PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (11-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-11)

Published on April 26, 2019 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (11-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-11)

Friday, April 26 - 7:05 p.m. (CT) - Werner Park (9,023) - Omaha, Nebraska

Game #21 - Road Game #10 (5-4)

LHP Austin Gomber (2-0, 3.22) vs RHP Glenn Sparkman (0-0, 0.00)

BY THE NUMBERS

5.1 Consecutive scoreless innings tossed by Hunter Cervenka in his last five appearances

4 Number of three-hit games by Tommy Edman in 17 starts this season

13 Number of games the Redbirds are scheduled to play on their current road trip. This is the longest such stretch of games played away from home since Aug. 1-14, 2015.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and the Omaha Storm Chasers are set to meet for the third game of this five-game set. The Redbirds took the lead in the season series between the two clubs with last night's 6-4 comeback victory, scoring four runs in the top half of the ninth to win their third straight road game. This was Memphis' first victory of the season when trailing entering the seventh. The 'Birds had nine such victories last season. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Left-hander Austin Gomber is scheduled to take the mound tonight for the Redbirds and make his third road start and fifth start overall. In his last time out, Saturday, April 20 vs. Round Rock in the nightcap of the doubleheader, Gomber twirled a gem, tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout. He struck out six while only issuing one walk and faced the minimum over the final five frames in the Redbirds' 3-0 win. It was the first complete-game shutout tossed by a Memphis starter since Daniel Ponce de Leon on July 15, 2018 at Omaha (9 inn.). It is also the lone complete-game shutout performance in the Pacific Coast League this season. Following that performance, Gomber was named PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 15-21. The Windermere, Fla., native is making his second start of the season against Omaha, Opening Night on April 4, and is 1-0, 1.80 (1 ER/5.0 IP) after that lone start. Gomber is making his first start at Werner Park since July 12, 2018, where he earned the win in the Redbirds' 6-3 victory after tossing 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on six hits.

The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start right-hander Glenn Sparkman tonight. The 26-year-old is slated to make his first start of the season and second appearance overall, both against the Redbirds. Sparkman's lone Triple-A appearance this season was against the Redbirds on April 6, tossing a scoreless fifth inning, striking out one. The Ganado, Texas, native was then recalled by Kansas City on April 8. He made three appearances with the Royals, going 0-1, 8.10 (6 ER/6.2 IP) before being optioned back to Omaha on April 21. Sparkman will be making his first start since September 27, 2018 with the Royals, where he allowed just one run on five hits over 5.0 innings. In his last Triple-A start, Aug. 31, 2018, Sparkman tossed 7.0 shutout innings and fanned eight, earned the win in Omaha's 3-0 victory at New Orleans.

HISTORY WITH OMAHA: The Redbirds have winning records in each of the past two seasons at Werner Park in Omaha, going 5-3 in 2018 and 6-2 in 2017. The 'Birds have winning records in only seven of 21 seasons on the road against the Storm Chasers. Memphis holds a 165-143 edge overall, and a very slim 79-73 margin on the road. The Redbirds have not had a losing record against the Storm Chasers since 2011, when they went 6-9.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds (11-9) scored four times in the top of the ninth to turn a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead and snatched a win from the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) Thursday night in Omaha, Nebraska.

The win is Memphis' seventh in its last nine games.

Tommy Edman was 3-for-5 with a home run and a double, and he had the go-ahead hit with a ninth-inning single that scored Andrew Knizner. Trailing 4-2, Memphis' ninth inning started with Rangel Ravelo reaching on an error and scoring on an Adolis Garcia triple. Knizner stepped in and promptly singled to plate Garcia and tie the game at 4.

That gave way to Edman's base knock to center field to give the Redbirds the lead, and John Nogowski gave Memphis some breathing room with a bases-loaded walk.

With a 6-4 advantage, Hunter Cervenka returned to the mound in the bottom of the ninth after pitching the eighth and got two groundouts and a strikeout to end the ballgame.

