Audio from Nashville – Ryan Christenson

The Sounds continue their nine-game homestand tonight as they take on New Orleans with a doubleheader, the first of three consecutive doubleheaders for the Sounds following Sunday’s postponement. Tonight the clubs continue a suspended game from April 30 that is in the fourth inning, and then a seven-inning game will follow. Tomorrow will consist of two seven-inning games, and then after an off day Wednesay, the Sounds have a doubleheader Thursday in Oklahoma City. Tonight Chris Smith and Tom Koehler will work in Game 1, and Dustin Hurlbutt is up from High-A Stockton to oppose William Cuevas in Game 2.

First pitch tonight is set for 5:35 CT with the pregame at 5:20 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

Tonight’s interview is this week’s chat with Sounds manager Ryan Christenson, who discusses last week’s call-up of Matt Chapman, the addition of Patrick Schuster as a second lefty in the bullpen, and how the Sounds will try to navigate three doubleheaders in a row.

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
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Audio from Nashville — Billy Owens

The Sounds and the Iowa Cubs conclude a four-game series tonight, and the Sounds are trying to salvage a split after falling, 4-2, last night. New Orleans comes to town Saturday to continue this 9-game, 8-day homestand. Tonight Felix Doubront (0-0, 4.15) will make a spot start in Michael Brady’s place and oppose Zach Hedges, who makes his Triple-A debut.

First pitch tonight is set for 7:05 CT with the pregame at 6:50 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

Tonight’s interview with Billy Owens, asstistant GM and director of player personnel for the Sounds’ parent-club Oakland A’s. He discusses yesterday’s call-up of Sounds third baseman and top prospect Matt Chapman  and the wave of young talent coming through Nashville and recently getting opportunities in Oakland, and insight on Matt Olson, Renato Nunez and Franklin Barreto.

Oakland A’s assistant GM and director of player personnel Billy Owens

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.

Audio from Nashville — Eric Martins

The Sounds and the Iowa Cubs continue their four-game series tonight with Game 3, and the Sounds continue their 9-game, 8-day homestand. The Sounds evened the series last night with a clean 6-1 win behind Corey Walter’s mound work and homers from Matt Olson and Mark Canha. Tonight Paul Blackburn (4-5, 3.11) takes on Williams Perez (0-7, 7.54) in a rematch of a game two weeks ago in Iowa, which Blackburn, a former Cubs farmhand, won.

First pitch tonight is set for 7:05 CT with the pregame at 6:50 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

On a day where the A’s have officially called up Sounds third baseman and top prospect Matt Chapman, tonight’s interview is with Sounds hitting coach Eric Martins, who goes way back with Chapman, scouted and signed him a few years, and now has has worked with  him the past couple of years in his hitting coach role. He discusses Chapman’s season to this point and readiness for the big leagues and also offers insight to this year’s success of Matt Olson and Renato Nunez.

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.

Audio from Nashville — Ryan Christenson (and more)

After an off day Monday and an 11-game road trip that ended Sunday, the Sounds are back at First Tennessee Park tonight. They open a 9-game, 8-day homestand with the start of a four-game series against the Iowa Cubs. The Sounds went 6-5 on their road but gave a few games away, including a tough one Sunday in Memphis. The Sounds enter play tonight 5.0 games behind 1st-place Memphis. Tonight Chris Smith (4-2, 2.96) takes the mound for the first time since combining with three relievers on a no-hitter in Omaha last week, and he opposes Casey Kelly (3-1, 4.68).

First pitch tonight is set for 7:05 CT with the pregame at 6:50 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

Tonight’s interview is with Sounds manager Ryan Christenson, who brings us our weekly Monday chat on a Tuesday and discusses the recent call-ups to Oakland of Jaycob Brugman and Daniel Gossett, the recent struggles of Franklin Barreto, and the coming return of catcher Bruce Maxwell. Below the Christenson interview are recent interviews from the road trip with right-hander Chris Jensen and catcher Matt McBride.

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

June 11 – Right-hander Chris Jensen

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

June 8 – Catcher Matt McBride

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.

Audio from Iowa — Felix Doubront

The Sounds continue their 11-game road trip tonight as they take on the I-Cubs in Game 3 of a four-game series. It was bombs away last night for the Sounds, who blitzed Iowa with a 7-run first inning and cruised to a 12-3 win behind a pair of Matt Olson homers. The Sounds have won four straight and 13 of their last 19. Tonight Corey Walter (1-0, 2.79) takes on former Sound Seth Frankoff (0-2, 2.90).

First pitch tonight is set for 7:08 CT with the pregame at 6:53 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

Tonight’s interview is with Sounds lefty Felix Doubront, who discusses his continuing comeback from last year’s Tommy John elbow surgery, what the process has been like to this point, and how often he thinks about his World Series experience and win with Boston in 2013.

Photo courtesy Oakland A’s

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.

Audio from Iowa — Former Sound Seth Frankoff

The Sounds continue their 11-game road trip tonight as they take the field in Iowa for Game 2 against the I-Cubs. The Sounds pulled out a dramatic comeback victory last night thanks to a 2-out 9th-inning grand slam by Franklin Barreto. It pulled the Sounds to within 3.5 games of 1st-place Memphis and improved their record to 12-6 in the last 18 games. Tonight Chris Smith (2-2, 3.86) opposes Casey Kelly (2-0, 4.85).

First pitch tonight is set for 7:08 CT with the pregame at 6:53 on ALT 97.5-FM and the iHeart, MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Radio apps. Here’s the online audio stream: http://milb.streamguys1.com/nashvillesounds.

Tonight’s interview is with Iowa right-hander and former Sound Seth Frankoff, who came up with the A’s and pitched for the Sounds in 2015. He’s off to a great start this year with Iowa — 3rd in the league with a 2.90 ERA — and discusses his time with the A’s, his season so far, being in major league spring training camp with the defending-champion Cubs, getting released by the A’s and quickly picked up by the Dodgers in March 2016, and his time as a starter compared to reliever.

Photo courtesy MiLB.com

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.

Audio from Iowa — Jake Sanchez

The Sounds have started an 11-game road trip tonight with the first of four in Iowa against the Cubs, and it’s a return to The Hawkeye State for reliever Jake Sanchez, who played college ball a couple hours away from Des Moines at Division-III Iowa Wesleyan in Mount Pleasant. Sanchez is quite a story, and he joined me on Thursday’s pregame show to talk a little bit about it. A California native who was not heavily recruited out of high school, he got the chance to play college ball at Iowa Wesleyan. From there, he played a couple of years of independent league baseball and then was briefly in the White Sox system before signing with the A’s. After a few years as a starting pitcher, he became a full-time reliever last year at Double-A Midland for the Texas League-champion RockHounds. Now he’s a closer who’s put on some weight and added fastball velocity in recent years and is throwing in the mid-90s and coming off an outstanding performance this past winter in Mexico. He began the year back at Midland, overcame taking a 100-mph line drive to the head in April, and has joined the Sounds’ bullpen just in time for a trip back to Iowa. What a great story that isn’t done being written. Here’s tonight’s interview with Sanchez:

Photo courtesy Mike Strasinger / Nashville Sounds

Thanks for listening! On the air and off.

Jeff

If you want to follow me on Twitter: @JeffHemPBP
If you want to send me an email: JeffH@NashvilleSounds.com
If you want to subscribe to blog posts via email updates, you can do so in the upper right section of the home page.