Sounds Squeak by Dodgers in Extras, 2-1
Nashville, Tenn. -- Nashville designated hitter Renato Nunez lined a RBI triple in the bottom of the 11th inning to score the winning run, giving the Sounds a 2-1 victory over the Oklahoma City Dodgers Friday night at First Tennessee Park.
Max Muncy led off the bottom of the 11th with a single on a sinking line drive to right field that was nearly caught by Lars Anderson. Nunez stepped up next and drove an 0-1 pitch from Grant Dayton (0-1) to the right-center field fence to score Muncy and give the Sounds their first victory of the season.
The game would not have even gone to extra innings had it not been for rehabbing Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal. Leading off the top of the ninth against Nashville closer Angel Castro, Grandal sent an opposite field line drive just over the left field fence for a game-tying home run. Grandal finished the second game of his rehab assignment 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in addition to the homer.
Nashville (1-1) put the potential winning run at second base with one out in each of the ninth and 10th innings, but OKC relievers Dustin Richardson and Matt West were able to escape each of those jams, respectively.
One night after being shutout, the Sounds were able to score in their first at-bat Friday night. Matt Olson knocked a two-out RBI double to deep left field to give Nashville the early advantage.
The score remained 1-0 for most of the contest. The Dodgers offense struggled all night, going a collective 3-for-35 and recording one hit-Grandal's homer-over the final 10 innings. OKC did not put a runner scoring position after the first inning and put just three men on base overall following the first inning. The Nashville pitching staff retired 32 of the last 36 Dodgers that came to the plate and held OKC hitless over the Dodgers' final eight at-bats with a runner on base.
The four through nine hitters in the Dodgers lineup combined to go 0-for-23 with one walk and nine strikeouts. As a team, the Dodgers struck out 15 times.
The OKC pitching staff kept the team afloat and continued its strong start to the season, surrendering just two runs and eight hits over 10-plus innings. In 19-plus innings to start the season, the Dodgers have allowed a total of two runs and 12 hits.
Making his first Triple-A start, Jharel Cotton turned in a solid effort, allowing one run and five hits over 5.2 innings. He struck out five and did not allow a walk.
Cotton left the game after giving up a two-out double to Chad Pinder in the sixth inning. Luis Avilan replaced Cotton on the mound and walked the first two batters he faced to load the bases. Avilan regrouped and struck out Nunez to keep the Dodgers within one run.
Avilan, Jacob Rhame, Richardson, and West followed Cotton with a combined 4.1 scoreless innings and allowed one hit with five strikeouts.
Sounds reliever Andrew Triggs (1-0) picked up the win after tossing a scoreless 11th inning. He struck out two of the four batters he faced.
With the loss, OKC (1-1) still has not started a season 2-0 since beginning the 2006 campaign with a five-game winning streak.
The Dodgers will look to get the offense going when they meet the Sounds Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. Live coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com, or through the iHeartRadio mobile app.