out four. Manaea has allowed one run in all three starts and has a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings.
The Sounds return home to First Tennessee Park to start a four-game homestand against the New Orleans Zephyrs on Saturday. Right-hander Chris Smith (0-2, 7.20) starts for Nashville against right-hander Ivan Pineyro (0-2, 4.09) for New Orleans. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
