Category: Sports

Brock Holt led the Red Sox to a win over the Braves for the second time in three games, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a walk and three runs to help Boston split a two-game set at Turner Field with a 5-2 win.  Holt’s offensive contributions backed up a strong start from Clay Buchholz, who threw seven innings, and was one glove-flip away from shutting out the Braves. After knocking down a line drive from A.J. Pierzynski in the sixth, Buchholz scrambled off the mound and flipped the ball over the head of David Ortiz at first base, allowing two unearned Atlanta runs to cross the plate.
Aside from that defensive miscue, Buchholz was in top form. He struck out three batters, walked one and worked around six hits on 92 pitches. And despite not reaching base in three at-bats, Buchholz helped drive Atlanta starter Shelby Miller’s pitch count up with a 10-pitch at-bat in the fifth inning.
Miller cruised through three perfect innings before running into trouble in the fourth inning, when Holt hit a leadoff triple. Holt would later score on an RBI groundout from Ortiz. Miller’s start came to an end before the end of the sixth inning, after an error by third baseman Juan Uribe and five hits led to three unearned Boston runs.
The Braves welcome the Mets to Turner Field on Friday night for the first of a three-game series at 6:35 p.m. CT.  Thunder Radio will bring you that broadcast beginning at 6:20.  Atlanta lost two of three to the Mets in a three-game series in New York last week.

The Omaha Storm Chasers narrowly edged the Nashville Sounds 4-3 at First Tennessee Park in game one of their four-game series at First Tennessee Park.

The game marked the first time Nashville and Omaha have played one another in 392 days. Thursday night’s game featured four lead changes and a tie, proving it to be well worth the wait.

Much to the delight of the 10,366 fans packed into the Sounds new park, the latest episode of the Jason Pridie show aired. The bearded outfielder doubled in his first at bat, and then drove his team-leading eighth homer off the wall in right field to give the Sounds a 2-1 lead, in his next at bat just two innings later.

Sounds starter A.J. Griffin went three innings surrendering just a solo homer. The right-hander missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery and threw just 51 pitches on this night. Zach Neal relieved Griffin and pitched well, tossing five innings and striking out eight. Both are the most by a Sounds reliever this season.

Craig Gentry led off the sixth inning with a double, extending his hitting streak to eight games. Two batters later “The Tatman” aka Ryan Roberts would drive the Sounds leadoff hitter in and the game was tied at three.

Unfortunately for Nashville, Orlando Calixte singled and stole second in the top of the eighth. He then scored on a Dusty Coleman RBI double. The Sounds could not get anything going in the last two frames and as a result, Neal took the loss, bringing his record to 5-2.

First Tennessee Park sold out for the seventh time this season in 32 openings. In Greer Stadium’s final season the park reached capacity just twice.

Led by starter Brad Mills, the Sounds will wear special Darth Vader jerseys on Star Wars Night Friday evening as the Sounds and Storm Chasers play the second game of their four-game set. Omaha will give the ball to Buddy Baumann. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

The Braves came up with the timely hits on Wednesday night, leading to a 5-2 victory over the reeling Red Sox.
With the game locked in a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, Nick Markakis drilled an RBI single through the hole and into left field to give the Braves their first lead of the night. A.J. Pierzynski walked with the bases loaded for an insurance run.
“I tell you what, we battled offensively,” said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. “We scratch and claw for every single run.”
Mike Napoli’s homer to left-center in the sixth inning had given the Red Sox a 2-1 lead. But Pedro Ciriaco belted an RBI single against Alexei Ogando to tie it in the bottom of the inning. Ciriaco also had a game-tying RBI double in the fourth.
Alex Wood went six strong innings for the Braves, giving up five hits and two runs (one earned). He walked two and struck out seven. Joe Kelly wasn’t as efficient as he wanted to be for Boston, throwing 103 pitches over five-plus innings. The righty allowed five hits and two runs while walking three and striking out three. He put the Red Sox on the board with an RBI infield single in the fourth.
“You know, Joe kept a big inning from happening,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “There were a number of foul balls, some deep counts that ran his pitch count up. And on a hot night, he gave us everything he had. He leaves with a one-run lead, and unfortunately we can’t either extend it or keep their offense in check.”
Atlanta has taken two of the first three games of this home-and-home, four-game stretch against a Boston team that has lost eight out of nine.
WHAT’S NEXT
Red Sox: Right-hander Clay Buchholz, who has pitched pretty well of late, draws the start in the last of four games between the Red Sox and Braves, 6:10 p.m. CT on Thursday night in Atlanta here on Thunder Radio. Buchholz had a tough outing at Turner Field last year, giving up six runs on four hits and eight walks in three innings.
Braves: Shelby Miller is set to take the mound for the Braves. June has seen a slightly less sharp version of Miller, as he has posted a 4.08 ERA in three starts since the end of May.

