The International League West-leading Nashville Sounds have had quite the month of July, which started with an eight-game win streak before it was snapped by the Columbus Clippers on July 10.
Nashville has won 10 of its last 15 games, but this hot stretch is just a microcosm of the Sounds’ season thus far. Strong performances all across the diamond, between the pitching and defense to offensive outbursts, have Nashville positioned as one of the hotter teams in the league. The Sounds are 19 games over .500 with a three-game lead over Columbus atop the division.
The crowning achievement along the way happened during Saturday’s game against the Memphis Redbirds when a franchise record 12,409 fans packed First Horizon Park for Star Wars night.
“You look at the number of people we bring in, you know The Band Box is always hopping out there. It’s loud, and we hear them on the field,” Sounds manager Rick Sweet told the Post. “We’ve got the best ballpark in the league, we’ve got the best grounds crew in the league, we’ve got the best field in the league, and nobody gets louder than the Nashville Sounds crowds.”
As far as Nashville’s on-field success this season, a crop of top prospects are leading the way. Shortstop Brice Turang, the No. 5 prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization, and lefthander Ethan Small, Milwaukee’s No. 8 prospect, have performed well.
Turang is leading the team in hits (94), runs (48) and stolen bases (19), and he’s sixth in batting average (.281). Small has been equally as hot on the mound, leading Nashville in ERA (3.34), strikeouts (81) and opposing batting average (.194), while ranking second on the team in WHIP (1.24) and tying for second in wins (6).
The Sounds are also getting key contributions from all over the roster. Former MLB standouts David Dahl and Tyler White are having resurgent seasons with Nashville. The duo has combined for 22 home runs and 84 RBIs in 131 games.
With more than half of the season remaining, the Sounds have yet to face their toughest stretch of games. Through August, the Sounds will face the East-leading Durham Bulls and division rivals Memphis and Gwinnett.
Through the first 86 games, the Sounds have won all but three series against those teams — one of which was a split.
