Vargas Solid As Sounds Clip Redbirds, 7-1
Vargas (4-1) continued to have the Redbirds' number as the veteran authored his third quality start victory in three starts against Memphis this season. The right-hander struck out a season-high seven batters while holding the 'Birds to one run on four hits in his seven frames of work.
In his three starts versus Memphis, Vargas has posted a 1.42 ERA (3er/19.0ip); against the rest of the PCL, he carries a 5.52 mark in 10 outings (27er/44.0ip).
The seven-run output by the Sounds marked the first time in 17 games that Nashville recorded more than five runs in a game.
First baseman Sean Halton, who legged out a pair of triples, was one of four Nashville players to post two hits on the night. The slugger became the 12th player in the Sounds' 35-year history to record two three-baggers in one game and the first since Lorenzo Cain accomplished the feat in the same inning on July 26, 2010 at Albuquerque.
Nashville's five through eight hitters combined to go 8-for-14 in the game; the top four batters in the order went just 4-for-18.
The Sounds got off to a quick start against Memphis starter Shelby Miller, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Second baseman Eric Farris led off the Nashville first by hammering a 2-0 Shelby Miller offering over the left field wall for a leadoff home run and a 1-0 lead. It was the infielder's fourth big fly of the year and extended Farris' hitting streak to eight games, the longest active stretch on the club. Corey Patterson followed Farris with a single, stole second, and scored on Taylor Green's one-out RBI double down the right field line.
Shortstop Edwin Maysonet doubled the Nashville advantage to 4-0 in the second when he slugged his second home run of the year, a two-run shot to left off Miller. Jordan Brown, who had opened the frame with a single, also scored on the blast.
Nashville scored again in the third against Miller when Halton smoked a long line drive to center that struck the top portion of the 24' high batter's eye, resulting in a stand-up, two-out triple, and scored on Caleb Gindl's ensuing single to right.
Miller (5-9) suffered his third loss in three starts against the Sounds this season. The St. Louis Cardinals' top prospect gave up five runs on seven hits over four innings of action. The right-hander is 0-3 with a 12.19 ERA (14er/10.1ip) against Nashville in 2012.
Memphis got on the board in the fifth when catcher Bryan Anderson smashed a one-out solo homer to right-center off Sounds starter Claudio Vargas, his third dinger of the year.
The Sounds increased the lead to 6-1 in the home half of the fifth against Memphis reliever Nick Greenwood when Brown plated catcher Jonathan Lucroy with a two-out RBI single to center.
Nashville made it 7-1 in the seventh against John Gaub. Halton legged out his second triple of the night after his fly ball to left caromed off the top of the wall and away from both pursuing Redbirds outfielders. Gindl followed with a sharp RBI single through the right side of a drawn-in infield.
Left-hander Juan Perez worked the final two innings in scoreless fashion behind Vargas for the Sounds.
In his second rehab contest with Nashville, Lucroy went 0-for-3 and played seven innings. He lined out sharply to center in the first, struck out in the third, was plunked in the back, stole second, and later scored in the fifth, and grounded into a fielder's choice in the sixth.
The teams continue their series with another 7:05 p.m. matchup on Thursday evening. Right-hander Wily Peralta (5-9, 2.04) will start for the Sounds to face Memphis southpaw Nick Additon (3-7, 4.66). The Famous San Diego Chicken will make his first appearance at Greer Stadium since 2010 when he entertains fans during the game with his antics.