A stellar Triple-A debut from pitcher Daniel Mengden and a big game at the plate from Renato Nunez pushed the Nashville Sounds to a 5-1 win over the Iowa Cubs Monday night in front of 4,144 fans at First Tennessee Park.
Mengden, freshly promoted from Double-A Midland, tossed six shutout innings. In five total starts in 2016, he has not allowed any runs in four of them. He scattered five hits, walked a pair and struck out four in the win.
The right-hander got help from a number of Sounds in the lineup, but none more than Nunez. The third baseman went 3-for-4 with a home run, triple and two runs knocked in.
His first hit of the game gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead when he started the second inning with a booming solo homer to left field. It was the fifth home run of the season for Nunez.
Nashville added two runs in the second when Andrew Lambo trotted home on a fielding error by Cubs third baseman Juan Perez and Matt Olson plated Jake Smolinski with a sacrifice fly.
Mengden retired the side in order in the first, third and fourth innings. The Cubs loaded the bases in the fifth but he got out of the jam when he got Ryan Kalish to pop out to first.
The second hit of the night from Nunez gave the Sounds a 4-0 lead. Joey Wendle doubled to start the third and scored when Nunez sent a two-out single up the middle.
Smolinski started the fourth with a base hit to left, and then swiped second to get into scoring position. It paid off when Rangel Ravelo slapped a single to left for a base hit to make it 5-0.
Iowa got on the scoreboard in the top of the eighth when catcher Willson Contreras launched a solo home run off Sounds reliever Eduard Santos.
Mengden earned the win in his Sounds and Triple-A debut and Santos picked up a three-inning save. Pierce Johnson was tagged with the loss.
Game two of the four-game series is set for Tuesday night at First Tennessee Park. Right-hander Chris Smith (1-3, 6.31) starts for Nashville against right-hander Ryan Williams (2-1, 5.30). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
