Adam Hall and his Nashville Sounds teammates kicked off their series against the Gwinnett Stripers with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night at Coolray Field. After conceding an early run, the Sounds rallied with a decisive three-run fifth inning and then leaned on their bullpen and solid defense to secure the win.
Right-hander Carlos Rodriguez took the mound for Nashville but didn't factor into the decision after pitching four innings. The Milwaukee Brewers' No. 22-ranked prospect had to work hard early, throwing 43 pitches to navigate the first two frames unscathed, stranding two Stripers runners in each of those innings. While he conceded seven hits in total, the only run against him came in the bottom of the fourth inning – a solo home run that nudged Gwinnett into the lead and raised Rodriguez's ERA to 1.26 for the season.
However, the Sounds responded emphatically in the top of the fifth. Anthony Seigler drew a walk, and Raynel Delgado was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs. Both runners then advanced thanks to a productive ground out by Hall. Andruw Monasterio then stepped up and levelled the score with an RBI groundout, bringing Seigler home. Delgado then scampered home to give Nashville the lead, capitalizing on a balk by Gwinnett's pitcher Brian Moran. Oliver Dunn then capped off the inning in dramatic fashion, tripling off the right-field wall and scoring when the throw to third base ricocheted off him and eluded the Stripers' defense.
Hall himself contributed to the victory, going 1 for 4 from the plate on the night. While his offensive contribution was just one hit, his productive groundout played a key role in setting up the Sounds' game-changing fifth inning.
From that point on, the Nashville bullpen took control, shutting down the Gwinnett offense. Coupled with sharp defensive play, they ensured the Stripers wouldn't find a way back into the game. The Sounds will look to build on this positive start as the series continues.
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