Sounds Walk Off Against Sox On Patterson Bunt
Nashville (11-22) recorded its second straight last at-bat win and sixth overall last at-bat triumph of the year.
After the Sounds blew a 3-2 lead in the top of the frame, Farris got things started in the home half of the ninth with a one-out single to center off Sky Sox reliever Edgmer Escalona then promptly stole second, his team-leading ninth theft of the year in 11 attempts. After Martin Maldonado advanced Farris to third with a groundout, Patterson stepped into the batter's box and laid down a perfectly-executed bunt to the right of the mound on the first offering he saw from the right-hander, netting the game-winner in walkoff fashion.
Colorado Springs third baseman Brendan Harris put the visitors on the board with a two-out solo homer off Sounds starter Mark Rogers in the top of the first inning. The blast to left was the infielder's second big fly of the year.
The Sounds tied the contest at 1-1 in the home half of the first when Logan Schafer led off with a single against Sky Sox starter Rob Scahill and later scored on Sean Halton's bases-loaded sacrifice fly.
Farris kept the game deadlocked in the top of the third when his diving, over-the-shoulder catch of a two-out Brandon Wood blooper in shallow right field left the bags full of Sky Sox.
The Sounds pulled ahead, 2-1, in the fourth on their second sacrifice fly of the night. With runners on the corners and one out, Maldonado lifted a fly ball to right field that plated Halton from third just before Farris was doubled off first as the Sky Sox completed a rare sacrifice fly double play.
Colorado Springs evened the game in the fifth against Rogers. Ex-Sound Hernan Iribarren drew a leadoff walk and stole second, moving to third on the play when Maldonado's throw to second one-hopped the bag and caromed off shortstop Jeff Bianchi's knee into right field. DJ LeMahieu followed with an RBI infield single.
Nashville took the lead with an unearned run against rehabbing Sky Sox hurler Josh Outman in the bottom of the eighth. Pinch-hitter Erick Almonte led off with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Outman threw a ball in the dirt which eluded catcher Wil Nieves, who recovered to make a throw back to the plate as Almonte raced home. However, Outman dropped the ball, allowing Almonte to score the go-ahead run for a 3-2 Nashville lead.
Colorado Springs evened the contest once again with an unearned run of their own in the top of the ninth against Sounds reliever Mike McClendon (2-2), who suffered a blown save but backed into the win following the late Sounds rally. Pinch-hitter Matt McBride hit a high chopper to third base to open the frame and reached when Hainley Statia booted the ball, was sacrificed to second on a first-pitch bunt by Iribarren, and scored when LeMahieu followed with a first-pitch, game-tying RBI single to center.
Statia singled in the fourth inning to extend the Sounds' longest active hitting streak to six games. The infielder has hit safely in nine of his last 10 contests.
The teams wrap up the series with a 7:05 p.m. finale on Friday evening. Right-hander Wily Peralta (1-2, 3.55), the Brewers' top prospect, takes the hill for the Sounds to face Colorado Springs right-hander Edgar Gonzalez (1-1, 4.91).