Sounds Battle Back to Defeat Dodgers, 6-5

After letting a four-run lead slip away, the Nashville Sounds scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to come from behind and beat the Oklahoma City Dodgers, 6-5, Friday night at First Tennessee Park.

With the win, the Sounds have taken a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. When the teams meet tomorrow night, the Dodgers will need to win to keep their season alive and force a Game Five.

The Sounds led the game, 4-0, after three innings, but the Dodgers scored the game’s next five runs. OKC carried a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth before the Sounds rallied to regain the lead.

Nashville had collected just two hits through seven innings, but each of the first two Sounds to bat against Joe Broussard in the eighth inning notched hits to tie the game. Franklin Barreto led off the inning with a triple off the right-center field wall. Colin Walsh came up next and hit a RBI single, evening the score at five runs apiece.

Two batters later, Matt Olson singled on an 0-2 pitch to put runners at the corners. The Dodgers made a pitching change, and Ralston Cash replaced Broussard (0-1). Cash walked Matt Chapman on four pitches to load the bases for Rangel Ravelo. Instead of playing the infield in, the Dodgers elected to play the infield back in hopes of a potential ground ball double play. Ravelo sent a slow grounder to the right side of the infield, and the Dodgers could only get a forceout at second base, allowing Walsh to score the go-ahead run.

In the top of the ninth inning, Cody Bellinger drew a two-out walk to put the tying run on base. Nashville reliever Tucker Healy then got O’Koyea Dickson to pop out and Corey Brown to fly out to end the game, as Healy picked up his second save of the series.

Entering Friday, the Dodgers were 70-4 this season when leading after seven innings. Three of their four previous losses were also on the road.

The Dodgers had scored five unanswered runs before the Sounds rallied in the eighth. Down by four runs in the fourth inning, Brown hit his second home run of the series to cut the deficit in half. He sent an opposite-field line drive down the left field line for his second homer of the series, and the two-run shot made it a 4-2 game.

Still down by a pair of runs in the seventh, the Dodgers took their first lead with a three-run rally. With one out, three straight batters reached base to load the bases for Bellinger, who ripped a two-run single to right-center field to tie the game. Dickson followed with a sac fly, putting the Dodgers ahead, 5-4.

Following an intentional walk to Brown, Chris Taylor hit an infield single to load the bases. Nashville reliever Andres Avila notched a huge strikeout against Will Venable to end the inning, keeping the Sounds within one run.

Avila (1-0) also retired the side in order in the eighth and earned the win.

The Sounds used patience at the plate and one big swing to jump out to a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning. After retiring the first batter of the inning, Chase De Jong walked each of the next two batters. On ball four to Jaycob Brugman, Dodgers catcher Shawn Zarraga threw down to second base, but his throw went into center field, allowing Josh Rodriguez to advance to third base. Barreto came up next and hit a sacrifice fly to center field to open the scoring.

De Jong then walked Walsh to put two runners on for Renato Nunez. On the first pitch, Nunez swatted a three-run homer to left field, making it 4-0. It was Nunez’s second three-run homer of the series, and he now has eight RBI through the first three games of the series.

Outside of the third inning, De Jong turned in a solid start. He lasted 5.2 innings and allowed just two hits, although he did walk five batters, surpassing his regular-season high of four. De Jong finished with seven strikeouts.

The Dodgers face a must-win scenario in Game Four Saturday night at First Tennessee Park. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Live coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on AM 1340 "The Game," 1340thegame.com, or through the free iHeartRadio mobile app.