List Of Nashville Sounds Opening Day Starting Pitchers
Nashville's first Opening Day game was played against the Memphis Chicks at Tim McCarver Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 15, 1978. Bill Dawley was their starting pitcher that day; he took the decision in a game the Sounds lost, 4–2. Their first Opening Day game held at home was an 8–7 win against the Birmingham Barons at Herschel Greer Stadium on April 9, 1981. Starter Jamie Werly, who went on to win the Southern League Most Outstanding Pitcher Award that season, did not figure in the decision. On April 4, 2013, starter Tyler Thornburg took a no decision in the final Opening Day game at Greer Stadium, a 5–4 Sounds win. The team left Greer after the 2014 season, but did not play their first Opening Day game at First Horizon Park, their new facility then known as First Tennessee Park, until two years later. In that game, held on April 7, 2016, Sounds starting pitcher Chris Smith was charged with the loss in a 5–0 shutout by the Oklahoma City Dodgers.
Nashville's Opening Day starting pitchers have a combined Opening Day record of 11 wins, 16 losses, and 19 no decisions. At Greer Stadium, they had a record of 5 wins, 4 losses, and 8 no decisions in 17 Opening Day starts. At First Horizon Park, they have 0 wins, 2 losses, and 2 no decisions in 4 Opening Day starts. They have an aggregate record of 5 wins, 6 losses, and 10 no decisions in 21 Opening Day starts at home. Nashville starters have a record of 6 wins, 10 losses, and 9 no decisions in 25 Opening Day starts on the road.
The only Sounds pitchers with more than one Opening Day start are Bill Dawley (1978 and 1979), Rodney Imes (1990 and 1991), and Zach Jackson (2007 and 2008), each with two starts. Three Sounds Opening Day starters have also started Opening Day games in Major League Baseball: Bob Milacki for the Baltimore Orioles in 1990, Wily Peralta for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2016, and Chris Bassitt for the Oakland Athletics in 2021.
Pitchers
| Pitcher (#) | Number indicates multiple appearances as a Sounds Opening Day starter |
|---|---|
| Score (#) | Game score with Sounds runs listed first; number of innings in a game that was shorter or longer than 9 innings in parentheses |
| Location | Stadium in italics denotes a Sounds home game |
| W | Win earned by starting pitcher; Sounds won game |
| L | Loss earned by starting pitcher; Sounds lost game |
| ND (W) | No decision by starting pitcher; Sounds won game |
| ND (L) | No decision by starting pitcher; Sounds lost game |