Both Nashville and Memphis came out slugging in Wednesday afternoon’s game at AutoZone Park, but the Redbirds eventually evened the series with a 9-4 win.

A run was scored by one or both of the teams through each of the first six innings. Those six frames included a combination of 13 runs and 25 hits, as Memphis eventually outhit Nashville, 14-12.

The combination of Craig Gentry and Joey Wendle at the top of the lineup set the tone all game for the Sounds. The duo went a combined 7-for-10 with four runs scored, three doubles and two RBIs. They got Nashville on the board in the top of the first by both scoring. Ryan Roberts recorded a sacrifice fly to grab the early lead and Jake Smolinski collected a RBI single to make it 2-0.

Smolinski joined Gentry and Wendle with a three-hit game. In his first two games with Nashville, the outfielder is 5-for-8 with three RBIs and a double.

Nashville scored three of its four runs with two outs and was 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Wendle’s two doubles extended his team-leading extra-base hit total to 29, while his four hits were a season high.

Stephen Piscotty led the way for Memphis, going 3-for-5 with his 10th homer of the season, two runs and two RBIs, while Dan Johnson also had a trio of hits. The ‘Birds claimed the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth and added three more in the sixth to post the 9-4 advantage.

The Sounds came into the game with the second-best ERA (3.45) in the PCL, but it took a hit on Wednesday. Starter Zach Neal saw the Redbirds tag him for six runs on a season-high 11 hits over five innings. Angel Castro did pitch a scoreless seventh though, and Brock Huntzinger extended his scoreless streak to 12 games and 17 2/3 innings with a perfect eighth.

The two teams conclude the three-game series on Thursday at AutoZone Park with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Lefty Brad Mills (2-7, 3.56) will be opposed by Thomas Lee in the series finale.

Right-hander Stephen Strasburg pitched five scoreless innings in his return as the Nationals defeated the Braves, 3-1, in Tuesday night’s series opener at Nationals Park.  In his first game since May 29, Strasburg waited out a two-hour, 12-minute weather delay, then held Atlanta to four hits and one walk while striking out six to pick up his fourth victory.
“It’s good to get back out there. Obviously, I’ve been working real hard to get things in the right direction. I was able to keep the lead,” Strasburg said. “I want to go out there and execute pitches, pitch my game. I talked to a lot guys in the clubhouse while I was away. It really shed some light into what my strengths and weaknesses are. I really just tried to pitch to my strengths.”
Braves left-hander Alex Wood wasn’t bad either, lasting seven innings and allowing three runs on 10 hits, but losing his fifth game.
Cameron Maybin drove in Atlanta’s only run when he homered off left-hander Matt Thornton in the eighth.

With their fourth consecutive victory, the Nats improved to 38-33, moving 2 1/2 games ahead of the Mets, while the third-place Braves had their three-game win streak snapped and fell three games back.  “It’s disappointing,” Wood said. “You come in here with first place on the line. We battled from start to finish.”  Wood had only himself to blame when he surrendered a Span double and Anthony Rendon’s RBI single before recording his first out. But he didn’t get much help from his defense a short time later. Michael Taylor reached second base and later scored after Maybin bobbled his leadoff single in the third inning. Taylor might not have had a chance to deliver an RBI single in the fourth had second baseman Jace Peterson been quick enough to turn a double play after third baseman Juan Uribe fielded Danny Espinosa’s grounder and threw to second.

Right-hander Shelby Miller will take the mound when Atlanta and Washington resume the three-game series Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. CT. Miller has posted a 0.73 ERA in four career starts against the Nationals, but he has not faced them this season.  Thunder Radio will bring you that broadcast beginning at 6:00 PM.

Behind timely hitting from Ryan Roberts and Jake Smolinski, the Nashville Sounds defeated the Memphis Redbirds 6-4 at AutoZone Park on Tuesday night.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth inning. Joey Wendle singled and went to third on Roberts’ double. The Sounds second baseman then scored on a wild pitch and Barry Zito went back to the mound with a lead.

The Sounds added insurance in the fifth. In his first game since being claimed off waivers from Texas, Smolinski singled and scored on a throwing error by Memphis’ pitcher Tim Cooney. Two more runs would score for Nashville in the frame and the Sounds led 4-0.

Zito surrendered just one run through six, but ran into a spot of trouble to start the seventh. The veteran southpaw walked the first two batters he faced and then gave up an RBI single to Dean Anna. Dan Otero came in and helped Nashville out, allowing just one more run to score as Nashville went to the eighth inning clinging to a 4-3 lead.

Nashville got much needed insurance the following half inning. After Wendle grounded out, Roberts recorded his fourth hit of the game, the third time this season the Sounds infielder has gone 4-for-4, most on the team. Roberts would go to third on a Dayan Viciedo double. After Jason Pridie was intentionally walked and Nate Freiman popped out, Smolinski stepped in. The newest Sound delivered – his two-out single plated two runs to give the Sounds a 6-3 lead.

There were a few nervous minutes for Sounds fans as Memphis loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth, but closer Ryan Cook forced Cody Stanley to ground into a 4-6-3 double play and he then struck out Tommy Pham to finish the job, earning his sixth save.

The two teams will be back at the park first thing Wednesday morning, with first pitch scheduled for 11:35 a.m. It’s expected to be a battle of Zach’s from AutoZone Park, with the Sounds’ Neal dueling with the Redbirds’ Petrick. The Tennessee Lottery I-40 Cup Series is now tied at two games apiece.