Sports stats



PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Música (34-49) vs New Orleans Baby Cakes (45-38)

July 1, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Música (34-49) vs New Orleans Baby Cakes (45-38)

Monday, July 1 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #84 - Home Game #43 (13-29)

RHP Harold Arauz (3-1, 6.69) vs RHP Joe Gunkel (1-1, 4.70)

BY THE NUMBERS

15 John Nogowski's current hitting streak. He is the second Redbird this season have a hitting streak of at least 15 games, joining Rangel Ravelo. It is also the longest hitting streak of his career at any level.

4 Number of hits by Randy Arozarena yesterday. It was his second four-hit performance in his last three games, which is the joint-most among Redbirds players this year. Arozarena is batting .370 through 18 games with the Redbirds this season.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds continue their nine-game homestand tonight in the third of five games against the New Orleans Baby Cakes. Tonight, the Redbirds will take the field as the Memphis Música as part of Minor League Baseball's "Copa de la Diversión." The Redbirds won their first game of the current homestand yesterday in a 10-6 comeback victory. Joe Hudson broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Irving Lopez to cap a five-run frame. John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to 15 games yesterday, going 3-4 with a pair of singles and a double. Randy Arozarena also had his second four-hit game in his last three. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ABOUT COPA DE LA DIVERSION: "Copa de la Diversión," or "Fun Cup," is a season-long event series specifically designed to embrace the culture and values that resonate most with participating teams' local U.S. Hispanic/Latinx communities. In 2019, Minor League Baseball had 72 teams participate this year, up from 33 teams in 2018, which was the first year of the Copa de la Diversión.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Harold Arauz is scheduled to make his ninth appearance and fifth start for the Redbirds tonight. It will be his 15th appearance overall across all levels this season and his 100th career minor league start. In his last time out on Wednesday vs. Nashville, he took no-decision (5.2 IP, 5 H, 8 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR, 4 HBP) in the Redbirds' 17-11 defeat to the Sounds. It marked a career-high in earned runs allowed and the four batter hit set Redbirds franchise record. It was the second-straight start that Arauz allowed at least five earned runs in a start. He has worked at least 5.0 innings in four of five starts and boasts one relief outing of 6.0 innings. Prior to rejoining the Redbirds on June 6, Arauz went 0-4, 8.86 (21 ER/21.1 IP) in five starts with Double-A Springfield. He yielded an opponent's average of .385 (40x104) and allowed 11 extra-base hits. He also allowed career-highs in hits (12, May 4) and walks (5, May 15) during that span. Overall, he has allowed three earned runs or fewer five of his 11 starts and has made just two quality starts in his outings. The 24-year-old has fanned 40 has issued 27 walks in 64.1 innings across all levels this season. Arauz has yielded an opponent's average of .328 (89x271) overall but has limited opponents to a .242 average (8x33) when pitching as a reliever. The Chiriqui, Panama, native is in his 8th professional season and first within the Cardinals organization. He has also spent time in the Houston and Philadelphia systems at various levels. At Advanced-A Clearwater on July 30, 2017, Arauz tossed a no-hitter.

The Baby Cakes are scheduled to start right-hander Joe Gunkel in tonight's contest. The 27-year-old is scheduled to make his eighth start with New Orleans and his 10th appearance of the season overall across all levels. Gunkel has gone 1-1, 4.70 (12 ER/23.0 IP) in seven games, four starts for the Baby Cakes. In his last time out on Wednesday at Oklahoma City, he earned his first win with New Orleans (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR) in the Baby Cakes' 3-1 victory over the Dodgers. It was his longest outing in five starts since returning to the Triple-A level on June 8 after two starts at Advanced-A Jupiter, following a stint on the Injured List. Gunkel has allowed two earned runs or fewer in all but one start for the Baby Cakes. The home run was his first allowed since April 7, his first appearance since 2019. Overall in 2019, Gunkel has gone 2-1, 3.86 (12 ER/28.0 IP) to go along with 23 strikeouts and four walks. He spent the bulk of 2018 at New Orleans, going 1-1, 3.03 (22 ER/65.1 IP) in 22 games, six starts. The Boynton Beach, Fla., native is in his seventh professional season and his third within the Miami organization. He had previously spent time in the Boston, Baltimore and Los Angeles-NL organizations.

HISTORY WITH NEW ORLEANS: Memphis has faced off against New Orleans every year since 1998 and trail 168-174 in the all-time series. In the 10 years that the Redbirds have faced off against the Miami Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans, the 'Birds have winning records at AutoZone Park in just four seasons, 2009 (5-3), 2014 (7-1), 2016 (5-3) and 2017 (5-3), but have only dropped one season series at this facility in 2012 (3-5). Despite the Redbirds overall dominance in 2018, they went 7-9 against the Baby Cakes, including a 4-4 record at home. Their overall record against the Miami Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans is 83-83.

Memphis has faced off with Miami's top affiliate every year since 2003. From 2003-08, the Albuquerque Isotopes played host for the Marlins Triple-A club, where the Redbirds had a 44-54 record over six seasons. Over the 16 seasons that the Redbirds have faced off against Miami's Triple-A club, the 'Birds trail 127-136 overall.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds trailed the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins) 5-0 midway through the game but scored 10 times in their final four at-bats to earn a 10-6 win Sunday afternoon at AutoZone Park.

Randy Arozarena finished the game 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI for his second four-hit game in three outings. John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to 15-straight games with a 3-for-5 showing, and he also drove in a pair for the Redbirds (34-49).

Kramer Robertson went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Irving Lopez was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice. Robertson and Lopez each drove in two runs as well.

The Redbirds plated two in the bottom of the fifth to get on the board and another in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-3, and the Baby Cakes (45-38) then got their fourth home run of the game in the top of the seventh to open up another three-run lead.

