MEMPHIS - The Nashville Sounds' seven-run rally fell just short in the final inning as the Memphis Redbirds held on for a 10–8 win to clinch the first-half International League title. Luke Adams crushed three home runs in the fourth, sixth, and ninth innings.
The Redbirds jumped out to a 5–0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as starting pitcher Will Childers allowed an RBI single, a three-run blast by Joshua Báez, and a solo shot by Bligh Madris. The Sounds attempted to cut into the Memphis lead but stranded a runner on base heading into the bottom of the second inning. Reiss Knehr replaced Childers in the frame and worked around a leadoff single before the top of the third. After the Sounds stranded their third runner of the game, Knehr allowed another Memphis run on an RBI single by Yohel Pozo, extending the Redbirds' lead to 6-0.
Nashville finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning when Adams launched a solo shot to left field, his seventh home run of the season, cutting the Redbirds' lead to 6-1. Memphis responded with four more runs in the fourth and fifth innings, extending its advantage to 10-1. Junior Fernández allowed all four runs to score on four hits and a passed ball by Ramón Rodríguez.
The Sounds cut the Redbirds' lead in half over the sixth and seventh innings. Adams clubbed his second solo homer of the game to left field, his eighth long ball of the season. In the seventh, three straight walks by Brock Wilken, Ethan Murray, and Rodríguez loaded the bases. Eduardo Garcia and Jett Williams both grounded into force outs but remained on base, allowing Wilken and Murray to score and trim the deficit to seven runs. After Williams stole his 15th base of the season, Tyler Black hit an RBI single to right field to make it a 10-5 game.
Kaleb Bowman entered in relief of Fernández and worked two scoreless innings, allowing three hits and recording one strikeout. He ran into trouble in the bottom of the seventh after allowing a one-out single. Jared Koenig replaced Bowman and recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning. Mark Manfredi tossed a scoreless eighth, striking out three of the four batters he faced.
The Sounds had one last chance in the top of the ninth inning as Black drew a one-out walk to start the frame. Luis Lara followed with a soft bunt single down the third-base line, moving Black to second. Adams then capped off a career-high three-homer game with a three-run shot to center field, cutting the Redbirds' lead to two runs. However, the rally ended there as Nashville grounded out twice to close out the 10-8 Memphis victory.
With Monday off, the Sounds return to First Horizon Park to begin the second half of the season on Tuesday. Nashville will open a pair of consecutive homestands, beginning with the Gwinnett Stripers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
POSTGAME NOTES:
NUKE ADAMS: Luke Adams recorded his first career 3-homer game in Sunday's 10-8 loss to the Redbirds, posting the team's five-of-the-eight runs of the game for Nashville. He ended his day going 3-for-5 and added five RBI along the way. Adams is the only player on the Sounds to go yard three times in a game this season and just the fourth player to belt 2+ homers in a game (2x, Eddys Leonard, 2x, Akil Baddoo, Jett Williams). The last time a Sounds player recorded three homers in a game was by Matt Chapman on September 3, 2016 against the New Orleans Zephyrs and is the fourth Sound to hit three homers in a single game since 2005 (Ryan Braun - 2007, Russell Branyan - 2008, Matt Chapman - 2016). The three homers marked the sixth multi-homer of the season for the Sounds and Adams' first homers since June 12 vs. Durham at First Horizon Park. Adams has been on a tear during the month of June, tying for first in homers (7), while he ranks tied for second in XBH (9) and in SLG (.760) among minor league hitters in the Brewers farm system. The three homers' ties for the second highest at the Triple-A level, while posting a new career-high in RBI (5). The five RBI is the third-most on the team behind Akil Baddoo's six-RBI and seven-RBI game he posted this past week against Memphis.
NOT SO CHILL: Will Childers made his first start of the season for the Sounds in Sunday's series finale against the Redbirds, allowing five runs on four hits and allowed two home runs along the way. The five runs are the most runs Childers has allowed this season, marking the most runs allowed since August 27, 2023 against Single-A Columbia (4.1 IP, 12 H, 8 ER, 3 HR, K) and marked the last time he suffered a loss when making a start. The last time a Sounds pitcher allowed 5+ runs in a game was on May 8 at Louisville when Tate Kuehner allowed eight runs.
STAND STILL: The Nashville Sounds finished the first half of the 2026 season in fourth place with a 43-32 record. It marked the fourth time the Sounds have placed in the top 5 of the International League standings in the first half, including making the IL playoffs during the 2022 season (91-58). It was the 10th time they have placed in the top 5 since 2005, including being at the top of the Pacific Coast League in 2007 (89-55) and in 2016 (83-59).