Nashville Walked Off Despite Three-Run Rally in Ninth
MEMPHIS, TN. – The Nashville Sounds fell to the Memphis Redbirds for the second straight night with a 5-4 walk-off loss Wednesday night at AutoZone Park. Colton Gordon's second quality start for the Sounds this season was not enough to hold the Redbirds' overpowering offense, despite tossing five straight scoreless
MEMPHIS, TN. – The Nashville Sounds fell to the Memphis Redbirds for the second straight night with a 5-4 walk-off loss Wednesday night at AutoZone Park. Colton Gordon's second quality start for the Sounds this season was not enough to hold the Redbirds' overpowering offense, despite tossing five straight scoreless innings.
Gordon shot out of the gates, retiring five-of-the-first-six batters he faced to begin the game in the first two innings. The Sounds offense attempted to provide run support in the first and second but stranded four early runners, despite base knocks from Ethan Murray and Eduardo Garcia and three walks, two of which Brock Wilken accounted for as the game remained scoreless through five innings. Sounds hitters struggled on the offensive side, mustering one hit through the next 10 at-bats through the third, fourth, fifth and the first two outs of the sixth.
The Sounds broke the tie as Luke Adams recorded a two-out double, his ninth of the season, into left center field and was just the fourth runner in scoring position through six innings of play. Jeferson Quero then ripped a base hit into left field and scored Adams for the 1-0 lead. The Redbirds ultimately got to Gordon as he allowed back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Memphis tied the game after Gordon attempted to pick off Victor Scott II as he was trying to steal third, but it got past Adams and Scott II crossed home. Nolan Gorman then blasted a two-run homer to right field, his second straight game with a homer, and gave the Redbirds their first lead 3-1.
Keep calm and Quero on pic.twitter.com/nc4Bj4B9L4
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) August 6, 2026
Gordon recorded his second quality start for the Sounds and his fifth total on the year (6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 K, BB) before he was replaced for major league rehabber Joel Kuhnel in the bottom of the seventh inning. Kuhnel tossed a 1-2-3 frame with three straight groundouts. Kaleb Bowman came in for the eighth inning and saw Memphis add an insurance run as Joshua Baez ripped a one-out double into right field. The second failed pickoff attempt by a Nashville pitcher saw the Redbirds take a 4-1 lead.
Nashville's offense woke up in the top of the ninth with the first four batters getting on base as Adams reached first on a hit by pitch. Quero drew a walk, and Tyler Black hit a single to load the bases. Bo Naylor then tallied an RBI-single into center field and scored Adams, marking Naylor's second straight game with an RBI. With the bases still loaded, Ethan Murray was out on a sacrifice fly to center field and scored Quero for the one-run deficit and one out in the frame. Jacob Hurtubise pinch ran for Naylor and stole second two runners in scoring position, Luis Matos beat the throw at first for an infield single as Black scored and tied the game at four.
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) August 6, 2026
Where there is a will, there is a way pic.twitter.com/6WE0QWwsH0
— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) August 6, 2026
Blake Holub entered the game for Bowman in the bottom of the ninth inning and got the first batter on a groundout. Brody Moore ripped a gapper into center field for a double and served as the winning run for the Redbirds. After Holub retired the next batter and advanced Moore to third base, Noah Mendlinger lined a single into right field as the Sounds dropped the second straight game of this week's series with a 5-4 walk-off loss.
The Sounds and Redbirds continue this week's series on Thursday evening. RHP Coleman Crow (5-1, 4.12 ERA) is scheduled to get the start for Nashville. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES:
FLASH GORDON: Colton Gordon tossed his fifth quality start of the season (3 w/Sugar Land, 2 w/ Nashville) in Wednesday's game against the Redbirds. It marked Gordon's 17th quality start of his career since 2022. Gordon has posted a 0-2 record with a 4.91 ERA in four starts with the Sounds since he was traded from the Astros on July 15. The 27-year-old's two quality starts with Nashville is already tied for the third-most on the team with Garrett Stallings and Thomas Pannone. Gordon has posted a 21-11 record with a 3.93 ERA in 63 appearances (58 starts) at the Triple-A level since 2023. He ranks tied for ninth in wins (21), 12th in games started (58) and 14th in strikeouts (281) among Triple-A pitchers since the start of the 2023 season.
QUERO SPECIAL: Jeferson Quero tallied a 1-for-3 night with an RBI in Wednesday night's game against the Redbirds. It marked his 53rd RBI of the season for the Sounds, which is the most RBI he has recorded on a single team he has played with during his professional career. He's hitting.264 (89-for-337), added 26 XBH and 44 runs for the Sounds this season. Quero ranks tied for eighth with Brady Ebel in hits (89) and ties for 12th in RBI (53) among full-season minor league players in the Brewers' farm system. He also ranks second in RBI (97), third in hits (144), fourth in runs (76) and doubles (27) and fifth in home runs (17) among Sounds' players since making his Triple-A debut in 2024.
BROCK CAN ROCK: Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to 14 consecutive games against Memphis as he drew a walk in the top of the first inning. The 14 straight games are tied for the longest-active streak on the team with Darrien Miller and is tied for the 10th-longest on-base streak this season for a Nashville player. Wilken has posted a .208 AVG (10-for-48), eight XBH, eight RBI and five runs since the start of his streak on July 18. Wilken's 30-game on-base streak that he recorded earlier in the season (April 10-May 14) continues to be the longest on-base streak on the team. He has posted a .178 AVG (56-for-314), 32 XBH, 58 RBI and 44 runs in his first season with Nashville.