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Round Rock Express Edged at Memphis 5-4

July 30, 2012 - Pacific Coast League (PCL) Round Rock Express

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Victor Marte struck out Luis Hernandez with the potential tying run at second base to preserve a 5-4 victory for the Memphis Redbirds over the Round Rock Express in Monday night's Pacific Coast League action at AutoZone Park. The Express (48-62) snapped a five-game winning streak, their longest run of the season. The Redbirds (43-67) won for only the second time in their last eight games. Round Rock leads the season series 8-7.

Eduardo Sanchez did not retire any of the three batters he faced in the eighth, walking Luis Hernandez ahead of Ryan Spilborghs' eighth-inning, two-run homer that cut into a 5-2 Memphis lead. Sanchez was lifted after Brad Nelson singled, and Joey Butler greeted Jess Todd with a single. However, Todd struck out Matt Kata, Nelson was thrown out trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt, and Yangervis Solarte flied out to end the threat. Julio Borbon singled with two outs in the ninth and stole second, but Marte closed the game for his first save with the Redbirds.

That made a winner of starter Shelby Miller (6-9), who held the Express to two runs on eight hits over seven innings with no walks and eight strikeouts.

Express starter Ben Snyder (2-5) was saddled with the loss; he allowed five runs - three earned - on six hits over seven innings with one walk and four strikeouts. Willie Eyre worked a perfect eighth with two strikeouts.

Hernandez started the night with a one-out solo homer in the first. That was erased on Steven Hill's one-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the inning. Round Rock tied the game in the top of the fourth on a Guilder Rodriguez two-out RBI single, but the Redbirds quickly recaptured the lead in the bottom of the fourth on Ryan Jackson's two-out solo homer. Memphis never relinquished the lead; adding two unearned runs in the fifth inning when Matt Kata missed Luis Martinez's throw to third on a double-steal attempt.

Spilborghs, Kata and Rodriguez all had two-hit nights. Martinez was the only Express batter to not hit safely. Hernandez scored twice.

Eugenio Velez, who was the lead runner on the double-steal attempt in the fifth, had the lone multiple-hit game for the Redbirds, going 2-for-3 with a double. Round Rock out-hit Memphis 12-6.

Round Rock and Memphis conclude their series Tuesday with a 7:05 p.m. CDT first pitch. Left-hander Zach Jackson (4-12, 4.81 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Express, while right-hander Michael Blazek is slated to make his first start for the Redbirds.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from July 30, 2012


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