Sounds Unable to Overcome Big Third Inning for Louisville

LOUISVILLE, KY - Nashville was unable to overcome a seven-run Louisville third inning in a 6-9 loss on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field as the series was evened up at two games apiece. Eddys Leonard was one of three Nashville hitters to record a multi-hit game in the loss with a pair of extra base hits and his team-leading 23rd RBI of the campaign.

It was an early 3-0 Nashville lead thanks to back-to-back doubles off the bat of Luis Matos and Leonard before Jordyn Adams brought home two with a two-RBI triple to give the Sounds the early advantage. Tate Kuehner made his first professional start back in Louisville where he played his college ball and the place he calls home in the offseason. After two scoreless innings, Louisville soured the occasion with seven runs and four hits off the left-hander in the bottom of the third. He ended the night after 5.2 IP with a career-high eight earned runs allowed on eight hits but did strike out six.

Despite the early hole, Nashville chipped away with runs in three straight innings to draw within one run. Leonard clubbed his sixth homer of the season in the top of the fourth, and the Sounds pieced together a run in the top of the fifth on three hits. Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games with his team-leading ninth double but was left stranded in scoring position along with Jett Williams to keep it at a two-run deficit. Blake Perkins added his second hit of the night with a RBI single in the sixth before an inning-ending double play halted the Sounds' comeback aspirations.

Edwin Arroyo continued to be a tough out in the series with the first of two solo home runs for the night coming in the bottom of the sixth. He added the final run of the night with another home run in the bottom of the eighth. Nashville put the leadoff runner aboard in both the seventh and eighth innings but were unable to add a hit over the final three innings in the loss.

Deadlocked through the first four games of the series, Nashville will look to regain control of the series on Saturday night with RHP Carlos Rodriguez (0-3, 5.63 ERA) on the bump. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. CT.

POSTGAME NOTES:

NARD WORK: Eddys Leonard recorded his ninth multi-hit game over his last 16 games played dating back to April 17th with a 2-for-4 day at the plate Friday night that included his sixth home run of the season. He's hitting .436 over his last 16 games with four homers, three doubles, and 16 RBI. His .436 AVG ranks second in all Triple-A over the span, and he ranks second in OBP (.516), third in OPS (1.225), and seventh in SLG (.709). His 15 XBH on the season lead all Nashville hitters in 2026 and are tied for the most XBH through his first 30 games of a season in his professional career. He also had 15 XBH through 30 games with Triple-A Gwinnett last season. Since the start of the 2021 season, he ranks eighth in hits (609), sixth in doubles (135), and fifth in XBH (244) across all full-season minor leaguers.

STILL STREAKING: Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games and his hitting streak to six straight with a double in the fifth inning on Friday night. His 26-game on-base streak is now the longest active streak in the International League, tied for the fourth-longest current in Triple-A, and tied for the sixth-longest in the minors. He tied Andruw Monasterio for the sixth-longest on-base streak by a Nashville player since the start of the 2023 season and tied for the 12th-longest for a Sounds player since 2005. Since beginning his streak on April 10, the Brewers no. 21-rated prospect ranks T-3rd in Triple-A with his nine doubles and T-4th with 19 walks.

TRIPLE, EH?: Jordyn Adams added his second triple in as many games on Friday night. It took just two games for Adams to tie Cooper Pratt (29 G) for the team lead in three-baggers. Adams, the former 17th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, has 29 career triples, including 16 in Triple-A since the start of the 2023 season which ranks fifth among all Triple-A players over the span. Los Angeles Dodgers farmhand Ryan Ward leads the way in the category with 20.

NOT SO HOMEY: Tate Kuehner had a rough professional return to Louisville. Kuehner played at the University of Louisville from 2020-2023 before the Brewers selected him in the 7th round of the 2023 MLB Draft and the left-hander continues to reside in Louisville in the offseason. Friday night was his first time pitching in Louisville as a professional, and he was tagged for a career-high eight earned runs on eight hits over 5.2 IP. It was just the third time in 55 career games (49 GS) that the left-hander had allowed 5+ earned runs in a game, and two have now come against the Bats. He allowed a then career-high five earned runs in his second career Triple-A start with Nashville August 20, 2025, against the Bats at First Horizon Park. Friday night was also just the third time he has allowed 2+ home runs in any outing of his professional career, and the Bats are responsible for two of the three as well.