Nelson Strong Again, Offense Lights Up RedHawks In 8-5 Series Finale Win

OKLAHOMA CITY - Jimmy Nelson worked his fifth straight quality start and Nashville batters slugged three homers for the second straight game to propel the Sounds to an 8-5 victory over the Oklahoma City RedHawks in the finale of a four-game series on Sunday afternoon at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

With the victory, the Sounds wrapped up their first winning multiple-series road trip since August 2011, closing the swing with a 5-3 mark. Nashville (12-11) now possesses a winning record for the first time since the third day of the season.

Nelson (3-1) worked his fifth consecutive quality start to open the year and picked up his third victory by holding the RedHawks to two runs on six hits while striking out six batters in his seven innings of action. His ERA stands at 1.97 through his five starts.

The Sounds scored a season-best eight runs by cranking out a season-high 14 hits on the afternoon, including a 4-for-4 effort by third baseman Taylor Green. Every member of the Nashville lineup either rapped a knock or drove in a run in the contest.

Oklahoma City opened the contest by taking a 1-0 first-inning lead against Nelson as Robbie Grossman led off with a single and later scored on a groundout.

Jeremy Hermida (3-for-4) powered the Sounds into the lead in the fourth when he slugged a two-out, two-run homer to left off RedHawks starter Bobby Doran, the outfielder's second big fly of the year. Robinzon Diaz followed with a double and scored the third run of the frame for Nashville on a single by Green to make it a 3-1 contest. All three runs in the inning were unearned following a two-out throwing error by shortstop Ronald Torreyes.

The Sounds plated more two-out runs in the fifth when Caleb Gindl and Hunter Morris put together Nashville's first pair of back-to-back homers this season, both off Doran. The roundtrippers were Gindl's second and Morris' fourth of the year.

After Oklahoma City got a run back in the sixth when Gregorio Petit doubled and scored on a Domingo Santana single, Nashville extended its lead to 7-2 in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs off David Martinez.

With the bases loaded, Sean Halton lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring home Irving Falu, who extended the Sounds' longest hit streak of the year to nine games with a single earlier in the frame. Gindl, who had doubled, scored a second run on the play as the result of a throwing error by first baseman Jon Singleton.

After Nashville added its season-high 8th run in on a Falu sacrifice fly, Oklahoma City took immediate advantage of Nelson's departure in the bottom of the eighth by touching Kyle Heckathorn for three runs to pull within striking distance at 8-5. Torreyes led off with his first homer of the year, a solo shot to left, before the 'Hawks later added two more runs on back-to-back two-out RBI doubles off the bats of Max Stassi and Enrique Hernandez.

Donovan Hand retired the RedHawks in order in the ninth to close out the victory and picked up his fourth save of the year, matching Rob Wooten for the team lead.

The Sounds return to Music City tomorrow to begin an eight-game homestand with a 7:05 p.m. opener of a four-game series against New Orleans (AAA-Marlins). Right-hander Hiram Burgos (1-3, 6.50) will make the start for the Sounds to face Zephyrs right-hander Jay Rogers (0-1, 5.51).