The El Paso Chihuahuas scored twice in the top of the ninth inning to break a tie and beat the Nashville Sounds 8-6 Tuesday at First Tennessee Park. The ninth-inning runs came on two-out RBI singles by Christian Villanueva and Rocky Gale.
El Paso took three of the four games in Nashville and has won back-to-back road series, as the Chihuahuas also won three times in Salt Lake on their last trip.
Villanueva went 2-for-4 with a sacrifice fly and three RBIs in the game. Diego Goris reached base four times with two hits and two walks, his second consecutive multi-hit game.
Rocky Gale had two hits and a walk and has reached base three times or more in his last two contests. Franchy Cordero scored from first base on a single in the third inning. He ran with the pitch, advanced to third on Carlos Asuaje’s hit to left field and rounded third when the throw went to second base.
Keith Hessler and Jason Jester had scoreless one-inning outings, with Jester picking up his first Triple-A save. The Chihuahuas have played eight games all-time at First Tennessee Park and won seven of them.
El Paso does not play on Wednesday.
Next Game:Thursday, 6:05 pm at AutoZone Park. El Paso RHP Matt Magill (2-2, 2.38) vs. Memphis RHP Arturo Reyes (4-0, 1.33). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.
Box Score | Team Records: El Paso (16-17), Nashville (13-16)
The El Paso Chihuahuas beat Nashville 5-4 Monday for their second straight one-run win over the Sounds. El Paso continues its success at First Tennessee Park, winning six of seven games there all-time.
The Chihuahuas scored twice in the third inning on an RBI double by Carlos Asuaje and a sacrifice fly by Nick Buss, as the team brought in multiple early runs for the third consecutive game.
El Paso went ahead 5-1 in the top of the eighth on a two-run home run by Rafael Ortega, El Paso’s first longball in the series at Nashville’s pitcher-friendly park, and an RBI single by Rocky Gale. Renato Nunez hit a three-run homer to get Nashville back within one in the bottom of the eighth.
Nashville tried to steal second base trailing by a run in both the bottom of the eighth and bottom of the ninth but Gale caught both runners trying to steal. Gale also had three hits in the game.
El Paso starter Zach Lee allowed only one run in six innings of work.
Next Game:Tuesday, 5:35 pm at First Tennessee Park. El Paso RHP Walker Lockett (3-1, 5.34) vs. Nashville LHP Sean Manaea (MLB Rehab). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.
Box Score | Team Records: El Paso (15-17), Nashville (13-15)
Three El Paso pitchers held Nashville to six hits in the Chihuahuas’ 3-2 win over the Sounds Sunday afternoon. The Chihuahuas and Sounds have split the first two games of the series.
El Paso starter Dinelson Lamet retired the first 10 batters of the game and allowed one run in four innings of work. Lamet gave way to rehabbing San Diego Padres pitcher Jarred Cosart, who threw four shutout innings in relief and got the win.
Phil Maton left the tying run at third base in the bottom of the ninth inning and picked up his fifth save.
The Chihuahuas runs came on a second-inning RBI double by Dusty Coleman, a third-inning RBI single by Nick Buss and an RBI single through a drawn-in infield by Jose Pirela in the eighth.
The Chihuahuas are now 5-1 all-time in Nashville.
Box Score | Team Records: El Paso (14-17), Nashville (13-14)
Next Game:Monday, 5:35 pm at First Tennessee Park. El Paso RHP Zach Lee (0-1, 9.35) vs. Nashville RHP Daniel Mengden (MLB Rehab). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.
The Nashville Sounds scored seven unanswered runs late in Saturday’s game and beat the El Paso Chihuahuas 7-3. After a hot streak last road trip in Salt Lake, the Chihuahuas have dropped five of their last six games.
The Chihuahuas struck four consecutive hits in the top of the first inning, including a two-run double by Rafael Ortega. One inning later, Franchy Cordero’s RBI groundout made it 3-0 El Paso. The Sounds brought in two runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and four two-out runs in the eighth to go ahead 7-3.
