Brad Nelson Hits Game-Winning Homer in Eighth to Give the Nashville Sounds a 3-2 Win Over the Tacoma Rainiers

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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Brad Nelson crushed a go-ahead, two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Nashville Sounds a 3-2 comeback victory over the Tacoma Rainiers on Wednesday afternoon at Greer Stadium.

The longball was Nelson’s 13th on the year and helped the Sounds to only their second win when trailing after seven frames this season (2-57). It also gave them their eighth win in a one-run game, the second-lowest total in the PCL.

Sounds starter Lindsay Gulin pitched five innings and only gave up one unearned run on three hits with seven strikeouts but did not factor in the decision. After allowing six baserunners through the first two innings, Gulin settled in and only allowed only one hit while striking out four through his final three innings to lower his ERA to 3.48 on the season.

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Andy Baldwin threw seven innings of one-run ball off only four hits for his sixth quality start for the Rainiers but was unable to get the win. At one point, Baldwin retired 11 consecutive Sounds batters before allowing a walk in the sixth inning.

The Rainiers scored their first run in unearned fashion in the top of the second inning. After a walk by Luis Valbuena and a single from Oswaldo Navarro, Matt Tuiasosopo was hit by a pitch to load the bases with two outs. Gulin then induced a groundball from Wladimir Balentien to third base, but Chris Woodward was unable to field the ball cleanly, and all runners were safe including Valbuena, who scored on the play.

Tacoma tacked on another run in the top of the sixth inning when Oliveros scored on a sacrifice fly from Tuiasosopo off Nashville reliever Erasmo Ramirez.

The Sounds plated their first run in the bottom of the seventh when Nelson led off with a double then moved to third on a single from Laynce Nix. Nelson scored in the next at-bat on a sacrifice fly from Adam Heether, the infielder's ninth RBI in the last 16 games.

Nashville completed the comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning with the two-run blast from Nelson off Tacoma reliever Jared Wells (1-4). Joe Dillon, who scored on the homer, took a two-out walk to keep the inning alive in the previous at-bat.

Sounds reliever Tim Dillard (5-0) picked up the win after contributing two innings of scoreless relief, and Luis Pena picked up his 15th save on the season with a perfect ninth inning to cap the Nashville comeback.

The teams continue the series tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. at Greer Stadium. Right-hander Richie Gardner (6-3, 4.57) will man the bump for the Sounds against lefty Ryan Feierabend (4-1, 2.15) for the Rainiers.

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