Sounds Lose Finale In Albuquerque, 7-3
After winning the opener on Saturday, Nashville fell to 13-30 on the road after dropping the next three games to lose the series to the Isotopes. The Sounds held a lead in all four games.
Second baseman Eric Farris led the way with a 3-for-4 effort to extend his hitting streak to eight games. First baseman Jordan Brown and Jeff Bianchi each chipped in with two hits.
The Sounds jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the opening frame against Albuquerque starter Stephen Fife. Leadoff hitter Caleb Gindl singled to center, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Bianchi, and scored on the next play as outfielder Logan Schafer knocked an RBI base hit to left.
Albuquerque quickly knotted the contest at 1-1 in the next frame with four consecutive singles against Nashville starter Claudio Vargas, highlighted by an RBI base hit from Scott Van Slyke. Vargas recorded the next three outs to escape the rally with further damage.
The Isotopes took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning after Jerry Sands led off with a single and later scored on an infield RBI groundout from Brian Cavazos-Galvez. Matt Angle then tacked on another run on an RBI base hit.
The Sounds struck back and tied the game at 3-3 in the visiting half of the fifth. After Brown's second hit of the ballgame to move Schafer to third base, Nashville attempted a double steal. Brown was thrown out at second base while Schafer made it home to score the frame's first run. After third baseman Andy Gonzalez drew a walk, catcher Jason Jaramillo smoked a game-tying double to right field.
Albuquerque went right back ahead at 6-3 after Vargas began the bottom of the fifth with two walks, followed by a fielding error to load the bases. Tim Federowicz brought home the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly, which was followed by an RBI single by Cavazos-Galvez to remove Vargas from the game. Former Sound Trent Oeltjen then singled in the final run of the frame off reliever Donovan Hand. Angle's seventh-inning RBI groundout extended the lead to 7-3.
Vargas (2-1) scattered eight hits for a season-high six runs (four earned) in 4 1/3 innings for the loss.
Hand worked 1 2/3 innings with no runs allowed to extend his scoreless streak 15 innings. Juan Perez gave up one run while striking out two in one inning. Amaury Rivas ended the game with a scoreless frame and two strikeouts.
Fife (6-4) picked up the victory, allowing three runs on nine hits in five innings.
The Sounds travel to Round Rock, Texas after today's game and will conclude their road trip with a three-game series against the Express (AAA-Rangers). Sounds right-hander Wily Peralta (2-8, 6.97) will take the mound against rehabbing left-hander Derek Holland (NR). The clubs split their first series of the year, 2-2, at Greer Stadium in late May.