PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (1-1) vs Omaha Storm Chasers (1-1)

Published on April 6, 2019 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (1-1) vs Omaha Storm Chasers (1-1)

Saturday, April 6 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #3 - Home Game #3 (1-1)

RHP Ryan Helsley (0-0, -.-- ERA) vs LHP Foster Griffin (0-0, -.-- ERA)

BY THE NUMBERS

1.50 Memphis' team ERA through two games. Redbirds starters also own a 0.90 ERA in 10.0 innings pitched (one earned run)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds return to action at AutoZone Park after suffering their first loss of the season after last night's 3-2 defeat to the Omaha Storm Chasers. Ryan Helsley is set to make his 2019 season debut and first start since Aug. 6, 2018. Evan Mendoza made his Triple-A debut last night and collected his first hit at this level with a single in the 5th. Chasen Shreve and Chris Beck both made their Redbirds debuts, combining to toss 2.2 scoreless frames allowing just one hit. Shreve also kept Memphis in the contest, entering the game with the bases loaded and one out, but was able to force pop-ups to his first two batters faced to get out of the jam. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Ryan Helsley will take the mound in tonight's game and make his season debut. The 24-year-old is looking to bounce back from a 2018 season that saw him limited to just 13 G/GS and being shut down for the season on August 7 due to shoulder fatigue. Helsley went 2-1, 3.71 (11 ER/26.2 IP) in 5 starts for the Redbirds in 2018, striking out 34 and limiting opponents to a .188 batting average, including a .108 average against left-handed batters, allowing just one extra-base hit. He struck out nine or more batters in each of his first three starts with the 'Birds. Overall in 2018, Helsley went 5-3, 3.97 (31 ER/70.1 IP) with 82 strikeouts, good for a SO/9 rate of 10.5 and a 1.152 WHIP. He also led all Cardinal Minor League pitchers with a .194 opponent batting average.

The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start left-hander Foster Griffin tonight. The 23-year-old is making his Triple-A debut after spending the whole of 2018 at Double-A NW Arkansas. The Orlando, Fla., native went 10-12 with a 5.13 ERA (87 ER/152.2 IP) in 28 G/26 GS. Griffin has appearead in at least 27 games for three-straight years and has made at least 22 starts in four-straight seasons. He enters his sixth professional season, all with the Kansas City organization, as the No. 30 prospect in the Royals' system by Baseball America. The former 2014 1st-round pick was the lone Royals representitive during the 2017 All-Star Futures Game in Miami.

HISTORY WITH OMAHA: The Redbirds have finished each of the past two seasons with a 6-2 record against the Storm Chasers at AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis each of the last two seasons. The 'Birds have not had a losing home record against the Storm Chasers since 2013 when they went 3-5. In the 21 seasons the two clubs have battled each other, Memphis has owned a losing record at home against Omaha in just five seasons. Despite the 3-2 loss last night, Memphis has held the Omaha offense to three runs or fewer in 11-straight games, a streak that began on July 4, 2018.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Jake Woodford tossed 5.0 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing one unearned run, but the Memphis Redbirds (1-1) were hampered by three errors in a 3-2 loss to the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) Friday night at AutoZone Park.

In Woodford's last two appearances at AutoZone Park, he has not allowed an earned run in 12.1 innings. He fired 7.1 shutout innings in the decisive Game 4 of the Pacific Coast League Championship Series on Sept. 15, 2018, to help the Redbirds clinch the title. He gave up just five hits in those 12.1 innings and had 13 strikeouts.

Woodford started his season debut Friday night by striking out the side in the first.

Memphis led 2-1 heading into the seventh, before Omaha (1-1) capitalized on a fielding error by reliever Tyler Webb and plated two runs. That proved to be the game-winner, after Memphis put runners on second base in both the bottom of the seventh and bottom of the eighth but did not score.

Max Schrock and Lane Thomas each went 2-for-4, with Schrock driving in a run. Adolis Garcia added a double, and Evan Mendoza was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored in his Triple-A debut.

