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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (13-12) at New Orleans Baby Cakes (15-10)

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


Memphis Redbirds (13-12) at New Orleans Baby Cakes (15-10)

Wednesday, May 1 - 6:30 p.m. (CT) - The Shrine on Airline (10,000) - New Orleans, Louisiana

Game #26 - Road Game #15 (7-7)

RHP Anthony Shew (0-0, 0.00) vs RHP Elieser Hernandez (0-0, 1.23)

BY THE NUMBERS

4 Number of hits and RBI by Francisco Pena in his last five at-bats.

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 look to snap their three-game losing skid as they take on the New Orleans Baby Cakes for the third time at Shrine on Airline during this four-game set. The Redbirds have been limited to just one run through the first 18 innings of this series and are 0-for-21 with runners in scoring position. This series marks the penultimate series between the two teams at New Orleans, as the Baby Cakes will be moving to Wichita, Kan., next season. Tonight's games will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Anthony Shew is scheduled to take the mound in tonight's game and make his Triple-A debut and sixth start overall this season across all levels. Shew was transferred from Double-A Springfield where he went 1-2, 1.93 (6 ER/28.0 IP) over five starts. Shew has three quality starts, including quality starts in his last two Double-A outings. Overall, has allowed three runs or fewer in every start, including one earned run or less in four. The 25-year-old has fanned 27 and has issued just six walks in 28.0 innings. Despite allowing a .305 average (18x59) with the bases empty, Shew locks down with runners on, as has stymied opposing hitters to the tune of a .191 average (9x47). The University of San Francisco product split time between Double-A Springfield and Advanced-A Palm Beach, going 10-9, 3.85 (67 ER/156.2 IP) in 27 G/GS. The Bookings, Ore., native is in his fourth professional season, spending all of them with the St. Louis organization.

The Baby Cakes are scheduled to start right-hander Elieser Hernandez tonight. The 23-year-old is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season and his second home start. In his first four starts this season, Hernandez has gone 0-0, 1.23 (2 ER/18.2 IP) and but has yet to work more than 5.0 innings in a start. However, Hernandez has allowed zero earned run s in three straight outings. In his last time out on Friday at Round Rock, Hernandez went 4.0 innings and allowing no runs on five hits while striking out five. The Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela, native is in his eighth professional season and his second with the Miami organization. Hernandez made his Major League debut last season on May 10 vs. Atlanta.

HISTORY WITH NEW ORLEANS: Memphis has faced off against New Orleans every year since 1998 and trail 165-173 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 the Shrine on Airline in just three seasons, 2009 (5-3), 2013 (5-3) and 2017 (6-3). Despite the Redbirds overall dominance in 2018, they went 7-9 against the Baby Cakes, including a 3-5 record on the road. Their overall record against the Miami Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans is 80-82.

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 124-135 overall.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds (13-12) left six runners in scoring position Tuesday night in New Orleans, Louisiana, as the offense was quieted again in a 3-1 defeat to the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins).

Memphis is now 0-for-21 with runners in scoring position in the first two games in this series and have dropped three-straight games for the second time this season.

Francisco Pena provided the only offense in the contest with a pinch-hit RBI double in the seventh, scoring Ramon Urias. Pena has four hits and four RBI in his last five at-bats.

Daniel Ponce de Leon, despite suffering the loss, delivered a quality start in his first outing with the Redbirds since April 17. He tossed 6.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits, but all three runs came on one swing by Matt Snyder in the sixth. Ryan Helsley, also making his return from St. Louis, tossed two scoreless innings in relief.

Andrew Knizner saw his eight-game hitting streak come to an end, going 0-for-4 on the night.

APRIL RECAP: The Redbirds finished April with a 13-12 record, going 6-5 at AutoZone Park and 7-7 on the road. Since 2017, the Redbirds have posted a losing record in a month just once, August 2018, going 13-16 overall, 8-10 at home and 5-6 away. That is also the only time during that span that the 'Birds had losing records at home or away.

The 28 home runs slugged by the Redbirds ranks T-3rd for home runs in April, matching the 2014 team in that category. They fell just one home run shy of matching the 2017 Redbirds for 2nd most home runs in April. The franchise record is 34, held by the 2000 club.

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 10-for-23 (.435) with two doubles, a home run and nine RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .545 average (6x11) and five 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 109 walks through the first 25 games of the season. The Redbirds' .353 on-base percentage also ranks 8th in the PCL. John Nogowski holds the team lead by drawing 18 free passes.

EXTRA! EXTRA!: The Redbirds have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season, collecting 44 doubles, five triples and 28 home runs. Tommy Edman and Adolis Garica share the team lead with 11 extra-base hits each. The pair have combined for 10 doubles, three triples and eight home runs.

TRIPLE THREAT: Through his first 21 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 Friday at Omaha. His team-high 10-game hitting streak came to end on April 21, but he has reached safely in 17 of 21 contests. His 28 hits and eight doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster.

Not to be out-done, Andrew Knizner and Edmundo Sosa have seven multi-hit games each. Knizner had his season-high eight-game hitting streak come to an end last night, but has hits in 15 of 19 games. He ranks 3rd on the team with a .329 batting average.

In Sosa's first 18 starts, he has two three-hit performances on April 15 at Round Rock and April 17 vs. San Antonio. Sosa leads the team with a .338 batting average.

The trio has combined for 74 hits, which accounts for 34.9 percent of all the Redbirds hits this season, 34 runs (25.8 percent), 22 extra-base hits and 31 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 three walk-off defeats this season have already surpassed 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.

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