Nashville Sneaks By Dodgers Again

The Oklahoma City Dodgers had an early four-run lead slip away Wednesday night before putting together a late push in an eventual 9-8 loss to the Nashville Sounds at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark.

The Dodgers scored four runs in the second inning and owned a 6-2 lead through three innings before the visiting Sounds scored seven straight runs.

Oklahoma City (7-7) scored two late runs on a RBI double by catcher Bobby Wilson in the seventh inning and a home run by Cody Bellinger in the bottom of the ninth inning, but those would be the Dodgers’ final runs of the night.

With the win, Nashville (5-8) took a 2-0 lead in the four-game series between the teams and extended Oklahoma City’s losing skid to three games.

The Sounds took the first lead of Wednesday’s game in front of a crowd of 3,421 when Chris Parmelee hit a two-run homer with two outs in the first inning for a 2-0 Nashville lead.

Bellinger answered in the bottom of the inning with a solo homer out to center field to cut the Sounds’ lead to 2-1.

The Dodgers scored four runs on five hits in the second inning to take the lead.

Willie Calhoun led off with a double and scored on a RBI single by Ike Davis to tie the game, 2-2. The hit came in Davis’ first at-bat with the Dodgers. Calhoun went on to collect three hits in the game.

Oklahoma City went on to collect four straight hits to open the inning and loaded the bases for Charlie Culberson, who hit into a fielder’s choice and plated Davis to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead.

A wild pitch by Nashville starting pitcher Daniel Gossett with Bellinger at the plate brought home another run for the Dodgers for a 4-2 advantage.

Bellinger ended up drawing a walk before O’Koyea Dickson singled into right field to score Culberson for a 5-2 Oklahoma City advantage.

In the third inning, Darnell Sweeney homered out to left field for his second home run of the season to extend the Dodgers to a 6-2 lead. Sweeney went on to collect a season-high three hits.

The Sounds scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning.

Nashville’s Ryan Lavarnway homered onto the grass in front of the batter’s eye in center field to cut Oklahoma City’s lead to 6-3 in the fifth inning.

With Kenny Wilson at third base, a balk called on Dodgers starting pitcher Jair Jurrjens allowed Wilson to score and cut the Dodgers’ lead to 6-4.

With the bases loaded and two outs, Jurrjens walked Parmelee to bring home another run and cut Oklahoma City’s lead to one run, 6-5.

The Sounds then tied the game, 6-6, in the next frame on a RBI single by Melvin Mercedes in the top of the sixth inning.

Nashville went ahead, 9-6, in the seventh inning with three more runs.

Renato Nuñez knocked a RBI double into the left-field corner to break the tie. Matt Olson followed with a two-run homer that landed on the grass past the Sounds’ bullpen in right field for a three-run Nashville advantage.

The Dodgers got back on the scoreboard in the seventh inning when Wilson hit a RBI double into the left-field corner to cut Nashville’s lead to two runs.

Bellinger drilled a home run over the tall wall in right field to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning and cut Nashville’s lead to one run. The homer was Bellinger’s second of the night and his team-leading fifth homer of the season.

Wilson drew a two-out walk and advanced to second base on a passed ball before Calhoun struck out to end the game.

Dodgers pitcher Adam Liberatore (0-1) threw four pitches in the sixth inning and was charged with a hit, run and the loss. Nashville pitcher Aaron Kurcz (2-1) earned the win and Simon Castro got the save for the Sounds.