Nashville Loses Series Finale In Albuquerque, 8-3
With a 3-1 lead entering the fourth inning, Albuquerque scored seven unanswered runs to win and take the series.
Second baseman Hainley Statia (2-for-4) doubled while driving in all three runs. Shortstop Jeff Bianchi and outfielders Corey Patterson and Jordan Brown each added two hits.
The Sounds took an early 2-0 lead in the opening frame against Albuquerque starter Mike Parisi as Bianchi worked a two-out walk and moved to third as Brown singled to right field. After an Andy Gonzalez walk to load the bases, second Statia knocked a two-run single to right.
Albuquerque cut the lead in half in the home half of the first as Isotopes leadoff hitter Elian Herrera doubled and scored on a Scott Van Slyke RBI base hit.
Parisi departed the contest after a couple of warm-up pitches due to a non-disclosed injury to begin the third.
Bianchi and Statia got in on the action again in the third on new pitcher Cole St. Clair, as both middle infielders doubled in the inning to push the Nashville lead to 3-1. Bianchi's double was the first Triple-A hit of his career in his first at-bat for the Sounds after the 25-year-old had a sacrifice fly and walked in his first two plate appearances.
Three consecutive walks by Nashville starting pitcher Brian Baker, followed by two straight sacrifice flies knotted the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Former Sound Luis Cruz then gave Albuquerque its first lead at 4-3 with a go-ahead RBI double later in the frame.
Cruz later hit a three-run bomb in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend Albuquerque's lead to 7-3. After two singles and a coaching visit to the mound by pitching coach Fred Dabney, reliever Amaury Rivas surrendered Cruz's third homer on the year on a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall.
Former Sounds Trent Oeltjen scored Albuquerque's final run on a sacrifice fly in the following frame.
Baker (1-2) gave up four runs on five hits and a season-high four walks in 4 1/3 innings pitched for the loss. Rivas allowed a season-high four runs on four hits in 1 1/3 innings.
Right-hander Johnnie Lowe pitched two scoreless frames to end the game while allowing one of two inherited runners to score. The 27-year-old has yet to surrender a run through his first 10 1/3 innings.
St. Clair (1-0) picked up the victory after giving up one run on in four innings of work in relief.
The Sounds return to Music City tomorrow to open an eight-game homestand against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (AAA-Rockies) and Reno Aces (AAA-Diamondbacks) of the Pacific Coast League Northern Division. Right-hander Mike Fiers (0-2, 3.99) will toe the rubber for Nashville in the opener against Colorado Springs righty Brandon Hynick (0-1, 8.31).