Baby Cakes let late lead slip away to Sounds

METAIRIE – Anthony Garcia hit two home runs, including a game-tying shot in the top of the ninth inning, and the Nashville Sounds went on to score four times in the 10th to defeat the New Orleans Baby Cakes, 7-3 on Tuesday night.

The Baby Cakes led 3-0 after six innings, courtesy of consecutive RBI singles by Cristhian Adames and Peter O’Brien in the fifth and an RBI single by Chris Diaz in the sixth, all coming with two outs.

Tyler Cloyd blanked the Sounds on four hits through six innings, but Garcia and Franklin Barreto took him deep back-to-back with one out in the seventh to bring Nashville within a run.

After Jose Quijada recorded four outs, Nick Wittgren was tasked with protecting the 3-2 cushion in the ninth, but surrendered a leadoff home run to Garcia, whose 23 dingers rank sixth in the Pacific Coast League.

Wittgren’s struggles continued in extra innings. After a throwing error by Peter Mooney allowed the lead runner at second to score and give Nashville its first lead, Boog Powell roped a two-run double off the left field wall, and scored on a single by Dustin Fowler.

Liam Hendriks (4-1) retired the side in order in the bottom half to hand the ‘Cakes their 12th loss when leading after six and seven innings, respectively, both league highs.

Wittgren (0-5) was charged with his fourth blown save and took the loss after giving up five runs – four earned – in 1 2/3 innings.

New Orleans, in search of only its second winning season in the last 11 years, lost its third in a row to slip a game below the .500 mark with six games remaining.

The teams continue the three-game set on Wednesday at 7 p.m.