Sounds Drop Second Straight to Charlotte Despite Three Early Homers

NASHVILLE – The Nashville Sounds fell to the Charlotte Knights for the second straight night with a 12-5 loss Wednesday night at First Horizon Park. Eduardo Garcia and Brandon Lockridge each tally their first career homer at First Horizon Park, while Andrick Nava recorded his fourth homer for the Sounds this season.

Lockridge got the scoring going and gave the Sounds a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as he crushed a one-out solo homer, his first home run since July 20, 2025, when he was with Triple-A El Paso (San Diego), off major league rehabber Tyler Gilbert. The Sounds extended their lead to two runs over the Knights with Nava ripping the team's second solo blast of the game to left field off Joe Rock. Tyson Hardin got his 13th start of the season for the Sounds but got into trouble in the top of the third inning. After he issued a one-out walk to Rikuu Nishida, Ryan Galanie crushed a two-run home run and hit the batter's eye in center field to tie the game at two. It marked Hardin's first home run allowed since June 20 against the Memphis Redbirds.

Rehab is going well @Brewers pic.twitter.com/gLXSYXNHgk

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 29, 2026

NAVA A DOUBT pic.twitter.com/qIKdXSzenA

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 30, 2026

Nashville regained the lead in the bottom of the third inning as Garcia pulverized his first career home run at First Horizon Park on a solo bomb to left field, which marked his second blast of the season for the Sounds. Charlotte answered right back in the top of the fourth as Caden Connor led off the frame with a triple. Nolan Jones then lined a base hit into center field and scored Connor for the 3-3 tie. After Eric Haase followed with a single into center and put runners at the corners, Mario Camilletti grounded into a fielder's choice and scored Jones for the one-run Knights lead.

Hardin loaded the bases as Andy Weber reached first on a catcher's interference. Nishida then drew a walk and re-loaded the bases, which set up Galanie to hit a line-drive single into left center field extending the Knights' lead to three runs. Michael Turner hit a three-run home run into center field for a 9-3 lead to cap off a seven-run inning. Gerson Garabito relieved Hardin in the fifth inning, working around a single and a walk and keeping two runners stranded on base.

The Knights continued to pour on runs in the top of the sixth inning as Garabito loaded the bases, issuing a walk, a base hit and a fielding error by Freddy Zamora. Jones then grounded out to Brock Wilken to get the out at first but crossed home Turner for the 10-3 Charlotte lead. With one out in the frame, Mark Manfredi entered the game for the Sounds and inherited both runners that remained on base. Manfredi however allowed a two-run double by Haase and for the nine-run lead.

Manfredi came out for the top of the seventh inning and worked around a leadoff walk to Nishida. Luis Matos produced the first base hit for the Sounds offense since the bottom of the third inning when Garcia hit a go-ahead solo homer. Cameron Wagoner replaced Manfredi and worked a scoreless eighth, adding two strikeouts with a walk.

Position pitcher Ethan Murray made his third appearance of the season for Nashville in the top of the ninth and worked around a leadoff walk as the Sounds had one last chance. In the bottom of the ninth, the Sounds tacked on two late runs as Luke Adams drew a two-out walk. Wilken then crushed his 11th homer of the season with a two-run blast to left field as the game ended in a 12-5 final.

Brock just put this ball into orbit pic.twitter.com/juhfHY6wZw

— Nashville Sounds (@nashvillesounds) July 30, 2026

The Sounds and Knights continue this week's series Thursday night as LHP Colton Gordon (6-5, 3.97 ERA) will get the start for Nashville and go up against former Sound Shane Smith (1-0, 4.62 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES:

NO MORE LOCK DOORS: Brandon Lockridge continued his rehab assignment with a first inning go-ahead solo home run on Wednesday night. It was the first home run Lockridge has hit as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers organization following a trade from San Diego on July 31 of last season. His last home run came more than a calendar year ago on July 20 with Triple-A El Paso, ending a 74-game drought between home runs including the 2025 postseason with Milwaukee. A former 5th round pick by the Yankees in 2018, Lockridge now has 48 career minor league home runs (569 games) and one in 113 career Major League games. He also recorded his second straight game with a multi-hit performance, finishing the night 2-for-4.

MORTY ANDRICK: Andrick Nava swatted his fourth home run in 12 games played with Nashville this season. He is tied for the second-most home runs hit by any Triple-A player this season with 12 or fewer games played along with Everson Pereira (CLT), Mitch Jebb (IND), Zack Gelof (LV), and Alex Freeland (OKC). The group trail reigning American League MVP runner-up and 2025 MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh, who hit five home runs in a four-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma. Nava is hitting .297 (11-for-37) with a double and seven RBI to go along with his four long balls.

THE SMOOTH SOUNDS OF EDDIE G: Eduardo Garcia hit his second Triple-A home run with both now coming against the Charlotte Knights. His first career Triple-A home run was a two-run blast against the Knights on July 10 on the road. During his minor league career, Garcia now has 48 career home runs in 538 games played and set a single-season career-high with 13 home runs last season in 129 regular season games played between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi. He ended an eight-game hitless drought with a double in the series finale against Sugar Land on Sunday and now has a hit in two of his last three games.

BROCKET POWER: Brewers no. 30-rated prospect Brock Wilken added the fourth Nashville home run of the night with a two-out, two-run no-doubter in the bottom of the ninth inning. His 11th of the year came off the bat at 107 MPH and went 414 ft. His 11 round trippers rank second on the active roster behind Luke Adams (12). It was the second home run hit against the Knights this season for Wilken, who joins Tyler Black (2), Jeferson Quero (3), and Luke Adams (3) with multiple home runs against Charlotte on Nashville's active roster.

DOUBLE DIGITS: Wednesday's loss was the eighth time this season that Nashville had allowed 10+ runs in a game. Charlotte is now responsible for half of those outbursts having scored 11 runs on Apri 24, 16 runs in game two of a doubleheader on April 25, and also 12 runs on July 12 to go along with the 12 runs allowed by Nashville on Wednesday. The 16 runs scored by the Knights on April 25 remains the most runs allowed by the Sounds in any game this season. The Knights did the bulk of the damage on Wednesday with a seven-run fourth, which ties for the most runs allowed by Nashville in any inning (3x) this season.

HARD TIMES: Brewers no. 9-rated prospect Tyson Hardin allowed career-highs in runs (9) and earned runs (8) in his 13th Triple-A start. Wednesday was also just the second time in 43 career minor league games he had surrendered two home runs. He also allowed two on April 29 earlier this season with Double-A Biloxi against Pensacola. The three walks allowed by Hardin also matched his career-high, just the fourth time he had done that in a game.