Carlos Asuaje, Nick Buss and Ortega all had two hits for the Chihuahuas.
Tyrell Jenkins pitched seven innings for El Paso, his longest outing of the season. Jenkins struck out a season-high nine batters.
Saturday was the first loss the Chihuahuas ever sustained in Nashville, as the team was 4-0 in Music City entering this series.
Next Game:Sunday, 1:05 pm at First Tennessee Park. El Paso RHP Dinelson Lamet (2-1, 2.52) vs. Nashville RHP Raul Alcantara (0-0, 0.00). The game will air on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com
Box Score | Team Records: El Paso (13-17), Nashville (13-13)
All it took was one swing of Hunter Renfroe’s bat and Michael Kelly’s arm to keep the El Paso Chihuahuas (54-40) from being swept by the Nashville Sounds (52-43).
Renfroe swatted a three-run home run in the fifth to give the Dogs the definitive lead for the 5-2 win and end the team’s winless streak since the all-star break.
“We have to win one, we can’t get swept at home, for me that’s a big blow,” Chihuahuas manager, Rod Barajas said. “We knew what we needed to do, we needed to pitch. We needed to have a good performance by Michael Kelly and he was on a little bit of a pitch count. It’s just a matter of keeping the runs to a minimum. Offensively we’re not the juggernaut that we were a month ago, but we still swing the bat well.”
El Paso had been outscored 43 to 12 in the three losses to Nashville, but the pitching by Michael Kelly would be the difference Sunday night.
“He’s been awesome, we definitely needed something like that. We needed to keep those runs at a minimum, especially early,” Barajas said. “We’ve been ourselves behind the eight ball against Nashville down five, six runs early on. It’s tough to overcome those kind of obstacles, the wear and tear that your bullpen has to endure, constantly pitching. It was real nice to see him go out there and give us five and two third solid innings.”
That allowed El Paso’s bullpen a rest from the previous three nights, Kelly would allow just one run on five hits. The focus was to go after the Sounds at the plate.
Kelly would say that staying aggressive was key to getting hitters off their groove and utilizing the fastball proved to be the difference.
Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
“We worked in a lot, trying to get the hitters a little uncomfortable and beat the guys in,” Kelly said. “I think it was an important part to having success tonight. They were just too comfortable the first few games, so I just started going in and get them off the plate a little bit.”
The Chihuahuas trailed the Sounds 1-0 for five and a half innings, until Hunter Renfroe homered to left field with runners on first and third placing them on top, 3-1.
“It was much needed. To finally take the lead, I felt like we’ve been playing from behind this whole series,” Barajas said. “To have a three-run lead, a two-run lead at the time was nice. We were able to pitch not with our backs against the wall, we were able to be aggressive, Michael Kelly was able to relax a little bit and do his thing.”
An error by left fielder Auston Bousfield would allow the Sounds to score for a second time at the top of the seventh.
The Chihuahuas would protect the lead, adding two more runs in the eighth, with runners on second and third, Diego Goris would single to center field allowing Austin Hedges and Jabari Blash to score giving El Paso the 5-2 lead.
Nashville had an opportunity to jump ahead after three consecutive singles loaded the bases with one out at the top of the ninth. Michael Dimock would strike out Chad Pinder before Max Muncy’s pop-fly to short field sealed the win for the Chihuahuas.
“We have a lot of confidence in these guys, we know it’s going to turn around,” Barajas said. “It’s temporary, we have a lot of confidence, even when things aren’t going great, we know it’s going to turn around. That’s why in this clubhouse you don’t see any kind of fear.”
The Chihuahuas lose the series to Nashville 1-3 and will now face the Memphis Redbirds on another home stand. Kelly said the unity of the group is what will help them improve on their Pacific Coast League leading record.
“Just staying together as a group, we do a really good job with that, everyone here is close-nit,” Kelly said. “I think that’s going to be the our biggest key going forward.”
