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Nashville Sounds no-hit Norfolk Tides 2-0 in resumed game at Harbor Park
Nashville Sounds pitchers Brandon Sproat and Tate Kuehner combined for a no-hitter against the Norfolk Tides in a 2-0 win on Sunday, August 23, 2026, in the resumed opener of a doubleheader at Harbor Park.
Nashville 2, Norfolk 0 — Sunday, August 23, 2026
Tate Kuehner and Brandon Sproat combined to hold the Norfolk Tides hitless across seven innings, leading the Nashville Sounds to a 2–0 victory in the resumed Game 1 of a doubleheader at Harbor Park on Sunday afternoon.
How it unfolded
The game was suspended on Saturday, August 22, after only four pitches — a Cade Povich offering to Sal Frelick in a 3–1 count — when inclement weather moved in. When play resumed Sunday at 4:39 PM, Norfolk replaced Povich with Michael Forret (L, 1-3), while Nashville sent out Brandon Sproat to start fresh.
Sproat set the tone immediately, retiring all nine batters he faced over three perfect innings with five strikeouts on 40 pitches.
The Sounds broke through in the fifth. Ethan Murray led off with a solo home run to left off Forret, his fifth of the season, putting Nashville up 1–0. Later in the inning, Blake Burke added an RBI single, scoring Eric Brown Jr., who had singled earlier, to make it 2–0.
Tate Kuehner (W, 2-2) took over for Sproat in the fourth and finished the game, allowing no hits and one walk over four innings with four strikeouts. The only Tides baserunner to reach scoring position was Heston Kjerstad, who was hit by a pitch with one out in the sixth and advanced no further.
Norfolk managed just one baserunner all game — Rece Hinds drew a two-out walk in the second but was stranded. Jose Barrero struck out swinging to end the game as Kuehner sealed the combined no-hitter.
The turning point
The no-hitter was never seriously threatened. Norfolk put only two runners on base all afternoon (Hinds walk, Kjerstad HBP) and never advanced a runner past first. The combination of Sproat's dominant three-inning start and Kuehner's clean relief work gave Nashville's defence no stress — the Tides never hit a ball out of the infield after the fourth inning.
Key performers
- Brandon Sproat (NAS): 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 5 K, 0 BB — opened with three perfect frames, matching a season high in strikeouts for a start.
- Tate Kuehner (NAS): 4.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K, 1 BB — earned the win and closed out the combined no-hitter on 55 pitches.
- Ethan Murray (NAS): 1-for-3, HR, RBI, R — his solo shot in the fifth proved to be the game-winner.
- Michael Forret (NOR): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB — took the loss despite a respectable outing; the solo homer was the decisive blow.
By the numbers
The Sounds' pitching staff recorded a game score of 66 (Kuehner) and 63 (Sproat), reflecting total control. Nashville struck out nine batters and walked one while Norfolk never recorded a hit. The Tides went 0-for-1 with runners in scoring position and left two on base. Nashville left five on base but made their two runs stand up. The 0.00 opponent batting average tells the story as plainly as the scoreline.
What it means
Nashville improved to 67–57, keeping pace near the top of the International League West. Norfolk dropped to 45–77, firmly at the bottom of the International League East. For the Tides, it was their fourth shutout loss of August. The doubleheader continues with a seven-inning Game 2.
Verdict
A pitching masterclass from start to finish. The Sproat–Kuehner combination produced the kind of suffocating performance that wins playoff games, even if the Sounds' own offence needed only two runs to make it stand.