PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (16-6) vs Round Rock Express (8-14)

Published on April 28, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (16-6) vs Round Rock Express (8-14)

Saturday, April 28 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #23 - Home Game #11 (7-3)

LHP Sean Gilmartin (0-1, 10.80 ERA) vs. LHP Yohander Mendez (0-3, 5.57 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and Round Rock Express will battle in game four of a five-game set tonight at 6:35 p.m. after Round Rock grabbed a narrow 5-4 win yesterday. The Redbirds have started the season 16-6 through the first 22 games of the season. The 2017 team that went a franchise-record 91-50 started 11-11 through the first 22 games. Today's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Left-hander Sean Gilmartin will make the spot start for the Redbirds tonight after Jack Flaherty was recalled to St. Louis. Gilmartin has spent most of his career as a starter, and has made one start this season for Memphis. In that start, he pitched 2.0 innings in the second game of a doubleheader with Omaha. He allowed one run on three hits and one walk. So far this season, he has appeared in six games and is 0-1 with a 10.80 ERA in 6.2 innings of work.

The Express will send lefty Yohander Mendez to the mound to face Gilmartin. So far this season, Mendez has made four starts and is 0-3 with a 5.57 ERA. His first start of the season came against Memphis in the season-opening series. In that game, he lasted just 3.1 innings, and allowed seven hits and five earned runs, while walking three and allowing a home run.

HISTORY WITH ROUND ROCK: The Redbirds and Round Rock Express have played every year dating back to 2005. Since that time, the 'Birds lead the all-time series record with a slight advantage at 115-98. At home, the 'Birds lead the series 59-46, and lead it 56-52 on the road. Memphis and Round Rock faced off in the season-opening series at the beginning of the month. Memphis won four of five games against the Express. The Redbirds dominated on both sides of the ball in the series. At the plate, the 'Birds hit .330 (62-for-188) as a team, collecting 18 extra-base hits, including 7 home runs. The 'Birds also pitched well, collecting a 3.48 ERA in those five games, pitching 44.0 innings, allowing 17 earned runs, while striking out 40 Express batters.

BIRD BITES

AROZARENA: Seven stolen bases is two behind Mercado for PCL lead

BARON: Joins St. Louis organization after spending entire career in Seattle organization

GARCIA: Is hitting .298 in 59-career Triple-A games with 16 doubles, three triples, and five home runs

KELLY: Third stint with Memphis; spent second half of 2017 on St. Louis roster backing up Yadier Molina

MEJIA: Fourth stint with Memphis, appearing with team in each of the last four years; made MLB debut last season

MERCADO: Nine stolen bases leads the PCL; recently ended an eight-game hitting streak

MUNOZ: Joins the team after spending the first three weeks of the season with St. Louis; hit first homer on 4/23

O'NEILL: Hit six home runs in 12 games before making MLB debut on April 19 at Chicago

RAVELO: Second season in organization and with team; helped lead Memphis to PCL Pennant in 2017

SCHROCK: Ranks third in the PCL in hits and is the second-hardest to strike out

TOVAR: Second season with Memphis; has hits in 10 games this season

VOIT: Played in the first game of the season before going on the Disabled List; Redbirds went 9-3 in absence

WISDOM: Reigning PCL Playoffs MVP; hit career-high 31 home runs for Memphis last season

BY THE NUMBERS

16-6 is best 22-game start in franchise history. The 2017 team that had the best record in franchise history started 11-11 through first 22 games

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds dropped yesterday's contest with Round Rock, narrowly being defeated 5-4.

Starter Dakota Hudson was solid for the 'Birds. The righty lasted 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits and four runs, only two of which were earned, while striking out five. He now has a 3.90 ERA through his first five starts this season.

Early errors came back to haunt the Redbirds. An error in the second led to two unearned runs, and Memphis had an uphill battle from there. After falling behind 4-0 after the fourth, the 'Birds stormed back to tie it, but couldn't grab the win.

In the fifth, Oscar Mercado launched his fourth homer of the year, a three-run shot, to pull Memphis within one. Carson Kelly tied the game two batters later on a solo shot, his second of the year.

Ryan Sherriff, on Major League rehab, took the loss for Memphis after allowing a solo home run which led to the winning run to cross the plate in the seventh inning.

