Following a two-hour and 18-minute pregame rain delay, the Nashville Sounds edged the Las Vegas 51s, 3-1, in a rain-shortened contest Tuesday night at Greer Stadium.
In the third inning, infielder Robinzon Diaz, 1-for-3, got the Sounds on the board with an RBI single into centerfield. The hit scored Kentrail Davis from third, who singled and stole second earlier in the frame.
The Sounds added to their lead in the sixth on Josh Prince’s solo home run to right field. The two-out shot was Prince’s 10th dinger of the season.
Starting pitcher Johnny Hellweg (10-4) kept the 51s silent over the game’s first six innings en route to his ninth consecutive PCL victory. The 6-foot-9 hurler held Vegas to three hits, walking four and fanning three.
Hellweg shaves his season-long ERA from 2.44 to a league-leading 2.28. Hellweg has not allowed an earned run in his last 24 innings and has only allowed one earnie over his last 42 frames. Hellweg’s win ties Sacramento’s Bruce Billings for league-most, at 10 each.
Las Vegas worked their lone run off reliever Zach Kroenke with two outs in the top of the eighth inning. Pinch hitter Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit an RBI single off Kyle Heckathorn to score Kroenke’s runner on second. Heckathorn had the next batter groundout to end the inning and pick up his first save.
Las Vegas starter Rafael Montero (2-3) took the loss after holding Nashville to two runs over six innings of work.
The Sounds loaded the bases in the home half of the eighth inning before Josh Prince drew a walk for his second RBI of the night. Before the next batter made it up to bat, the rain had picked up enough to have the umpires call for the tarp. The game ended after a 40-minute delay.
(Team Report)
Montero with a solid outing in the dreaded PCL…I wonder how much pitchers have to adjust their games when pitching in the PCL…And how much that affects their development
I know pitchers tend to walk more batters… simply based on the fact that they throw more balls out of the strike zone in an attempt to miss more bats by striking hitters out instead of having them put the ball in play. And anything can happen when you put a ball in play in the PCL particularly in Vegas.
Im sure the hitters love it though lol I doubt you’ll hear Flores & others complaining about the air being too dry 😉