by Rachel Davis / A’s Farm Nashville Contributor
Each week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the top performers for the A’s top affiliate, the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, over the past week. This week covers the period from Monday, April 30 through Sunday, May 6. So, let’s see who was busy making “sounds” for Nashville last week…
Outfielder Dustin Fowler
A new fan favorite in Nashville, Fowler continued his rampage at the plate last week. Though the Sounds offense has struggled at times, Fowler’s bat has been one of the most dependable. Last week, the 23-year-old collected 11 hits, including a pair of triples to go along with a pair of doubles. Fowler entered the week batting .283 but was able to raise his average to .314 by the end of the week, and he’s now notched a team-leading 13 multi-hit games on the season. Fowler currently leads the Sounds in hits, runs, triples and total bases. He also leads the team in stolen bases with eight, which ties him for the third-most in the Pacific Coast League.
Pitcher Daniel Gossett
Gossett turned in his best outing of the season on Saturday against Memphis. The 25-year-old tossed seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out nine to earn his second win for the Sounds. Gossett demonstrated excellent command of the strike zone and really controlled the pace of the game. Of his 95 pitches, 69 were strikes. His stellar performance lowered his ERA to an impressive 1.05, by far the best by a Sounds starter.
Second Baseman Franklin Barreto
Barreto continues to be a bright spot in the Sounds lineup. Last week, the 22-year-old tallied a total of seven hits while batting primarily out of the cleanup spot. After a less-than-memorable day at the plate on Saturday when he went 0 for 3 with three strikeouts, Barreto redeemed himself on Sunday when he smashed a pair of home runs while driving in five runs on the day to help the Sounds coast to an easy 8-2 victory over the division-leading Memphis Redbirds. Barreto now leads the Sounds with five home runs despite spending nearly two weeks with Oakland.
Pitcher Frankie Montas
Montas logged his longest outing since August of 2015 in Friday’s start against Memphis. The 25-year-old went six full innings, allowing just one run on six hits while walking two and striking out three to earn his first win of the season for the Sounds. And in the process, Montas dropped his ERA from an unsightly 6.19 down to a much more respectable 4.91.
Pitcher Kendall Graveman
Graveman got off to a rough start with the Sounds last week, allowing 6 runs on 11 hits over 5 2/3 frames in his first start for Nashville against Colorado Springs last Tuesday. But Graveman gathered his composure and turned in a solid start in his next outing. Against Memphis on Sunday, the 27-year-old allowed just two runs on eight hits while walking just one and striking out five over 6 1/3 innings of work to notch his first win for Nashville.
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