Drew Robinson also had three hits for Memphis, and Ramon Urias went 2-for-4.

After Memphis scored in the top of the first, Omaha (9-11) scored the game's next three runs on a wild pitch, a hit-by-pitch, and a walk. That chased Alex Reyes from the game, and John Fasola followed in relief and gave up a run with three walks in 2.1 innings.

Chasen Shreve tossed scoreless sixth and seventh innings, with the Redbirds getting within 4-2 in the sixth on Edman's second home run of the season.

Neither team scored in the seventh and eighth, setting up Memphis' four-run ninth to snag the ballgame.

The Redbirds' defense turned three double plays in the game.

MR. APRIL: On Monday, LHP Austin Gomber was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 15-21 following his complete-game shutout on Saturday in the second game of the doubleheader against Round Rock. Gomber allowed just three hits in his outing and faced the minimum over the final five innings. In his first four starts of the season, Gomber is 2-0, 3.22 (8 ER/22.1 IP) to go along with 22 strikeouts.

In April 2018, Gomber also won PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 23-29 and was also named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month as well. In his last two Aprils, Gomber is 4-0, 2.81 (15 ER/48.0 IP) in eight starts and has held opponents to a .222 batting average (38x171).

CLUTCH HITTING: Edmundo Sosa delivered the Redbirds first walk-off victory of the season on Sunday vs. Round Rock with his two-run shot in the 10th. With runners in scoring position, Sosa is 9-for-19 (.474) with two doubles, a home run and eight RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .556 average (5x9) and four RBI.

WALKING IN MEMPHIS: After matching a season-high nine walks in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Memphis Redbirds rank T-1st in the Pacific Coast League with 91 walks through the first 20 games of the season. The Redbirds' .356 on-base percentage also ranks 6th in the PCL. John Nogowski and Drew Robinson share the team lead by drawing 13 free passes.

EXTRA! EXTRA!: The Redbirds have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season, collecting 33 doubles, four triples and 21 home runs. Tommy Edman leads the team with 10 extra-base hits, collecting seven doubles, a triple and two home runs.

TWO-HIT TOMMY: Through his first 17 starts of the season, INF Tommy Edman has eight multi-hit games, including four, three-hit performances, April 12 at San Antonio, April 13 at Round Rock, April 17 vs. San Antonio and last night at Omaha. His team-high 10-game hitting streak came to end Sunday, but he has reached safely in 14 of 17 contests. His 25 hits and seven doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster.

WALK IT OFF: The Redbirds walk-off defeat to the Missions on April 9 was the first time since Aug. 5, 2017 that the Redbirds had lost in such fashion. The following night, it marked the first time since June 23-24, 2014 that the Redbirds had lost consecutive games in the last at-bat of the game. The two walk-off defeats this season have already matched last year's total.

CAUGHT IN A STORM: The Redbirds' 11-run defeat on April 8 marked the first time that Redbirds lost by 11 runs or more since June 16, 2018, when the Redbirds fell 13-1 at El Paso. Additionally, Omaha's 12-run second was the first time since May 12, 2016 against the Storm Chasers, that the Redbirds had given up more than 10 runs in an inning.

Elier Hernandez and Nick Dini became the first two opponents to hit back-to-back home runs against the Redbirds since May 8, 2017 and Hernandez became the first player to post a 6 RBI against Memphis since June 9, 2018.

FIRST NO MORE: Following Memphis' defeat on April 6, the Redbirds fell out of first place for the first time since April 28, 2017. It also marked the first time since April 27, 2017 that their record fell below the .500 mark. 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 had been in first place for the 708 calendar days, playing 262 regular-season games and 20 playoff games in that span.

The Redbirds entered April 7 in T-3rd place in the division, which marked the first time since April 12, 2016, that they had fallen out of the top two spots in the standings.

WELCOME HOME BEN: Hailing from nearby Germantown, Tenn., new Redbirds manager Ben Johnson earned the first win of his managerial career on April 4 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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 26, 2019


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