BEST START IN FRANCHISE HISTORY: The Redbirds have been on fire to start the 2018 season. After the 5-2 road trip, and three-game sweep over Iowa, Memphis has moved far past the 2000 team that started 10-4 for the best start in franchise history. The 2017 team, which finished 91-50 last season, the best mark in franchise history, started 11-11 through its first 22 games. This year's squad is 16-6 through the first 22 games.

LONG GONE: All four of Memphis' runs yesterday came via the long-ball. With no outs, and two men on in the fifth inning, down 4-0, Oscar Mercado launched his fourth homer, his third at AutoZone Park, this season. That cut the Round Rock lead to one before Carson Kelly tied the game with his second homer of the year two batters later.

LIGHTS-OUT STARTERS: The starting rotation for the Redbirds this season has been outstanding. The starters have a combined record of 12-2, have struck out 114 batters, have allowed just 35 earned runs, surrendered only five homers and 40 walks, all combining for a 2.58 ERA. Through 22 games, Memphis starters have twirled 12 quality starts.

MERCADO TURNING HEADS: Outfielder and No. 13 prospect in the organization, Oscar Mercado, has proven he can field and run the bases, but since the start of the 2017 season, his bat has started to show promise, as well. Mercado has already had an eight-game hitting streak this season, and after homering last night, he now has a five-game hitting streak. Last season at Double-A Springfield, Mercado hit a career-high .287, 33 points higher than his previous career high of .254. So far this season, Mercado is hitting .324 (24-for-74). In 140 games since the start of 2017, Mercado is hitting .292 (161-for-551), and has stolen 48 bases. A three-time stolen base champion (2014, 2015, 2017) Mercado comes into tonight's game with a PCL-leading nine stolen bases, two ahead of teammate Randy Arozarena.

MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY: Infielder Max Schrock has been nothing short of consistent in his first season at the Triple-A level. In 20 games, 19 of them starts, so far this season, Schrock is hitting .354 (29-for-82), has scored 14 runs, has four doubles, one homer, 10 RBI, and four walks, while striking out just five times. In the PCL, he is currently ninth in batting average (.354), and he is second in total plate appearances per strikeout ratio at 17.40, and tied for seventh with four stolen bases. Schrock has been a force on defense, as well. Despite making his second error of the season in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, the infielder has made just eight errors in his last 126 games dating back to the beginning of the 2017 season.

SETTLING DOWN: Last night's starter, Dakota Hudson, has had a solid start to the 2018 season. In his fifth start of the year last night, he pitched 6.0 innings, allowing eight hits, four runs, two earned runs, and two walks, while striking out five batters. Since being called up to Triple-A at the end of last season, the righty has started 12 regular season games. In those games, he is 4-1 in 66.1 innings with an ERA of 4.22 and is holding batters to a .277 (71-for-256) batting average. In his five starts this season, Hudson has not allowed a home run and has struck out 20 batters. In his seven starts with Memphis last season, Hudson struck out only 19.

BREAK OUT THE GOLD MEDALS, THESE GUYS CAN RUN: While the Redbirds have proved they can smash the baseball, starting the season by notching at least one extra-base hit in 19 of the first 22 games, they have also proved that they can put runs on the board by dominating on the base paths. Two weeks ago, they stole five bases as a team for the first time since June 13, 2016 at Nashville, and also stole four bases in an inning against Iowa last week. The 'Birds have now stolen 28 bases as a team through the first 22 games of the season, and have been caught 11 times, good for a .718 stolen base percentage. The 28 stolen bases are two behind Colorado Springs for the PCL lead.

GOMBER'S GONE CRAZY: Starting pitcher Austin Gomber has been on a roll since his season-debut on April 7. In three starts since then, Gomber has thrown 21.2 innings of five-run ball, and has struck out 23 batters. In his last start on Monday, he pitched 8.0 shutout innings, allowing six hits and no walks, while striking out 16 batters. The 16 strikeouts bested his previous career-high of 11 strikeouts, which he set last season. The 16 strikeouts also tied the franchise record for most strikeouts in a game (Lance Lynn 9/10/10), and bested the regular-season strikeout record of 15 set by Anthony Reyes (8/14/05) and Bill Pulsipher (9/3/05). Through the first four-plus years of his minor league career, Gomber owns a 36-20 record, a 2.83 ERA, has struck out 459 batters, and is holding opponents to a .222 batting average.

