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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (12-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-12)

April 28, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (12-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-12)

Sunday, April 28 - 2:05 p.m. (CT) - Werner Park (9,023) - Omaha, Nebraska

Games #22 & 23 - Road Games #11 &12 (6-4)

RHP Jake Woodford/RHP Ryan Meisinger vs RHP Scott Blewett/RHP Arnaldo Hernandez

BY THE NUMBERS

12 Number of runs scored in the seventh inning or later by the Redbirds in the first three games of this series with Omaha

13.0 Number of consecutive innings pitched by Austin Gomber without allowing an earned run

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

TODAY'S GAMES: The Memphis Redbirds and Omaha Storm Chasers return to action today for a doubleheader following the postponement of last night's game due to inclement and cold weather. Today's games will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Jake Woodford is scheduled to take the mound in today's game and make his fifth start of the season and first during the Redbirds' 13-game road trip. Woodford last took the mound on Sunday vs. Round Rock, taking no-decision in his second straight quality start, tossing 7.0 innings of one run ball and only allowing three hits. He is currently holding opposing batters to a .143 (11x77) average, which ranks 3rd in the Pacific Coast League among qualifiers. Woodford is even stingier against right-handed batters, holding them to just a .116 (5x43) average. He also ranks 5th in the PCL with a 1.16 ERA. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native has made one start against the Storm Chasers this season, taking no-decision (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO) on April 6 in the Redbirds' 3-2 defeat.

Right-hander Ryan Meisinger is slated to start for the Redbirds in the nightcap and make his first start of the season. Meisinger has made eight relief appearances overall this season for the 'Birds and has gone 0-3, 6.59 (10 ER/13.2 IP). The 24-year-old has not made a start at the Minor League level in 134 games, but has one Major League start, Sept. 26, 2018 at Boston. Meisinger lasted just one-third on an inning and surrendered five runs on four hits. The Prince Frederick, Md., native is in his fifth professional season and his first with the St. Louis organization, having spent the first four at various levels within the Baltimore system.

The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start right-hander Scott Blewett today. The 22-year-old is scheduled to make his third start of the season and his second home. In one start against the Redbirds this season, his Triple-A debut on April 8, he earned the win (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR) in Omaha's 14-3 rout of Memphis. In his last time out, April 20 at New Orleans, the 23-year-old took no-decision, but tossed a quality start (6.2 IP/2 ER) and struck out a season-high 10 batters. Blewett is in his sixth professional season, all with the Kansas City organization, as the No. 15 prospect in the Royals' system by Baseball America. The Baldwinsville, N.Y., native went 8-6, 4.79 (79 ER/148.1 IP) with Double-A NW Arkansas in 2018. He ranked 2nd in the Texas League in innings pitched (148.1), 5th in batting average (.281) and T-6th in ERA (4.79).

The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start right-hander Arnaldo Hernandez tonight in Game 2 of the doubleheader. In one start against the Redbirds this season on April 5, Hernandez took no-decision in the Storm Chasers' 3-2 victory, tossing 4.0 innings and allowing just one run on five hits. The 23-year-old is in his sixth professional season, spending all of them within the Kansas City organization. Hernandez went 5-1, 3.55 (23 ER/58.1 IP) in 10 G/9 GS with the Storm Chasers in 2018. On August 15, 2018, Hernandez tossed a complete game against Oklahoma City to help seal Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honors for the week of August 13-19, where he went 2-0, 0.56 (1 ER/16.0 IP) in 2 GS.

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 166-143 edge overall, and a slim 80-73 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: A day after scoring four runs in the top of the ninth en route to a 6-4 win, the Memphis Redbirds (12-9) scored all seven of their runs in the final four innings and captured a 7-3 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) Friday night in Omaha, Nebraska.

Memphis has won eight of its last 10 games.

Austin Gomber got the win after 6.0 innings of work allowing just two unearned runs. He struck out eight and walked four, and the Storm Chasers (9-12) had just three hits. He is 3-0 on the season.

Two big Memphis home runs provided five runs in the later innings, as Rangel Ravelo's three-run shot in the top of the seventh gave the Redbirds a 4-2 lead, and Adolis Garcia's sixth longball of the year in the eighth made it 6-3 in favor of Memphis.

Seven Redbirds had a hit in the game, and Edmundo Sosa, Drew Robinson, and Max Schrock had two-hit games for the Redbirds.

Omaha scored two runs in the bottom of the third coming off an error, and the 2-0 lead remained until Memphis got on the board in the top of the sixth when John Nogowski launched a sacrifice fly that scored Robinson, who reached on an error.

Gomber finished his outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the sixth inning, and Memphis took a lead it would not relinquish in the top of the seventh after Ravelo launched his second home run of the season.

Omaha came within a run at 4-3 after a tally in the bottom of the seventh, but Garcia provided some breathing room with a two-run shot in the top of the eighth to move the score to 6-3. The Storm Chasers loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom-half of the inning, but Jesus Cruz struck out the side to keep the three-run Memphis lead.

The Redbirds added a seventh run in the top of the ninth, before Chris Beck tossed a scoreless ninth to finish the ballgame.

Schrock also had his third stolen base of the year 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 five starts of the season, Gomber is 3-0, 2.54 (8 ER/28.1 IP) to go along with 30 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 5-0, 2.50 (15 ER/54.0 IP) in nine starts and has held opponents to a .214 batting average (41x192).

CLUTCH HITTING: Edmundo Sosa delivered the Redbirds first walk-off victory of the season on April 21 vs. Round Rock with his two-run shot in the 10th. With runners in scoring position, Sosa is 9-for-20 (.450) 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 their doubleheader on April 20, the Memphis Redbirds rank T-3rd in the Pacific Coast League with 94 walks through the first 21 games of the season. The Redbirds' .355 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 34 doubles, five triples and 23 home runs. Tommy Edman leads the team with 10 extra-base hits, collecting seven doubles, a triple and two home runs.

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Through his first 17 starts of the season, 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 on April 21, but he has reached safely in 14 of 17 contests. His 25 hits and seven doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster.

Not to be out-done, Edmundo Sosa has seven multi-hit games in his first 16 starts, with two three-hit performances on April 15 at Round Rock and April 17 vs. San Antonio. Sosa leads the team with a .350 batting average and ranks 5th with a .391 on-base percentage.

Between the two, the pair have combined for 46 hits, which accounts for 25.6 percent of all the Redbirds hits this season, 21 runs (18.1 percent), 17 extra-base hits and 21 RBI.

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.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics



Pacific Coast League Stories from April 28, 2019


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