RedHawks' Pitching Struggles in Loss to Nashville

Originally Published: Jul 5, 2010 10:33 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma City RedHawks could not overcome a scoring outburst in the middle innings and finished with a 10-5 loss to the Nashville Sounds Tuesday.

The RedHawks (44-38) scored the game’s first run on an RBI single by Chris Davis in the first inning, but that was the only time all night they held the lead. In fact, they would be held out of the run column for the next six innings.

Nashville (45-38) immediately tied the score with a lead-off home run in the second inning by Joe Koshansky, and Norris Hopper added an RBI single later in the inning to take a 2-1 lead.

The Sounds began to build on their lead in the fifth inning, when Mat Gamel delivered a two-run single. They added another run in the sixth thanks to an RBI single by Ray Olmedo that extend the lead to 5-1, but Nashville really blew the game open in the seventh.

Koshansky led off the inning with another home run, and the first six batters of the inning all reached base. During that stretch, Erick Almonte scored on a throwing error and Anderson De La Rosa connected on a two-run double to give Nashville four runs in the inning and a 9-1 lead.

De La Rosa added another RBI in the eighth inning to push the lead to nine runs, and the game seemed all but out of reach for Oklahoma City. But the RedHawks would not go quietly.

After consecutive walks to start the eighth inning, Max Ramirez hit an infield single to load the bases with one out. In the next at-bat, Ryan Garko worked a full count and launched a grand slam over the right-field wall.

After the home run, the Sounds pulled pitcher Jeff Bennett in favor of David Johnson, who recorded the final five outs.

Sam Narron (3-3) earned the win for Nashville after pitching a strong seven innings, giving up just one run and striking out eight batters. Matt Harrison (0-1) was credited with the loss in his first start since being optioned to OKC by the Texas Rangers. He gave up three earned runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings.

The RedHawks have now lost four of their last five games and have seen their division lead shrink to 2.5 games. They will face the Sounds again Tuesday in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.