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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (17-13) at Nashville Sounds (9-21)

May 6, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (17-13) at Nashville Sounds (9-21)

Monday, May 6 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - First Tennessee Park (10,300) - Nashville, Tennessee

Game #31 - Road Game #20 (11-8)

RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (2-1, 3.57) vs RHP Phillips Valdez (0-3, 4.74)

BY THE NUMBERS

21 Number of runs scored by the Redbirds in the second inning during this current series against the Sounds.

4 Runs driven in by Tyler O'Neill in the opener of yesterday's doubleheader, in his first game with the Redbirds 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 Nashville Sounds wrap up their four-game set tonight after the two team's split last night's doubleheader. Memphis has outscored Nashville (33-11) through the first three games of the series. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Daniel Ponce de Leon is scheduled to take the mound in tonight's series finale and road trip finale, and make his third road start and fifth start overall. Ponce de Leon's last outing came on Tuesday at New Orleans, where he suffered his first loss of the season (6.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR) in the Redbirds' 3-1 win defeat to the Baby Cakes. In three starts against the Sounds in 2018, Ponce de Leon went 1-1, 2.98 (5 ER/15.1 IP) to go along with 21 strikeouts. In back-to-back starts against the Sounds last season, Ponce de Leon allowed just three hits over 11.0 innings, striking out 14 while only issuing five walks. In his last start at First Tennessee Park, the 27-year-old tossed a gem, twirling 6.0 innings of one-run ball on two hits and fanning eight. He has won eight of his last 11 decisions at the Triple-A level. The Anaheim, Calif., native made one Major League start this season on April 23, taking no-decision (5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR) in the Cardinals' 4-3 win over the Brewers.

The Sounds are scheduled to start right-hander Phillips Valdez to close out their homestand. The 27-year-old is scheduled to make his sixth start of the season and his seventh appearance overall. In his last time out on Tuesday vs. Omaha, Valdez suffered the loss (5.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 1 HR) in the Sounds' 9-4 defeat to the Storm Chasers. Valdez has completed at least 5.0 innings just once and has two starts of 3.0 innings or fewer. Valdez split 2018 between Triple-A Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg, going a combined 6-7, 2.73 (41 ER/135.0 IP). The San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, native is in his tenth professional season and his first with the Texas organization. He has also spent time at various levels with the Washington and Cleveland organizations.

HISTORY WITH NASHVILLE: Memphis has faced off against Nashville every year since 1998 and trail 158-178 in the all-time series. In those 21 seasons, the Redbirds have a winning record against the Sounds in just six seasons, the most recent coming in 2017. This year marks the first that the Sounds are the Rangers' top-affiliate, after spending the last four seasons as the Athletics' Triple-A club. The Redbirds went 8-8 against the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate (Round Rock) in 2018 and a dominant 14-2 in 2017. Their overall record against the Texas Triple-A affiliate is 156-174.

Memphis has winning records on the road at Nashville in eight seasons, including two of the last four. Since First Tennessee Park opened in 2015, the Redbirds have a 19-15 record.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds (17-13) split their doubleheader with the Nashville Sounds (Rangers) Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee.

Tyler O'Neill returned to the Redbirds with a bang, blasting two, two-run home runs in the first game of the doubleheader. O'Neill finished the day going 2-for-8 with three runs scored, two homers and four RBI.

Game 1: Memphis 11, Nashville 2

Despite having Saturday's game being postponed, the Redbirds offense continued to stay hot by scoring 11 times on 12 hits to open the doubleheader.

As was the theme on Friday, Memphis scored eight times in the second inning, with Andrew Knizner and O'Neill homering in the frame and John Nogowski, Drew Robinson and Edmundo Sosa all driving in runs.

O'Neill would launch another two-run blast in the fourth with two outs and Knizner would drive in Adolis Garcia two batters later with a double.

Genesis Cabrera tossed a season-high five innings to earn his first career Triple-A win, allowing just two runs on four hits while fanning five. Both runs came via a solo home run.

Ryan Meisinger finished the game with two scoreless innings in relief.

Game 2: Nashville 7, Memphis 5

The Redbirds jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with more second inning scoring, as Max Schrock and Robinson posted RBI singles and Ramon Urias drove in two with a ground-rule double.

The Sounds (9-21) would score twice in the bottom of that frame and would later take the lead after plating four in the third, capped off by a three-run double by Jett Bandy.

Ryan Helsley took no-decision his first start with the Redbirds since returning from his first Major League stint, going 2.1 innings and allowing four runs on four hits.

Sosa was able to extend his hitting streak to eight games with a triple in the fifth. He finished the day 3-for-8.

The Redbirds have split all three doubleheaders played this season.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: In Friday night's series opener against Nashville, the Memphis Redbirds set numerous season-highs, and matched a couple of franchise records in their 17-2 rout of the Sounds. The 24 hits matched a franchise record and was also the most hits in a Pacific Coast League game this season. Their 10 hits in the second inning matched a franchise record for most in a single frame. The 'Birds set season-highs in, runs, hits and total bases and matched a season-high with eight extra-base hits.

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 April 22, 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 15-for-29 (.517) with three doubles, a home run and 16 RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa ranks 2nd on the team with a .643 average (9x14) and leads the team nine RBI.

Sosa has the second-highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League with runners in scoring position (min. 29 AB),

In Friday's contest against Nashville, Sosa set a career-high with five RBI, four of which came with two outs.

EXTRA! EXTRA!: The Redbirds have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season, collecting 60 doubles, eight triples and 35 home runs. Tommy Edman and Adolis Garcia share the team lead with 14 extra-base hits, combining for 13 doubles, four triples and 11 home runs.

After Adolis Garcia's home run Thursday, the Redbirds 27-game run of having at least one extra-base hit surpassed the 2018 Redbirds mark of 26 consecutive games with at least one extra-base hit.

TRIPLE THREAT: Through his first 22 starts of the season, Tommy Edman has nine multi-hit games, including five, three-hit performances, April 12 at San Antonio, April 13 at Round Rock, April 17 vs. San Antonio, April 26 at Omaha and last night at Nashville. His team-high 10-game hitting streak came to end on April 21, but he has reached safely in 20 of 24 contests. His 33 hits and nine doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster.

In Sosa's first 22 starts, he has matched Edman's multi-hit game total (9) and has three-hit performances on April 15 at Round Rock, April 17 vs. San Antonio and Friday at Nashville. Sosa leads the team with a .345 batting average and ranks T-2nd with 17 RBI.

Not to be out-done, Andrew Knizner also has eight multi-hit gmaes. Knizner had his season-high eight-game hitting streak come to an end Tuesday, but has hits in 17 of 21 games. He ranks 3rd on the team with a .329 batting average.

The trio has combined for 88 hits, which accounts for 32.1 percent of all the Redbirds hits this season, 41 runs (23.0 percent), 30 extra-base hits and 44 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-8th in the Pacific Coast League with 117 walks through the first 30 games of the season. The Redbirds' .362 on-base percentage also ranks 5th in the PCL. John Nogowski holds the team lead by drawing 21 free passes.

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.

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