The Sounds pounded out 14 hits and scored four times in the seventh inning against the Las Vegas 51s on Saturday night at First Tennessee Park to win their sixth straight game by a score of 6-1.
The win bumped Nashville’s record to 22-27 overall and 15-5 when the team plates five or more runs. The season-best win streak moved to six with the victory and the Sounds are now 7-3 in their last 10 games.
The early portions of the game were again highlighted by good pitching and limited offense. Sean Nolin was making his fourth start of the season for Nashville and threw 78 pitches in 4.0 innings of work. The left-hander struggled with control, walking four and hitting a pair, but allowed just one run on three hits. Nolin’s location problems helped Las Vegas produce several base runners, but the hurler left seven of them stranded, including the bags pack to finish his outing.
The 51s sent Duane Below out for his fifth start of 2015 and the southpaw lasted 6.0 innings with two strikeouts. The 29-year old surrendered two runs on seven hits, giving up four doubles to Nashville and suffering a tough-luck loss.
The extra-base hits came off four different Nashville bats. Joey Wendle, Kent Matthes, Jason Pridie and Bryan Anderson all posted a two-bagger off Below. Anderson came around to score the Sounds first run of the contest in the fourth when Anthony Aliotti drove in his seventh run in the team’s last six games. The first baseman’s 21st RBI of the season helped knot the score at 1-1 after four.
Nashville proceeded to jump on top in the sixth and then put four more up in the seventh. Pridie started off the sixth with his double and the outfielder was driven in by third baseman Matt Carson. The Sounds followed in the seventh with five consecutive singles, six in total, and claimed a 6-1 advantage. By the time the four-run seventh had concluded, every Sounds’ player had at least one hit.
Wendle, Matthes and Pridie all ranked among the top 15 PCL players in extra-base hits coming into the game and the trio also collected multi-hit affairs. The 2-3-4 hitters ended the night 6-for-14 with four runs scored.
Ryan Verduo, who pitched 2.1 shutout innings following Nolin, earned his second win of the season. Pat Venditte (1.2 IP) and Ryan Cook (1.0 IP) finished the win for the Sounds. Over their last nine games, Nashville is posting a ridiculous 1.98 ERA (18er/81.2ip).
Game three of the series gets underway Sunday at First Tennessee Park with a 2:05 p.m. start time. In a highly-anticipated pitching matchup, veteran Barry Zito (2-4, 4.72) will go against Mets’ prospect Steven Matz.
