NASHVILLE – The Nashville Sounds wrapped up the 2026 season with a 5-3 win over the Memphis Redbirds Sunday night at First Horizon Park. Jonathan Ornelas belted his third career grand slam, which was part of a five-run fifth inning for the Sounds. Coleman Crow collected a team-high ninth win of the season, and Brandon Sproat earned his first save of the year.
In the season finale, Memphis got on the board first for just the second time this week as Crow issued a leadoff walk to Zach Levenson in the second inning. After Levenson advanced to second on a missed catch by Brock Wilken, Trey Paige hit single to Wilken and beat the throw to first base. Colton Ledbetter lined an RBI-single to right field and scored Levenson for the 1-0 Redbirds lead. The Sounds offense collected two hits but were unable to put together any runs as 12-of-the-14 batters were shut down through the first four innings.
Nashville began its largest threat through five innings as Ethan Murray led off the frame with a walk. Jacob Hurtubise followed with an infield base hit that moved Murray to second. Andrick Nava advanced Murray and Hurtubise into scoring position and loaded the bases with a sacrifice bunt and throwing error for Ryan Murphy. Eduardo Garcia hit a high chopper to the shortstop and beat the throw to first for an RBI-single, scoring Murray for the tie game. The bases were loaded as Ornelas crushed his first grand slam with the Sounds and for a 5-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Crow ended his night allowing a run on five hits, punching out six batters and was one out shy of his eighth quality start of the year for the Sounds. Lyon Richardson entered in relief with one out in the top of the sixth. He retired all four batters he faced in the 1.1 innings pitched, including a strikeout before Garrett Stallings entered the game for the Sounds in the top of the eighth inning. Stallings issued three hits to the four batters he faced, including a two-RBI double by Graysen Tarlow that cut Nashville's lead to two runs.
Sproat came into the top of the ninth inning and struck out the first batter he faced. Noah Mendlinger then drew a walk and was forced out, which put Brody Moore on base. After Moore advanced on a defensive indifference, Sproat closed out the 2026 season with his second strikeout of the frame and gave Nashville its 80th overall win of the season.
The Sounds will begin the 2027 season on the road and take on the Durham Bulls (Triple-A, Tampa Bay Rays) from March 26-28. Nashville's first home series at First Horizon Park will start the following week against the Omaha Storm Chasers (Triple-A, Kansas City Royals) beginning March 30 for the home opener.
POSTGAME NOTES:
THATS A WRAP: The 2026 Sounds team featured 74 different players (41 pitchers / 33 position players) to appear in at least one game this year. Seven different players made their Major League Debut with the Milwaukee Brewers this season: C Jeferson Quero, LHP Shane Drohan, RHP Coleman Crow, LHP Brian Fitzpatrick, INF Cooper Pratt, RHP Garrett Stallings, and OF Luis Lara. LHP Mark Manfredi (Colorado) and INF Eddys Leonard (San Francisco) made their Major League debuts with other organizations outside of the Brewers. 34 of the 74 players for Nashville also appeared in at least one game for the Brewers this season. The Sounds had nine different players appear strictly on Major League rehab assignments this year: LHP DL Hall, RHP Joel Kuhnel, RHP Quinn Priester, RHP Bryse Wilson, LHP Rob Zastryzny, INF David Hamilton, INF Andrew Vaughn, OF Jackson Chourio, and OF Sal Frelick. INF Brock Wilken was the lone Nashville player on the Opening Day roster to remain on Nashville's active roster for all 149 games and finished the year with a career-high 130 games played.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE: The Sounds win on Sunday over Memphis was the 47th of the year at First Horizon Park to give Nashville the most home wins in the minors in 2026. It's the third time Nashville has finished the year with the most home wins in Triple-A over the last 21 seasons. Nashville last led Triple-A in home wins during the 2022 season when they finished 48-27. The 2007 team also finished 48-24. The 47 wins are the third most for Nashville since 2005 behind the 2022 and 2007 seasons.
SLAMMIN SOUNDS: Jonathan Ornelas' fifth inning grand slam on Sunday afternoon was the 12th Sounds slam this season. Nashville entered the final game of the regular season tied for the most grand slams in the minors this year with Double-A Somerset. The 12 grand slams are the most in a single season in Nashville Sounds franchise history. Nashville hit 14 total between 2023-2025. Ornelas entered the season without a grand slam in his professional career (739 G) but has hit three this season. His first two of the season came with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Ornelas ends the year with multi-hit games in three straight games and seven hits over his final three games.
SEVEN HEAVEN: Eduardo Garcia ended the year with a seven-game hitting streak after collecting a hit in the season finale against Memphis on Sunday night. The seven-game streak ends tied for the 11th-longest of the season for Nashville. Garcia hit .318 (7-for-22) with a home run, three RBI, two walks, and two runs over the final seven games he played.
AWARD SZN: Prior to Saturday night's game, the Sounds honored the 2026 Sounds Player Awards winners with a pre-game recognition. INF Ethan Murray was named the 2026 Nashville Sounds MVP by his teammates while RHP Blake Holub was named the club's Pitcher of the Year. INF Brock Wilken was voted as the Fan Favorite, and RHP Garrett Stallings was named Community Player of the Year.