Photos by Andres Acosta
Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs throwing out the first pitch at the Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs throwing out the first pitch at the Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs throwing out the first pitch at the Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
In his first full Triple-A season, the four-year professional has enjoyed a career year to pace a Chihuahuas offense that has scored the second-most runs the league.
#10 Hunter Renfroe with a three run homer during the Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
El Paso’s #7 Diego Goris with the double play at the Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
El Paso’s #10 Hunter Renfroe with the throw from right field to gun out the runner at Second during Sounds Vs Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park
The Nashville Sounds continued their dominant series in El Paso Saturday, slugging past the Chihuahuas 19-5.
Nashville has taken the first three games of the series by a combined score of 43-12. It is the first series loss in a month for the Chihuahuas, who last dropped a series in mid-June at Sacramento.
The Sounds hit five home runs Saturday, including two each by Chad Pinder and Bruce Maxwell. The Chihuahuas have the most home runs in the Pacific Coast League, yet have been out-homered 12-0 in the series so far. The Sounds have 56 hits in the three games at Southwest University Park.
Saturday’s 19 runs were the most scored against El Paso this season and it was the most lopsided loss in team history. First baseman Taylor Lindsey pitched a scoreless top of the ninth inning for the Chihuahuas, the fourth scoreless relief outing by an El Paso position player this season. El Paso turned three double plays in the loss.
Carlos Asuaje went 3-for-5 with two doubles and played third base for the first time this year.
Next Game: Sunday at 6:05 p.m. vs. Nashville at Southwest University Park. Nashville RHP Chris Smith (5-7, 4.22) vs. El Paso RHP Michael Kelly (4-0, 3.60). Game coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. on 600 ESPN El Paso andwww.epchihuahuas.com.
The Nashville Sounds scored nine late runs to come back and beat the El Paso Chihuahuas 11-4 Friday night at Southwest University Park. Nashville has won both games of the series so far, tallying up 24 runs and 36 hits in the process.
The Chihuahuas scored two first inning runs against former Padres’ pitcher Jesse Hahn on an RBI double by Nick Noonan and an RBI groundout by Austin Hedges, his 55th RBI in 40 Triple-A games this season.
El Paso built an early 3-1 lead when Taylor Lindsey struck an RBI single in the bottom of the second on the day he arrived from Double-A San Antonio.
Nashville scored once in the fifth, twice in the sixth, five times in the eighth and twice more in the ninth to seal the win. The Sounds’ pitching staff held El Paso’s 3-4-5 batters to a combined 0-for-12 line on Friday.
Jabari Blash went 1-for-2 with two walks and has reached base in 24 in his last 25 games.
Next Game: Saturday at 7:05 p.m. vs. Nashville at Southwest University Park. Nashville RHP Chris Smith (5-7, 4.22) vs. El Paso RHP Daniel McCutchen (8-5, 5.38). Game coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com
The Nashville Sounds hit five home runs in their 13-3 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas at Southwest University Park Thursday night. It was the most home runs Nashville hit in a game this year and the most homers the Chihuahuas’ pitching staff has allowed in a single game this season.
Arismendy Alcantara and Bruce Maxwell both had four hits for the Sounds. Nashville collected 19 hits in the win to tie a season high. It was the first time in 2016 the Chihuahuas lost by 10 runs or more.
Nick Noonan’s seventh-inning double was El Paso’s lone extra-base hit, extending the club’s streak to 88 consecutive games with at least one extra-base hit. Keith Hessler pitched two perfect relief innings Thursday, striking out two Sounds.
Carlos Asuaje, Diego Goris and Noonan all had two hits in the loss for the Chihuahuas. Thursday was the first meeting between El Paso and Nashville since August 15-18 of 2015, when the Chihuahuas swept the Sounds at First Tennessee Park.
Next Game: Friday at 7:05 p.m. vs. Nashville at Southwest University Park. Nashville RHP Jesse Hahn (1-5, 3.60) vs. El Paso RHP Carlos Pimentel (9-4, 5.94). Game coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. on 600 ESPN El Paso and www.epchihuahuas.com.
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