Nashville Sounds Rally for 9-3 Series-Opener Win Over Iowa

The Nashville Sounds wasted little time setting the tone in the opening game of their series with the Iowa Cubs on Tuesday night at First Horizon Park, routing Iowa 9-3 behind a balanced offensive surge and another quality start on the mound.

Luis Lara sparked the charge for the Sounds, launching his seventh three-hit game of the season with a 3-for-4 effort that included two RBI. Lara helped Nashville turn early momentum into multiple rallies, as four Sounds players recorded multi-hit performances in the victory.

On the mound, Robert Gasser delivered four strong innings helping the Sounds home record improve to 13-5. He worked around an unearned run in the top of the first and responded with back-to-back three-up, three-down frames in the second and third. Gasser struck out six of the first nine outs Nashville recorded, finishing the outing with an efficient performance while giving the offense plenty of runway.

Nashville jumped out in the second when Jeferson Quero scored on three consecutive two-out walks. The Sounds then widened the gap in the third as Eddys Leonard’s two-RBI double pushed Nashville into a 3-1 lead. Iowa managed to cut the deficit in the fourth with a sac fly, but Nashville answered immediately with another two-run frame in the bottom half, fueled by Lara’s two-RBI single.

After scoring twice in the third and fourth, the Sounds pulled away in the fifth with a four-run inning featuring extra-base hits and RBI opportunities. Reiss Knehr earned the win, tossing two no-hit innings in relief.

Leonard extended his double streak to five consecutive games, while Brock Wilken kept his remarkable on-base run going with a walk that stretched the streak to 28 straight contests.

The series continues tonight at 6:35 p.m. CT with LHP Thomas Pannone scheduled to start.