GIVE ME GUILMET: After spending the 2017 season in Japan trying to get his stuff back, reliever Preston Guilmet is turning heads out of the Memphis bullpen. The veteran righty has been manager Stubby Clapp's most reliable arm out of the 'pen. So far, he has made eight appearances, spanning 13.0 innings, allowing just five hits and two earned runs, while striking out 18 and holding batters to a .122 (5-for-41) average. Guilmet leads the PCL with five saves, is tied for the league-lead with seven games finished, owns the second-best batting average against among relievers, is fifth in fewest walks per nine innings pitched ratio at 1.38, and is second in fewest baserunners per nine innings pitched at 5.54.

PITCHING PROWESS: Memphis' 2017 pitching staff was one of its main reasons for success. The 'Birds led the PCL in ERA (3.77), which was a franchise record (3.89, 1998 and 2003), and Memphis was the only club in the PCL with a team ERA under 4.20. They have gotten off to a hot start this season, as well. Memphis boasts a 2.96 ERA through the first 22 games, including a 2.58 ERA and 12 quality starts from the starting rotation. The 2.96 team ERA is third in the PCL behind Nashville (2.59) and Oklahoma City (2.66). Memphis pitching has also combined to strike out 60 batters in the last five games.

FINALLY, SOME RUNS IN THE FIRST: After scoring seven-first inning runs in the series against Iowa, and another one Thursday, the Redbirds are now outscoring opponents 13-to-8 in the first inning this season. Last season, the 'Birds dominated the competition in the first, outscoring them 118-to-51. So far this season, Memphis is outscoring opponents 113-to-71, but the majority of those runs have come in the middle innings. Between the second and third innings, Memphis has scored 33 runs, and has also scored 27 runs between the sixth and seventh innings.

CAN'T STOP HITTING: Before his promotion to St. Louis for his Major League debut, outfielder and No. 4 Cardinals' prospect Tyler O'Neill was on a tear to start the season. O'Neill played in 12 of the first 13 games for Memphis this season, and had hit safely in 10-straight before last Tuesday. Since the season-opener, O'Neill hit .432 (19-for-44) in those 11 games. O'Neill was tied for the PCL lead in home runs (6) and lead in RBI (18), total bases (41), and was tied for third with nine extra-base hits. The slugging outfielder was also tied for fourth in hits (19) and tied for fifth in runs scored (13), second in slugging percentage (.837), and third in home runs per at-bat ratio (1/8.17).

WINNING WAYS: The 2017 Redbirds became the winningest club in the franchise's 20 seasons with their 84th win on Aug. 21 against New Orleans. The previous record was 83 wins, set by the 2000 team. The 'Birds have continued their winning ways to begin the 2018 season. They have started 16-6, and have the best 22-game start in franchise history.

FASTEST TO 100: With a win last week, second-year manager Stubby Clapp secured his 100th regular season win as manager of the Redbirds. The accomplishment made him the fastest manager in Redbird history to reach 100 games. He also sits at sixth on the all-time win list for the Redbirds and has the best winning percentage at .656. Clapp's regular season record now sits at 107-56.

2017 PCL CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON

START THE SLOW CLAPP: In 2017, first-year skipper Stubby Clapp led the Redbirds to their best season in franchise history. The 'Birds soared to a 91-50 record in the 2017 regular season and added six more wins in the PCL playoffs to win 97 total games on the year. Clapp was named the 2017 PCL Manager of the Year for his efforts, and was also named the 2017 Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year. Clapp became the first minor league manager in the history of the St. Louis organization to win the Baseball America award. Clapp also earned the organization's prestigious George Kissell award.

FOR THE RECORD:

- Memphis' 91 wins in 2017 were the 10th-most in 119 seasons of professional baseball in Memphis dating back to 1877, and the season's .645 winning percentage was fourth-best

- Memphis was one of four teams in MiLB in 2017 with 90+ wins (Trenton Thunder [AA], 92-48; West Michigan Whitecaps [A], 91-45; Chattanooga Lookouts [AA], 91-49; Memphis Redbirds [AAA], 91-50)

- Memphis went 41 games over .500 during the regular season, the most by a PCL club since Albuquerque was 56 games over at 94-38 in 1981

- The Redbirds won the PCL American Southern Division by 22.0 games, and since divisions were established in the PCL in 1963, only two other teams won their division by 20 or more games (1970 Spokane Indians, 26.0 games; 1981 Albuquerque Dukes, 25.0 games)

- Memphis ended the season with its best ERA in franchise history (3.77) (3.89, 1998 and 2003), matched its best fielding percentage (.984) (.984, 2014), and had its third-best batting average (.278) (.284, 1999; .279, 2004)

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from April 28, 2018


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