Nashville Shuts Out RedHawks

For the second straight night, the Oklahoma City RedHawks received strong pitching, but could not get the offense going and ended up being shutout, 2-0, by the Nashville Sounds Friday night at Greer Stadium.

Four Nashville pitchers combined on a five-hitter for the team's league-best 10th shutout of the season. It was the sixth time in 2014 the RedHawks have been shutout.

Sounds starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann (5-5) went the first six innings to earn his first win in five starts. He scattered five hits with no walks and four strikeouts.

Three relievers kept the RedHawks scoreless and hitless over the final three innings. Rob Wooten retired the side in order in the ninth and registered two strikeouts to earn his sixth save of the season.

The Sounds pitching staff held the RedHawks 1-for-12 with runners on base and 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They struck out 10 Oklahoma City batters, marking the third time in four games the RedHawks have struck out at least 10 times.

Over the past two games, the RedHawks pitching staff has given up four total runs, but the offense has scored one run on eight hits, with none for extra bases. They have now been held scoreless over their last 15 consecutive innings.

Nashville (57-50) opened up the scoring with a pair of runs in the third inning. Kevin Mattison sent a RBI double to deep center field to give the Sounds the lead. With runners at the corners and two out, Jason Rodgers dropped a bloop single into shallow center field to score Mattison. Eugenio Velez tried to score all the way from first, but he was thrown out at the plate by RedHawks shortstop Jonathan Villar.

The RedHawks (53-55) had their best chance to score in the fourth. Ronny Torreyes led off the inning with a single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch with none out. Jungmann was able to escape the inning with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.

In the next inning, the RedHawks put two runners on with one out. Jio Mier smoked a line drive off the left arm of Jungmann, but Jungmann was able to pick up the ball and get the out at first base. Jungmann remained in the game and got Villar to ground out to end the inning.

A heads up defensive play by Villar kept it a two-run game in the sixth. With Velez at second and Matt Clark at first with two outs, Villar knocked down a grounder in the hole on the left side of the infield. He was able to throw over to third base, where Clark was tagged out before Velez touched the plate.

Tommy Shirley turned in his first quality start with the RedHawks, but picked up the loss. Shirley (0-2) allowed two runs and six hits over six innings, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Richard Rodriguez followed Shirley with two perfect innings, including four strikeouts. Rodriguez struck out the side on just 10 pitches in the seventh inning.

With the loss, the RedHawks fell two games under .500 for the first time since the end of the 2011 season.