PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (18-15) vs Iowa Cubs (22-11)

Published on May 9, 2019 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (18-15) vs Iowa Cubs (22-11)

Thursday, May 9 - 7:05 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #34 - Home Game #14 (7-6)

RHP Jake Woodford (2-0, 1.30) vs RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (2-3, 6.04)

BY THE NUMBERS

0 Number of hits and runs allowed by the Memphis bullpen in 4.0 innings of work in yesterday's contest.

24 Walks drawn by John Nogowski this season. That figure ranks T-3rd in the Pacific Coast League and leads the Redbirds.

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds look to take the series lead against the American Northern division leading Iowa Cubs tonight in the third of a four-game set to begin an eight-game homestand. Rangel Ravelo's solo shot to begin the seventh proved to be the game winner yesterday, as the Redbird bullpen tossed four no-hit innings to back a one-run outing from starter Austin Gomber. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Pete Pranica on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Jake Woodford is scheduled to take the mound in tonight's game and make his seventh start of the season and first during the Redbirds' eight-game homestand. Woodford last took the mound on Saturday at Nashville, taking no-decision in his shortest start of the season, tossing 4.2 innings of one run ball allowing five hits and fanning seven, but issued four walks. Woodford came just one out away from qualifying for the win, as he was backed by a 14-run performance en route to the 'Birds' 17-2 victory. He is currently holding opposing batters to a .171 (20x117) average, which ranks 3rd in the Pacific Coast League among qualifiers. Woodford is even stingier against right-handed batters, holding them to just a .153 (11x72) average. He also ranks 3rd in the PCL with a 1.30 ERA. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native has made one start against the Cubs in his career, on Aug. 10 2018, taking no-decision (4.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 6 SO) in the Redbirds' 13-2 victory.

The Cubs are scheduled to start right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. in tonight's game. The 24-year-old is slated to make his seventh start of the season and his fifth road start. In his last time out on Tuesday at Omaha, Underwood earned his second straight win of the season (6.1 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 SO) in the Cubs' 6-1 victory over the Storm Chasers. That marked the longest outing of Underwood's season, as he had just worked past the 5.0 inning mark just once. That was also the first time Underwood completed a scoreless outing, as he had given up runs in every start, including at least four runs in three instances. Underwood spent the bulk of the 2018 season at Triple-A Iowa, going 4-10, 4.53 (60 ER/119.1 IP). He also made one start at the Major League level, his MLB debut on June 25, against the Dodgers, suffering the loss (4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 3 S0, 1 HR) in the Cubs' 2-1 defeat. The Raleigh, N.C., native is in his eighth professional season, spending all of them with the Chicago organization. He is currently ranked as the No. 25 prospect in the Cubs system according to MLB.com.

HISTORY WITH IOWA: Memphis has faced off against Iowa every year since 1998 and lead 168-136 in the all-time series. In those 21 seasons, the Redbirds have a winning record against the Sounds in 11 seasons and have a losing record in just one season (2015) since 2013. The Redbirds posted their best record against the Cubs last season, going 14-2 overall, 6-2 at AutoZone Park and a whopping 8-0 on the road at Principal Park in Des Moines, Iowa.

Memphis has winning records here in downtown Memphis in 17 seasons and has lost two home games each year to the Cubs since 2016. They have not had a losing record at home to the Cubs since 2012. Overall, they lead the series in the Bluff City with a 99-53 advantage.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Rangel Ravelo's seventh-inning home run broke a 1-1 deadlock, and Memphis' pitching staff was stout in a 2-1 win over the Iowa Cubs (Cubs) Wednesday afternoon at AutoZone Park.

The Redbirds (18-15) snapped the Cubs' (22-11) eight-game winning streak with the victory.

Austin Gomber battled through 5.0 innings, scattering eight hits but allowing just one run. He struck out seven and walked two. Chris Ellis followed with 2.0 perfect innings of relief, and Carlos Martinez made an injury rehabilitation appearance and walked two and saw a runner reach on an error, but he got out of the inning with no damage. He struck out a batter. Chris Beck then followed with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to finish the win and pick up his second save of the year.

After Iowa scored in the second Memphis tied the game in the bottom of the third, with Andrew Knizner launching his third home run of the season into the Redbirds' bullpen.

The game stayed tied at 1 until Ravelo's opposite-field homer gave the Redbirds a 2-1 lead they would not relinquish.

Knizner finished the game with two hits.

SHEW SHINES: In his first two career Triple-A starts, Anthony Shew has not allowed a run in 11.2 innings and has allowed just four hits in 39 at-bats (.103). In Wednesday's series opener, Shew delivered his first quality start at the Triple-A level, tossing 6.0 scoreless frames and allowing a season-low one hit while fanning a season-high eight. The Bookings, Ore., native has not allowed a run in 17.2 innings across all levels and has allowed one earned run or fewer in all seven of his outings in 2019 overall.

O'NEILL RETURNS: In his first Triple-A appearance of the season on Sunday, Tyler O'Neill launched two, two-run home runs in the first game of the doubleheader. It was his first multi-HR game of the year and was the second Redbird to homer twice in a game this season. O'Neill blasted another two-run shot in Monday's contest and ranks T-3rd on the team with three home runs in four games. In Wednesday's series opener against Iowa, O'Neill collected his first three-hit game of the season. The 23-year-old led the Redbirds in 2018 with 26 HR and six multi-HR games.

OFFENSIVE OUTBURST: In their series opener against Nashville on May 2, 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 April 20 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 seven starts of the season, Gomber is 4-0, 2.82 (12 ER/38.1 IP) to go along with 44 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-30 (.500) with three doubles, a home run and 16 RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .643 average (9x14) and nine RBI.

Sosa has the second-highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League with runners in scoring position (min. 30 AB).

On May 2 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 62 doubles, nine triples and 40 home runs. Adolis Garcia holds the team lead with 15 extra-base hits with for four doubles, two triples and nine home runs.

After 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 24 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 ranks T-1st on the team with a .333 batting average and T-2nd with 17 RBI.

Not to be out-done, Andrew Knizner also has nine multi-hit gmaes. Knizner had his season-high eight-game hitting streak come to an end April 30, but has hits in 18 of 23 games. He ranks 4th on the team with a .326 batting average.

The trio has combined for 93 hits, which accounts for 31.0 percent of all the Redbirds hits this season, 43 runs (22.6 percent), 31 extra-base hits and 45 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-7th in the Pacific Coast League with 129 walks through 33 games. The Redbirds' .359 on-base percentage also ranks 6th in the PCL. John Nogowski holds the team lead by drawing 24 free passes, which also ranks T-3rd in the PCL.

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.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 9, 2019


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