New Orleans Zephyrs Top Nashville Sounds in PCL Opener

MLN - THE RAW FEED - www.mlntherawfeed.com - METAIRIE, La. – The Nashville Sounds opened their 2008 season with a 5-2 loss to the New Orleans Zephyrs on Thursday evening at Zephyr Field.

Every Sounds starting position player recorded a hit in the contest except shortstop Ozzie Chavez (0-for-4). Adam Heether (2-for-4) and Abraham Nunez (2-for-3) collected multiple-hit efforts for Nashville.

Four of the Zephyrs’ five runs came plateward with two outs in an inning on the evening.

The Z’s grabbed a 3-0 lead with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second inning against Sounds starter Zach Jackson. With one out, Chris Aguila (3-for-4) doubled and Jesus Feliciano was hit by a pitch. After both runners were sacrificed up a base by pitcher Adam Bostick, Anderson Hernandez drilled a 2-2 Jackson offering to center for a two-run double to put New Orleans on the board. Argenis Reyes (3-for-4) followed with an RBI single to center to complete the frame’s
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Fernando Tatis increased the home club’s advantage to 4-0 in the third with a one-out solo homer to center off Jackson.

The Sounds got on the board with a run in the fourth against Bostick but missed an opportunity for a bigger inning by failing to plate runners from second and third with only one out. Vinny Rottino opened the frame with a walk and moved to third on an Eric Munson double before Brendan Katin plated Nashville’s first run of the year with an RBI double to center as Rottino scored to make it a 4-1 contest.

Bostick worked out of the jam without further damage by inducing a groundout from Ozzie Chavez, walking Abraham Nunez to load the bags, then retiring Jackson on an inning-ending groundout.

New Orleans added another two-out run in the seventh against Sounds reliever Tim Dillard when catcher Gustavo Molina ripped an RBI single back up the middle to bring home Reyes.

Nashville tacked on the game’s final tally in the top of the ninth against New Orleans reliever Willie Collazo. Heether led off the frame with a double off the wall in left. Three batters later, Nunez delivered an RBI single to right to make the score 5-2. After Russell Branyan smacked a pinch-hit single to chase Collazo, Z’s reliever Carlos Muniz retired Hernan Iribarren on a game-ending fielder’s choice grounder to notch the save.

Bostick (1-0) struck out seven batters while allowing only one run on six hits over five innings of work to earn the victory. Jackson (0-1) suffered an Opening Day loss to the Zephyrs for the second straight year. He gave up four runs on eight hits over six frames of action.

The teams meet again at 7 p.m. on Friday evening. Right-hander Yovani Gallardo makes a rehab start for the Sounds. New Orleans will counter with right-hander Tony Armas, Jr.
 

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