The Sounds faltered in the series finale against the Redbirds on Wednesday night at First Tennessee Park, pulling the game to within a run before seeing Memphis walk away with a 7-5 victory.

The Sounds trailed out of the gate when the Redbirds tacked on one in the first and added a trio in the third. The three-run frame was capped by a pair of home runs from Stephen Piscotty and Xavier Scruggs and gave Memphis an early 4-0 advantage.

On the other side, the home team started the series finale by going nine up and nine down at the dish. Memphis starter Tim Cooney came into the night as one of the league’s top pitchers and had an aggressive mindset throughout. The left-hander concluded his night after 6 2/3 efficient innings and picked up a quality start after allowing three earned runs.

Craig Gentry was responsible for getting the Sounds offense to progress. The outfielder punctuated his evening by doing something he had failed to do in over 490 at-bats: hit a home run. The solo shot to start the fourth was his first homer since August 23, 2013, when he went deep off Houston’s Erik Berdard.

He played a part in Nashville’s two-run sixth as well, when his double moved Matt Carson from first to third. Joey Wendle and Ike Davis each followed with RBI groundouts to pull Nashville within one.

It would be as close that they would get though. The ‘Birds tagged on another three-run frame, this one coming in the eighth, and pulled away from the Sounds. Nashville dropped to 30-37 overall and 16-15 at home.

Both early blasts from Memphis were launched off starter Barry Zito. The veteran was roughed up in the early portions of his league-leading 14th start, but settled in nicely. He delivered 6 2/3 innings on a season-high 112 pitches, walking two and fanning three in his sixth loss this season.

The win gives Memphis a 2-1 series lead in The Tennessee Lottery I-40 Cup Series. This is the fourth season the series has taken place between the cross-state rivals.

The Sounds continue their seven-game homestand on Thursday night when they welcome the Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A Royals) to First Tennessee Park. The scheduled pitching matchup for the 7:05 p.m. contest will include A.J. Griffin (0-1, 10.38) and John Lamb.

The 2015 Crethan Hansert Memorial Tournament gets underway on Thursday afternoon at Powers Field as 6 teams will take part in the 3 day event. Coffee County will take on Marshall County on Thursday at 4:00 PM and then the Diamond Dogs at 8:00 PM. The Raiders will take off on Friday before taking on Tullahoma at 10 AM on Saturday. Each tournament team will play 3 games. The champion will be decided based on overall record, and ties will be broken via a tie-breaker system. This year’s schedule is:
Thursday
4:00 Marshall Co. v. Coffee Co.
6:00 Marshall Co. v. Diamond Dogs
8:00 Coffee Co. v. Diamond Dogs

Friday
4:00 Tullahoma v Franklin Co.
6:00 Tullahoma v. Warren Co.
8:00 Marshall Co. Warren Co.

Saturday
10:00 Tullahoma v. Coffee Co.
12:00 Franklin Co. v Warren Co.
2:00 Franklin Co. v Diamond Dogs
All games will be at Powers Field at Coffee County CHS

The Coffee County Central High School basketball teams return to camp action this week as the TSSAA dead period closes in.  The Lady Raiders played a doubleheader on Tuesday at Shelbyville as the young squad looks to develop scoring and depth in these summer games.  The Lady Raiders dropped a close contest to Station Camp and got a win over Trousdale County in camp action on Tuesday.  Coach Herb Horton continues to be impressed with his freshman as they continue to show improvement.  The Lady Raiders return to the court on Thursday as they travel to Crossville for another team camp.

The Red Raiders are at a team camp in Brentwood this week.  On Tuesday, the Red & Black split a pair of games with East Hickman and McGavock.  Against McGavock, Tyrese McGee and Kohl Young played well but the Raiders fell in a close contest.  Against East Hickman, Caleb McKenzie hit a clutch 3 pointer and Grant Sandler rebounded well and sealed the game with late free throws.  The Raiders played a pair of late games on Wednesday night before finishing up the camp on Thursday.

For the first time since June 7, the Red Sox enjoyed the simple pleasure of postgame handshakes. They also witnessed a memorable performance by Brock Holt, who paced the 9-4 victory over the Braves with the first cycle by a Boston batter since John Valentin on June 6, 1996.  The monster performance by Holt helped the Red Sox snap a seven-game losing streak.
After doubling in the first, hitting a single in the fifth and clubbing a homer to the opposite field in left in the seventh, Holt completed the cycle with a triple to center in the eighth. Alex Rios was the last player to finish the cycle with a triple, doing so for the Rangers against the Astros on Sept. 23, 2013. The last Red Sox player to complete the cycle with a triple was Fred Lynn on May 13, 1980.  “Obviously I knew I needed a triple,” said Holt. “I didn’t expect to hit one, but as soon as barrel hit ball I was like, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.’ Because once it gets in the triangle anything is possible. So I was just running on all my horses and it worked out.”