After that, however, it was all Redbirds as the club scored five times in the bottom of the seventh to gain an 8-6 advantage.

Arozarena started things off with a single, went to third on a Max Schrock ground-rule double, and then scored along with Schrock on a Nogowski ground-rule two-bagger. After a flyout Rangel Ravelo was intentionally walked, and Nogowski and Ravelo scampered home on a Joe Hudson triple. Lopez then plated Hudson on a sacrifice fly.

With an 8-6 lead, Chris Ellis came out for his second inning of relief in the top of the eighth and fired a 1-2-3 frame. After allowing a leadoff home run to the first batter he faced in the seventh, Ellis retired six-straight New Orleans hitters. He handed the ball to Chris Beck, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close the ballgame after Arozarena gave Memphis two more runs with a home run to right field.

The final nine Baby Cakes were retired and 13 of the last 14 overall.

After the first two New Orleans hitters homered to start the game, Redbirds starter Austin Warner battled through 6.0 innings in his first Triple-A start of the season.

The Redbirds were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

NASHVILLE SERIES WRAP: The Memphis Redbirds were swept in four games by the Nashville Sounds in the final meeting between the two teams this season. It was the fourth time in the last five home series that the Redbirds have been swept. The 'Birds fall in the season series 7-9 and finish with a 3-5 record at AutoZone Park. They also dropped their final six games against the Sounds this season. The Redbirds have gone 7-9 against their in-state rivals the past two years and having losing records at home in three of the last four. The Redbirds were outscored 33-18 in the series and scored four runs or fewer in three games and went 0-2 in contests where they outhit the Sounds. In Tuesday's series opener, the Redbirds allowed 18 hits, matching a season high (3 times). The 17 runs allowed on Wednesday set a season-high and it was the first time that Memphis had allowed that many runs in a game since May 28, 2016 at Las Vegas.

Randy Arozarena led the way for the Redbirds offensively in the series, going 8-for-19 (.421) and a pair of RBI. After going 0-for-5 in the opener, Arozarena responded by going 8-for-14 over the final three games, picking up a three-hit performance on Wednesday and his first four-hit game of the season Friday. Through 16 games with Memphis following the series, Arozarena was slashing .344/.411/.516/.927 and has failed to reach safely when he starts just twice (14 G). Adolis Garcia extended his hitting streak to a season-high 10 games after going 6-for-17 over four games. Garcia also swiped three bags in the series and has at least one stolen base in four of his last five games overall. After going 1-for-1 with three walks in Friday's game, Irving Lopez pushed his hitting streak to three games, a career-high at the Triple-A level. He had multi-hit performances in each of the first two games of the series and on Friday became the fifth Redbird this season to draw at least three walks in a single game. Three of his five hits went for extra bases and he launched his first-career Triple-A home run on Tuesday. John Nogowski extended his current hitting streak to a season-high 13 games after collecting one hit in each game. It is the second-longest hitting streak by a Redbird this season, as he only trails Rangel Ravelo's 19-game streak. Tyler O'Neill blasted his 11th home run of the year on Thursday for the Redbirds' 100th home run of the season. They trailed only the 2005 squad for most home runs hit through June (101). Edmundo Sosa has pushed his hitting streak to eight games and is just one game away from matching his season-high streak of nine. Overall in the series, the offense batted .301 (44x146) against Sounds pitching, averaging 11 hits per game. Eleven of those 44 hits went for extra-bases.

The 'Birds starting staff went 0-1, 6.92 (14 ER/18.2 IP) fanning 13 batters while issuing three walks. Two of the four starters allowed two earned runs or fewer in their outings while tossing at least 5.0 innings. They allowed four home runs and yielded an opponent's average of .296 (42x142). Reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week Jake Woodford continued to dominate on the mound and tossed his second-straight quality start in Friday's series finale. It was his third quality start in his last five outings and he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four starts during that span. Genesis Cabrera made his first start for the Redbirds since June 9 at Reno, picking up right where he left off by allowing just one earned run on four hits in five innings of work. He also issued no walks in an outing for the first time this season in a Redbirds uniform. In his last four starts for the Redbirds Cabrera has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each outing, bringing his ERA down to a season-low 5.44. The Memphis bullpen went 0-3, 8.95 (17 ER/17.1 IP) with 12 strikeouts and 11 walks. Junior Fernandez made his Triple-A debut on Tuesday and dazzled on the mound, twirling 3.1 scoreless frames while striking out five. After allowing five earned runs in 0.2 innings in his Triple-A debut on Tuesday, Seth Elledge tossed a scoreless eighth on Friday. Mike Mayers made his first appearance since April 15 on Wednesday to begin his rehab assignment, needing just six pitches to complete a one-two-three inning.

NOGOWSKI ON A ROLL: After going 3-4 yesterday, John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. He has eight multi-hit games during that span, raising his batting average from .272 to .316. He is the second Redbird this season to have a hitting streak reach at least 15 games, joining Rangel Ravelo.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE ALL-STARS: Memphis Redbirds pitcher Jake Woodford and infielder Rangel Ravelo have been named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star Team, with the 32nd annual Triple-A All-Star Game against the International League stars on Wednesday, July 10 in El Paso, Texas.

Woodford was the top vote-getter among all pitchers and earns the prestigious starting nod. He is the sixth Redbird, and second-straight, to start an All-Star Game on the mound.

Ravelo leads Redbirds regulars with a .325 batting average, which was highlighted by a 19-game hitting streak earlier this season that ended one game shy of matching the franchise record. He hit .449 (31-69) during the hitting streak, which spanned from May 2-24. He had eight multi-hit games during the stretch.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from July 1, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central