Memphis pitching struck out 11 Storm Chasers in the ballgame, but the Redbird offense was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight on base.

WELCOME HOME BEN: Hailing from nearby Germantown, Tenn., new Redbirds manager Ben Johnson earned the first win of his managerial career last night with the 'Birds 9-2 victory over the Storm Chasers. Johnson spent last season at Triple-A Durham (Tampa Bay), as part of a staff that captured the International League title before falling to the Redbirds in the 2018 Triple-A National Championship. The 37-year-old is also the youngest manager in team history, a mark that was previously held by Danny Sheaffer, who was 41 years old when he was named manager on June 10, 2003.

STARTING STRONG: Memphis' pitching has picked up right where the 2018 staff left off, as they enter tonight's game with a 1.50 ERA and have limited the Storm Chasers offense to a .190 batting average. Redbirds starters are pitching to the tune of a 0.90 ERA with a 1.000 WHIP, giving up just one earned run in 10.0 innings. Austin Gomber and Jake Woodford have combined for 13 strikeouts and 2 walks in their starts.

KINGS OF THE HILL: After setting the franchise record for best ERA in a season at 3.77 in 2017, last year's staff shattered that record, posting a 3.54 mark. It was the second-consecutive season they owned the best ERA in the league. Additionally, they set the franchise record for most strikeouts in a season (1,160), fewest runs allowed (564), fewest hits allowed (1,152), and lowest opponent batting average (.248). Memphis' entire 2018 Opening Night, five-man starting rotation was promoted to St. Louis last season. John Gant, Dakota Hudson, Austin Gomber, Jack Flaherty, and Daniel Ponce de Leon all played large roles in St. Louis' second-half turnaround.

NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The Opening Night roster featured 20 players that were not on the roster for Opening Night last season. Of the five returning players (Adolis Garcia, Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Rangel Ravelo, Max Schrock) only three (Garcia, Ravelo, Schrock) were starters in the 2018 opener against Round Rock at Dell Diamond. Garcia, Gomber and Ponce de Leon all went on to make their big-leauge debuts last season with St. Louis.

FARM RAISED: Memphis' Opening Night roster featured 11 of St. Louis' top-30 prospects (Baseball America), including three of the top-10. Current prospects on the roster are: Genesis Cabrera (No. 6), Lane Thomas (No. 7), Andrew Knizner (No. 8), Ryan Helsley (No. 11), Tommy Edman (No. 12), Daniel Ponce de Leon (No. 13), Adolis Garcia (No. 15), Jake Woodford (No. 16), Edmundo Sosa (No. 22), Max Schrock (No. 25) and Giovanny Gallegos (No. 29).

CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP: On April 27, 2017, the Redbirds dropped their third-straight game and fell to 10-11 on the year, slipping into second place. The next night, they won their first of 11-straight games, moving into first place and never looking back. The Redbirds played the final 120 games of the 2017 season in first place, and played all 140 games of 2018 in first place. They have been in first place for the past 708 calendar days, and have played 262 regular-season games and 20 playoff games in that span.

BEAK-TO-BEAK-TO-BEAK?: Professional baseball has been played in the city of Memphis since 1877. In that span, only three teams have won back-to-back league championships in that time. The Memphis Egyptians won back-to-back titles in 1903-04, the Memphis Chickasaws won consecutive titles in 1952-53, and now the Redbirds have accomplished the feat with their successive PCL titles in 2017-18. No team in Memphis, however, has been able to capture a third successive title.

WINNING WAYS: After the Redbirds went 91-50 in 2017 and 83-57 last season, they have won 174 games in the last two years. That is the most wins in a two-year span in Memphis history since 1933-34 when the Chickasaws also won 174 games. The 1921-22 Chickasaws set the record for most wins in a two-year span by a Memphis professional team with 198.

