The Tennessean from Nashville, Tennessee • Page 42

i.jibihi uwim um.ji i iiiiii i. UP l' mmm mi 8C ftfclay. April 28,2002 THE TENNESSEAN www.tennessean.com 3 STORl: BASEBALL McKnight ends starters' drought It's More Than Our Name.Jt's Our Commitment To You! "There were a few runs I wish I hadn't given up," said McKnight, who threw 91 pitches before coming out with a runner on in the sixth. "I didn't have my best stuff, but the guys scored some runs and played some defense behind me. It wasn't as good as I'd like to have beea but it was good enough to get a win for my team." Entering last night, the Sounds' bullpen had recorded more mound work (89-23 innings) than the starters (89-13) and accounted for all nine victories, although one of those was the conclusion of a suspended game in which regular starter Bronson Arroyo was credited with a relief victory.

"It's unusual, and it hadn't been that the starters were pitching badly," Nashville Manager Marty Brown said. "Initially, we didn't have everybody built up, and the offense hadn't given them much run support early, so they were coming out of close games. When the offense picks it up, these guys will start to get some wins." The consecutive homers were Nashville's first since June 20 of last season when Chad Her-, mansen and Alex Hernandez did it against these same Redbirds. Aches and pains; Nashville outfielder Tike Redman underwent surgery Wednesday in Pittsburgh to repair a fractured hamate bone in his right hand. He is expected to be out until June.

Post, Romero smack back-to-back homers By MAURICE PATTON Staff Writer With the season 21 games old, a Nashville Sounds starting pitcher finally recorded a win last night Tony McKnight broke through for the rotation, striking out six in 5-13 innings and riding the Sounds' power surge to a 6-4 series-opening win over Memphis. "I don't think I've ever seen that before," McKnight said of the starters' extended drought that saw the group go 0-9 before last night "I don't know how to explain it WeVe had a lot of close games, games that have been decided in the later innings. Ifs nobody's fault" McKnight got some offensive support early and often last night, as Nashville (10-11) collected five extra base hits including back-to-back home runs by David Post and Mandy Romero in the third inning in winning its second straight game and pulling within one game of the 500 mark. Romero's homer made it a 6-1 game, and that was enough of a cushion for McKnight and relievers Josias Manzanillo and Scott Service to sustain four extra-base hits by the Redbirds, solo shots by Stubby Clapp and Tony Mota among them. New 2002 Ford New 2002 Ford ZX2 Every New 2002 Coupe mm" fi I 2ci98 if 2T596 aftsr'ZOOO rebate 2,000 .1000 rebate New 2002 Ford M50 New 2002 Ford Focus 2T174 2T174 4Dr.LX Grand Slam Home Run! rd Thi run.

iffyfMTi "ItoTX Sounds 6, Memphis 4 Next game: vs. Memphis When: Today, 7 p.m. VI Jbf i K2C235 I I. fill 1 8WIl after 200 rebate attef iaaJ reoate SOUNDS 8, REDBIRDS 4 New 2002 Ford M50 New 2002 Ford ab bi 0 1 0 hbt 1 2 1 1 1 1 Mustang sJrmiSuperCab 1 2 delaRosass 5 Rdmnovichlf 5 Hermansncf 3 Crjuilkrttecf 1 1 1 0 0 "vr vs. Pritchettlb 5 1 2 20283' 0 1 Memphis ab Motarf 4 Qapp2b 4 Detgadoss 4 Cltaugfi3b 4 Cruz 1b 3 Ortega If 4 McDnaldc 4 Taguchicf 4 Cooganp 1 Hsermanp 1 Chmbleph 1 Ohmep 0 Snopskph 1 Totals 36 Hyzourf SscristSb Post 2b Romeroc 0 0 2 0 2 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 4 Don't Wait! Drive 1 0 1 3 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.

0 0 McKniahtD A Manzanillo It Home Today! 50 MJM. jar uotaph Service Totals 2C278 2T670 612 after 1JS00 rebate Z500 rebate aftet 4 9 1 612 0 010 110 100 303 000 Ml Nashvia Alan llauA In tnlw New 2002 Ford Game at a glance Winning pitcher Tony McKnight (1-1). Big stick: David Post, 3-for-4, 2-run homer, 3 RBI. How they won: Nashville scored three runs in the first inning and three in the third, getting a pair of doubles in the first and a pair of homers in the third. McKnight and the bullpen held down the worst-hitting team in the Pacific Coast League, scattering nine hits and working around a pair of solo home runs.

What they said: "There have been a lot of starts where they've pitched well enough to get the win. Our starting staff and bullpen have been pretty good. I feel comfortable when every guy comes in there, and I've been on some teams that I didn't feel that way." Post. Tonight's pitchers: Sounds RHP Bronson Arroyo (1-2, 2.59 ERA) vs. Redbirds LHP Les Wal-drond (first start).

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"We've kind of got our backs to the wall now." Injuries compounded by inconsistent pitching and hitting shoved the Commodores into a corner and has them hoping to snap a nine-game SEC losing streak. Vandy has been swept by its last three conference opponents Florida, South Carolina and Mississippi The injury bug bit sophomore pitcher Robert Ransom first Just as the right-hander was recovering from shoulder surgery, he was tagged in the groin by a line drive. First baseman Sean Luellwitz suffered a knee injury and then catcher Jonathan Douillard was sidelined with a dislocated thumb, which meant second baseman Scott Vanderhoff had to move to behind the plate. "It's not like pro ball where you can say, Hey, we've got two guys injured here, can you send us another one?" Mewbourne said. "We had to improvise." Still, Mewbourne expected the Commodores to handle their injury problems much better than they have.

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