Gasser Strikes Out 11 in Opening Night Loss

NORFOLK, VA - The Nashville Sounds dropped their first game of the 2026 campaign Friday night, falling 6-4 at Harbor Park in Norfolk, VA. Robert Gasser was spectacular on the mound as the Brewers no. 17-rated prospect racked up 11 strikeouts over 5.2 IP without allowing a run but did not receive a decision.

Nashville scored a run in each of the first three innings to back Gasser on the mound. Brewers no. 12-rated prospect, Luis Lara, collected the first RBI of the year when he drew a bases-loaded walk in the top of the first inning. Fellow top prospect and Triple-A newcomer, Cooper Pratt, made it a 2-0 game in the second with a RBI single. A Lara two-out single and Luke Adams walk in the top of the third sent Greg Jones to the plate where he delivered his second hit of the night to make it 3-0.

Gasser struck out seven of the first 11 batters he faced while not allowing a hit through the first three frames. The first hit he did surrender was a leadoff double in the fourth before quickly retiring each of the next three in order to strand a runner in scoring position. The left-hander stranded two more in the fifth with a pair of strikeouts before heading back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth. His 11th and final strikeout came as he struck out Jhonkensy Noel for a second time ahead of a walk that ended his night on the mound. Right-hander Jacob Waguespack needed just one pitch to get the final out of the inning and keep it a 3-0 Nashville advantage. Lara added to his Triple-A debut with a two-out, towering solo home run to right field to cap a 2-for-3, two RBI night at the plate.

Sammy Peralta inherited a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh and walked in Norfolk's first run of the year before a two-RBI double drew the Tides within one run. The second straight hit allowed made it a 4-4 game and brought an end to Peralta's night. The Tides took advantage of a wild pitch from Will Childers for their first lead of the game before rattling off back-to-back strikeouts. Norfolk's third hit of the inning capped a six-run frame that quickly evaporated the Sounds lead and put them into a two-run deficit before the rain began to really come down.

At the end of the half-inning, the tarp was pulled, and the game eventually called following a 32-minute delay and no sign of slowing up. The Sounds will continue their first road trip of the year in Norfolk on Saturday night. RHP Coleman Crow is scheduled to take the ball for Nashville in the third Triple-A start of his career. The Brewers no. 27-rated prospect and the Sounds will face the Tides at 5:35 p.m. CT from Harbor Park.

POSTGAME NOTES

GASS-'EM UP: In his second career Opening Day start, left-hander Robert Gasser tossed 5.2 scoreless frames and allowed two hits, three walks and fanned 11 batters, tying his career-best from June 8, 2022, with High-A Fort Wayne (San Diego). His 11 strikeouts are the most for a Sounds pitcher since Jacob Misiorowski also fanned 11 Norfolk batters on May 9 of last year at First Horizon Park. Misiorowski made Brewers franchise history with 11 strikeouts of his own in Milwaukee's first game of the season yesterday afternoon against the Chicago White Sox. The 5.2 innings for Gasser are the most he has pitched since going 6.0 IP on May 27, 2024, against the Chicago Cubs. Gasser's only other Opening Day start of his career came on April 8, 2022 with Fort Wayne in the Padres system and he had three strikeouts in 2.1 IP and suffered the loss.

Striking out 11 on Opening Day just runs in the @Brewers family it seems! Robert Gasser was dealing tonight! 💪🔥

5.2 IP
0 R
11 K
2 H
3 BB pic.twitter.com/gDhhfpHKkc

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) March 28, 2026

JEEZ LUIS: Brewers no. 12-rated prospect Luis Lara shined in his Triple-A debut Friday night. The 21-year-old went 2-for-3 with a home run, a pair of RBI, and two runs scored. He is now halfway to his home run total from last year in which he spent the entire season in Double-A with Biloxi. His final home run of the season last year came in his third-to-last game of the regular season, giving him a pair of home runs over his last four minor league regular season games.

Luis Lara takes his first trip around the bases in Triple-A

The @Brewers no. 12-rated prospect is 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs after this no-doubter! pic.twitter.com/rb8lUrvU0p

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) March 28, 2026

PROSPECTING: Nashville's lineup on Opening Night featured six of the top 30 prospects in the Brewers farm system. While Lara led the charge, INF Cooper Pratt added a multi-hit game of his own (2-for-4, RBI) and INF Jett Williams collected a hit of his own in his Brewers organizational debut.

SO NICE HE DID IT THRICE: Greg Jones welcomed himself to the Brewers organization with a three-hit night at the plate. The former first round pick by the Rays was limited to just 21 games last season in the White Sox org. Jones finished the game 3-for-3 with a RBI and a run scored. His one and only 3-hit game in 2025 came with Triple-A Charlotte which and was against the Sounds on April 20, 2025.

WALKS DO RUN: Both Nashville and Norfolk earned their first run of the 2026 season via a bases-loaded walk. Luis Lara drew a free pass RBI in the top of the first inning while Enrique Bradfield Jr. was responsible for Norfolk's first RBI of the year with a RBI walk in the bottom of the seventh. The Sounds drew 20 walks with the bases loaded during the 2025 season and issued 15 free RBI to opponents. Norfolk was tied for the fourth-most bases-loaded walks a season ago with 25 at the plate and also issued the second-most with 25 as well.

FIRST RUN OF THE YEAR IS A BASES LOADED WALK! pic.twitter.com/qlCmjVY1lE

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) March 27, 2026