51s limited to four hits in 2-1 PCL loss at Nashville
Chris Bassitt and three relievers teamed to hold the 51s to four hits and no walks in the Nashville Sounds’ 2-1 victory in the opener of a four-game Pacific Coast League series Friday in Nashville, Tenn.
Bassitt (2-3) worked the first 5 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out four. Jim Fuller entered with runners at the corners and two out in the sixth and notched a strikeout.
Brock Huntzinger pitched a perfect seventh and eighth with four strikeouts, and R.J. Alvarez struck out one in a perfect ninth to get his second save.
The Sounds (21-27), who have won five straight, managed three hits — none after the fourth inning. Neither team had an extra-base hit, all three of the game’s runs scored with two out, and none of the runs scored on a hit.
Nashville opened the scoring in the second inning. Las Vegas starter Darin Gorski (3-5) hit Nate Freiman with a pitch with two out. He advanced on a walk and a single and scored on a walk to Anthony Aliotti.
Joey Wendle led off the Sounds’ third with a bunt single, moved up on a wild pitch and a flyout and scored on Jason Pridie’s sacrifice fly.
Matt Reynolds and Alex Castellanos, who each had two hits for the 51s (29-20), each singled in the fourth. Reynolds stole third and scored on Brandon Allen’s sacrifice fly.
Gorski went four innings, giving up two runs on three hits and three walks and striking out two. Logan Verrett then pitched two hitless innings, and Zach Thornton worked a perfect eighth.
Perhaps the game’s most impressive plate appearance came in Nashville’s half of the fourth. With two on and two out, Craig Gentry got behind in the count 0-and-2 and worked a 12-pitch walk to load the bases. But Wendle flied out to end the inning.