NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The Nashville Sounds scored a pair of eighth-inning runs and topped the Memphis Redbirds in the series opener Tuesday night at AutoZone Park, 6-5.
Despite the defeat, the division-champion Redbirds are 81-42 on the season and have won 35 of their last 46 games. Entering today, the 81 wins were the most in all of Minor League Baseball.
Stephen Piscotty hit his third home run in five games for the Redbirds, and he also drew three walks and scored two runs. Alex Mejia had a pair of hits, extending his hitting streak to a season-long seven games, and Alberto Rosario was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He has now hit in six-straight contests.
Memphis led 3-0 after an inning and 4-3 after the fourth, before the Sounds tied the game at 4 in the top of the seventh. But Piscotty quickly broke the tie with his line-drive shot to left field, and the Redbirds took a 5-4 lead into the top of the eighth. Josh Zeid came on to relief Dakota Hudson and gave up two runs, which proved to be the difference in the game.
Hudson gave up three earned runs on five hits in 7.0 innings, and he struck out four with two walks.
The Redbirds had the tying run on second base in the bottom of the ninth after Piscotty walked and went to second on a groundout, but Tyler O’Neill popped out to end the game.
The two teams continue play tonight at 6:35. The Redbirds’ current eight-game homestand runs through next Tuesday.
