Durham, N.C. – The Nashville Sounds (21-20) overcame a slow start at the plate with back-to-back big innings, taking an 8-4 victory over the Durham Bulls on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Three runs in the seventh, followed by five in the eighth, proved to be plenty enough to get Nashville’s first victory of the series.
Trailing by a couple runs through six, the Sounds cashed in with clutch hits in the seventh. Brian Navarreto’s two-RBI double tied the game at 2-2 before Blake Perkins brought Navarreto home to lead 3-2 at the stretch.
The Bulls answered and tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, but Bennett Sousa (2-0) somehow kept Durham from taking the lead despite entering the inning with the bases loaded and nobody out.
Robert Gasser (1-0, 5.47) will start for the Sounds Friday night. Durham’s starter is to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. CDT at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Post-Game Notes
- Brian Navarreto extended his on-base streak to 12 games with a three hit, four RBI night. He’s batting .409 (18-for-44) with six doubles, a triple, nine RBI and nine runs during the streak. It was also his third four-RBI game of the season (last was on May 4 at St. Paul).
- Nashville’s 5-6-7 hitters (Bolt, Dorrian and Navarreto) combined to go 7-for-10 with four doubles, six RBI and four runs.
- Ethan Small worked another scoreless outing, his ninth of the season. He has held opponents to a .125 average (8-for-64) through 19.1 innings (12 games) this season.
- Outfielder Monte Harrison was ejected by home plate umpire Matt Winter in the fifth inning. He is the first Sound to get tossed in 2023; the last was Patrick Dorrian on September 8, 2022 at Charlotte.
The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. Season ticket memberships for the 2023 season are on sale now. For more information call 615-690-4487 or e-mail [email protected].
