Smolinski blast helps Nashville muscle past Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa - Left-handers Eric Jokisch and Drake Britton combined to allow eight runs as the Nashville Sounds (54-65) powered past the Iowa Cubs (65-53) 8-4 in Pacific Coast League action Thursday night at Principal Park.

 

Nashville struck first with two runs in the second inning on an RBI double from Nate Freiman and a sacrifice fly from Carson Blair.

 

Iowa struck back for three runs in the bottom of the second on a three-run home run by Tommy La Stella, his first hit in an I-Cubs uniform.

 

The Sounds climbed back on top in the top of the third with two more runs on a solo home run from Ryan Roberts and an RBI double from Rangel Ravelo to make it 4-3.

 

Iowa knotted the game 4-4 when Javy Baez drove in John Andreoli with a sacrifice fly in the fifth, but Nashville reclaimed the lead in the sixth on an Andy Parrino sacrifice fly.

 

Nashville put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh when Jake Smolinski crushed a three-run homer to center field, his seventh of the season.

 

Jokisch was making his first start for Iowa since June 9. The southpaw tossed 4.0 innings and allowed four runs on nine hits with one strikeout.

 

Britton (7-7) piggybacked Jokisch and allowed four runs on three hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 3.0 innings to suffer the loss. Lefty rehabber Zac Rosscup tossed a perfect eighth inning and right-hander Yoervis Medina spun a perfect ninth.

 

Right-hander Kris Hall started the game for Nashville and tossed 2.0 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Righty Brock Huntzinger (3-2) tossed the fifth inning and allowed a run on two hits but earned the win thanks to the Nashville offensive outburst.

 

La Stella and Matt Szczur led Iowa with two hits apiece. Szczur and Andreoli each doubled. Christian Villanueva and Mike Baxter each walked twice. Szczur extended his Iowa-hitting streak to 14 games, the longest such streak for an Iowa player this year.

 

Smolinski paced Nashville offensively with three hits, three RBI and four runs scored.

 

The loss drops Iowa 6.0 games behind Oklahoma City in the American Northern Division playoff race with 26 games to play.

 

The I-Cubs and Sounds will play the final game of a four-game series Friday night at Principal Park. First pitch is set for 7:08 p.m. CT. Right-hander Felipe Paulino (3-6, 4.17) is the scheduled starter for Iowa. The game can be heard live on AM 940, 104.5 FM, and live-streamed at Iowacubs.com. The On-Deck Circle Pre-game Show will begin 6:40 p.m. CT.