Dodgers Cruise Past Nashville

The Oklahoma City Dodgers scored four early runs and received another strong start from pitcher Zach Lee, setting the stage for a 5-2 win over the Nashville Sounds Wednesday night at First Tennessee Park.

With the win, the Dodgers are 5-1 through the first six games of their current road trip and have won five of their first six meetings with Nashville this season. Now at 11-3, the team is also off to its best start through 14 games since the franchise joined the PCL in 1998.

The Dodgers got off to a quick start, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. Buck Britton roped a RBI triple to begin the scoring, and Kyle Jensen followed with a sacrifice fly to help OKC jump out to a 2-0 lead.

The Dodgers scored twice again in the third inning. With a runner at third and one out, Darwin Barney sent a fly ball to shallow center field. But with the infield playing in, the ball dropped for a RBI double. Britton came up next and collected a RBI single to make it 4-0.

Britton finished the game 3-for-5, notching his third three-hit game of the season.

Nashville (7-7) got on the board in the fifth inning. Each of the first three batters of the inning reached base, capped with a RBI single by Andy Parrino. After Parrino's hit, the Sounds had runners at first and second with nobody out. Anthony Aliotti came up next and send a broken bat pop up near the middle of the infield. Barney slid over toward second base and made the catch with his foot on the bag before Alden Carrithers returned, resulting in a double play. Billy Burns then flied out to end the threat.

The run snapped a streak of 15 consecutive scoreless innings by Lee, who also saw a streak of 15 consecutive innings without a walk also end in the fifth.

It was the only blemish during Lee's outing, as he tossed a season-high seven innings. Lee gave up six hits with two walks and five strikeouts as he improved to 3-0 in his first three starts of the season.

Scott Schebler added to the Dodgers' lead in the eighth when he connected on a solo home run, marking the third straight game he's gone deep.

The Dodgers still held a 5-1 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the Sounds didn't go down easily. With one out, Jason Pridie got things started with a solo homer to cut the lead to 5-2.

Each of the next two batters reached base, bringing the tying run to the plate. The Dodgers countered by bringing in closer David Aardsma, who struck out Aliotti for the second out.

Aardsma and Burns then battled for 11 pitches, but Burns eventually grounded out to end the game, as Aardsma collected his fourth save.

Making a spot start for Nashville after being promoted from Double-A, Nate Long ended up with the loss in his first Triple-A action of the season. Long (0-1) allowed four runs and seven hits over 4.2 innings. He struck out six and walked one.