THE 2018 SEASON

THE BEST ONCE AGAIN: After a 5-0 victory on Sept. 15, 2018, the Memphis Redbirds were crowned champions of the Pacific Coast League, defeating the Fresno Grizzlies three games to one. It was Memphis' fourth PCL title in franchise history, and their second-straight. Memphis also won titles in 2000 and 2009. In 120 seasons of professional baseball in Memphis, it is the 16th championship all-time. Infielder Tommy Edman and outfielder Randy Arozarena were named co-MVPs of the PCL Playoffs. Arozarena hit two home runs in Game 4, giving Memphis all the offense they needed. Edman hit .469 in eight playoff games, notching a hit in all but the final game of the series. Manager Stubby Clapp has now been part of three of Memphis' four titles since they joined the PCL. He played a crucial role on the 2000 team as a middle infielder, and has now guided the Redbirds to consecutive championships as manager.

NEW FACES, NO PROBLEM: The Redbirds won the PCL Championship for the second-straight season, and advanced to the Triple-A National Championship, despite the fact that the Memphis roster was almost completely different from the playoff roster during the 2017 season. It was also almost completely different from the 2018 Opening Day roster. Of the 13 position players who made an appearance in the 2017 playoffs, only two were still on Memphis' active roster. Wilfredo Tovar and Tommy Edman are those two players. Every other player has either been traded, released, or is at a different level of the organization.

Memphis had a franchise-record 66 players on the roster last season, though two never appeared in a game before being taken off the roster (Jesse Jenner and Michael Wacha). It is the third-consecutive season in which Memphis has used a record number of players. Of the 66 players to be listed on Memphis' roster last year, 22 of them made their Triple-A debuts with the 'Birds, and six others were promoted for their Major League debuts.

TOP NOTCH PERFORMANCES: While Memphis raced to its second-consecutive PCL Championship as a team, they had many outstanding individual performances along the way. On April 23, 2018, left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber tied the franchise record with 16 strikeouts in eight shutout innings against the Iowa Cubs. Lance Lynn also had 16 strikeouts in a playoff game in 2010. Gomber's mark set the regular-season record. On June 30, 2018, infielder Luke Voit hit for the cycle against Iowa. It was just the second cycle in franchise history and the first since 2000. On July 19, 2018, at Omaha, right-handed pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon threw a one-hit, complete game shutout. It was just the 11th one-hit performance in Memphis history and the 17th complete game shutout. One week later, he made his Major League debut and threw seven no-hit innings. On July 22, 2018, against Colorado Springs, Tyler O'Neill launched three home runs, recording the sixth three-home run performance in franchise history. Four days later on July 26, 2018, at Salt Lake, Adolis Garcia recorded the seventh three-home run performance in franchise history, while also tying the franchise-record with eight RBI. Outfielder Oscar Mercado also had a five-hit, three-steal performance on July 21, 2018, the first such performance in Memphis history.

LAST YEAR'S HONOREES: Along with former manager Stubby Clapp, many Redbird players took home awards last season. While Clapp took home Manager of the Year honors, pitcher Dakota Hudson and outfielder Tyler O'Neill were named to the All-PCL Team. Hudson was also named the PCL Pitcher of the Year. It was the first time in franchise history that Memphis had two players named to the team in the same season, and Hudson is the first Memphis player to win Pitcher of the Year honors. Last season, Hudson, fellow pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon, and infielder Patrick Wisdom were all named PCL All-Stars. Additionally, Hudson and outfielder Randy Arozarena participated in the MLB Futures Game. Last season, outfielder Adolis Garcia was also named the PCL Player of the Month for July. Four Memphis players also earned Cardinals Minor League Pitcher/Player of the Month honors. Pitcher Austin Gomber took home the award in April, infielder Rangel Ravelo and Hudson doubled up on the awards in June, and Ponce de Leon and Garcia doubled up on the awards in July. Wisdom also became the first Redbird in history to participate in the Triple-A Home Run Derby.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 6, 2019


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