Lefty Wade Miley, who engaged in a public spat with manager John Farrell in his last start, bounced back nicely by firing 6 1/3 strong innings for the win.  Braves righty Julio Teheran didn’t fare nearly as well, allowing six runs and a career-high 13 hits over 6 1/3 innings. Boston’s left-handed hitters finished 6-for-15 against him.
“[Lefties] still got to him last year a little bit, but it wasn’t at the pace they’re doing right now,” Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. “Whether it’s pitch selection or command. Looking at the video through the course on the Jumbotron, it’s balls right down the middle. It’s balls down the middle of the plate that we need to locate.”

Braves Left-hander Alex Wood (4-4, 3.56 ERA) takes the mound at 6:10 p.m. CT on Wednesday, as Atlanta returns home to wrap up the second half of this four-game series at Turner Field. Thunder Radio will have that broadcast beginning at 6:00 PM.  Wood was hit in the head with a fly ball during batting practice on Tuesday, but the Braves’ training staff examined him and cleared him to make his scheduled start. He has allowed two runs in 3 2/3 relief innings vs. the Red Sox, but this will mark his first career start against the club.  Red Sx righty Joe Kelly (2-4, 5.45 ERA) draws the start on Wednesday, as the series shifts to Turner Field. Kelly is 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in two career starts against the Braves. The Red Sox will be without the designated hitter for the first time since April 9.

Jason Pridie and Sean Nolin set the tone for the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday night as they snapped their five-game losing streak with a 7-1 win over Memphis at First Tennessee Park.

Pridie has been the Sounds most consistent offensive performer this season, leading the Sounds in every major statistical category. He solidified those numbers on this night.

In the first inning, the outfielder hit a lined shot that two-hopped the Coca-Cola banner in right-center. Matt Carson and Ryan Roberts came around to score, Pridie stopped at second and the Sounds led 2-0. They would never trail.

Nashville needed Sean Nolin to be their stopper and he did just that, delivering his best outing of the season for Nashville. The southpaw went 5.1 strong, surrendering just three hits as he held Memphis scoreless. The 88 pitches Nolin threw are the most he has thrown in a game this season.

Pridie and the rest of the Nashville offensive attack put the game away for good in the seventh inning. After Roberts drove Joey Wendle in with an infield single, Pridie picked up yet another RBI, lining a single up the gut to plate Ike Davis. Pridie would later come around to score the fourth run of the Sounds 7th inning on a Niuman Romero sacrifice fly.

The best-of-16 Tennessee Lottery I-40 Cup Series is now tied at one game apiece. The teams will play the final game of their three-game series Wednesday night. Two of the better southpaws in the PCL will take the mound in the contest as Nashville’s Barry Zito will face off with Memphis Tim Cooney. First pitch is schedule for 7:05 p.m.

The Updated Manchester Youth Baseball League Tournament bracket. Updated thru games of June 16

Win and advance is the focus this week in the Manchester Youth Baseball League postseason tournament. On Tuesday night in the 12U(Major League) division semifinals. Al White Ford/Lincoln and People’s Bank punched their ticket for Friday’s finals. Al White scored 4 runs with 2 outs in the bottom of the last inning to knock off last season’s champion Coffee County Bank by a final score of 8 to 7.  Kyle Farless had an RBI single to drive in Jacob Sherrill with the winning run for Al White. Farless and Brayden Rigsby each had 2 hits for Al White. Coffee County Bank was led by Garrett Davis who had a home run and a double.

Bailey Hill, catcher for People’s Bank, tags out the sliding Devon Taylor(obscured by dust) of Powers Storage at the plate in the first inning of action in the 12U Division of the MYBL Post Season Tournament on Tuesday night

In the other semifinal, Peoples Bank banked jumped out to a 4 to 2 lead after 1 inning and never trailed as they beat Powers 11 to 3. Braden Brown was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI for Peoples while Alton Howard had a home run for Powers.

In the 6U(T-Ball) division semifinals, Dr. Jay’s had to come from behind to beat Gilley Farms 22 to 20. Oak Restaurant won a 32 to 22 slugfest over Cook Chiropractic Hullett’s Service batted around 3 times to tame the Lion’s Club 21 to 12 and 1st Vision Bank broke open a close game in the third to stop Sonic 26 to 15.

Cole Shedd of Dr. Jay’s slides safely into home on Tuesday night in the 6U Division of the MYBL Post Season Tournament.

MYBL will take off Wednesday night before hosting the semifinals of the 6U(T-Ball) and 8U(Coach Pitch) division semifinals on Thursday. Thursday’s schedule is as follows:
5:00 PM – 6U – 1st Vision Bank vs. Dr. Jay’s – T-Ball Field
5:00 PM – 6U – Hullett’s Service Center vs. Oak Restaurant – American Field
7:00 PM – 8U – Hullett’s vs. Hillsboro Masonic Lodge – T-Ball Field
7:00 PM – 8U – Interstate Auto vs. Coffee County Mini Storage – American Field