The Nashville Sounds let a 3-1 lead slip away in the sixth inning and never recovered, falling 5-3 to the Iowa Cubs on Saturday night at Principal Park. The loss ended the Sounds’ win streak at four and officially eliminated them from playoff contention. It was just their third loss in the last 16 games.
The Sounds led 3-1 through five innings and got another strong start by Seth Maness. He yielded one run – a Robel Garcia homer in the second – on just two hits and walked none over five innings in a no-decision. Christian Lopes got the Sounds on the board in the second inning with a bases-loaded walk against Collin Rea, and then Preston Beck smashed a two-run double off the right field wall in the third to score Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Andy Ibanez for a 3-0 lead.
Iowa changed the game with a rally in the sixth against a rehabbing Yohander Mendez. Albert Almora doubled, and with two outs, Mendez walked Phillip Evans, hit Daniel Descalso and gave up a first-pitch grand slam to Mark Zagunis. That 5-3 score became the final, though the Sounds fought in the ninth against Dillon Maples. Lopes walked and Zack Granite singled to start the inning, but Maples notched a strikeout and got a double play to end the game.
The finale of the three-game set is Sunday afternoon at 1:08 CT. Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-3, 7.83) will start for the Sounds against Middle Tennessee native Alec Mills (6-3, 4.78). The Sounds have five games left on their final road trip of the year before they return home next Friday to finish the season with a four-game series against San Antonio.
Post-Game Notes
After going 22 games in a row with at least one homer, the Sounds have played consecutive games without one
The Sounds’ entered play Saturday with 13 wins since August 7, the most victories in professional baseball in that period
Seth Maness has walked just 15 hitters in 111 innings this season and leads the PCL in fewest walks per nine innings
Preston Beck went 3-for-4 on Saturday and is 9-for-17 in five games as a Sound
The 2019 season is the 42nd in Nashville Sounds franchise history and first as the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Single-game tickets are available now by calling (615) 690-4487 or by visiting www.nashvillesounds.com.
