PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (19-12) at Nashville Sounds (15-14)

Published on May 7, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (19-12) at Nashville Sounds (15-14)

Monday, May 7 - 12:05 p.m. (CT) - First Tennessee Park (10,300) - Nashville, Tennessee

Game #32 - Road Game #16 (9-6)

RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (1-2, 2.39 ERA) vs. LHP Eric Jokisch (0-4, 4.88 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds look to end a season-long four-game losing streak in the series finale of the four-game set at Nashville. The 2017 Redbirds had just one four-game losing streak during their record-setting 91-win season (4/13-16) and lost three-straight three other times. After the game, Memphis will travel to Oklahoma City for a four-game set before returning to AutoZone Park this weekend to face the Sounds again. Today's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Daniel Poncedeleon will get the ball in the series finale this afternoon. Poncedeleon has had a solid start to the season thus far. In six appearances, five of them starts, the righty is 1-2 with a stingy 2.39 ERA and 30 strikeouts in just 26.2 innings pitched. Despite struggling his last time out, and walking five batters in 3.2 innings, Poncedeleon has been a force on the mound this season. He struck out a career-high 12 batters in his second start of the season. Coming into tonight's start, he is sixth in the league in ERA and third in strikeouts per nine innings pitched at 10.66. This will be Poncedeleon's first-career start against the Sounds.

The Sounds will send southpaw Eric Jokisch to the mound to battle Poncedeleon. Jokisch has struggled to an 0-4 record and a 4.88 ERA through his first five starts this season. Jokisch has previously faced Memphis seven times in his career, with four different teams. Facing Memphis with Iowa, New Orleans, Round Rock, and Reno, Jokisch is 1-1 in four starts and three relief appearances. He owns a 2.84 ERA in those appearances, walking 12 and striking out 11 batters.

HISTORY WITH NASHVILLE: The Redbirds and Nashville Sounds have played every year dating back to 1998. The Sounds hold the all-time series record at 171-149. Last season, the 'Birds took the season-series win, grabbing the win in eight of 14 games. It marked the first time since 2013 that Memphis had topped Nashville in the season-series. In 2017, Memphis held a slight edge, both on the mound and at the plate, against the Sounds. Memphis batters hit .263 against Nashville pitching, compared to .257 at the plate from the Sounds. Memphis pitchers also held a 4.05 ERA on the mound, compared to a 4.33 ERA by the Sounds.

BIRD BITES

BARON: Recorded first multi-hit game of the season in Thursday's loss; also notched first double since 9/2/17

GARCIA: Has struggled in last 14 games, going just 10-for-53 (.189); recorded first multi-hit game since 4/21 yesterday

JENNER: Transferred to Memphis Sunday after not playing yet this season; played five games with MEM in '16 and '17

MEJIA: Recorded hits in three-straight starts after going hitless in his previous four starts

MERCADO: Nine stolen bases are second in the PCL but has not swiped a bag in 11 games with only one attempt

MUNOZ: Hitting .385 (10-26) on current seven-game hitting streak; had hits in just seven games prior to streak

O'NEILL: Hit home runs in back-to-back games; has hits in four-of-seven games since being optioned

RAVELO: Has hits in five of last seven appearances; hit first home run of the season last Sunday

SCHROCK: Currently on third six-game hitting streak (.417, 10-24); has K'd in just 9.0 percent of career at-bats (111-1240)

TOVAR: In his last nine games with a hit, has six multi-hit games, including yesterday

VOIT: Hitting .174 (8-for-46) in 13 games since coming off DL; recently was recalled to STL but did not make appearance

WISDOM: Has hit four homers this season, all at home; has hits in six of his last nine games (8-34, .235)

BY THE NUMBERS

.244 batting average for Memphis on four-game losing streak (33-135) with five total runs scored and 29 left on base

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Redbirds lost their fourth-consecutive game yesterday after falling to the Nashville Sounds 8-2.

Tyler O'Neill crushed his eighth home run, and his second in as many days in the third inning to give Memphis the early lead, but they couldn't hang on.

Kevin Herget started for the 'Birds. He pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits and one walk, while striking out a season-high eight batters.

John Brebbia also got hit hard coming out of the 'pen. The righty allowed three runs on three hits, including two home runs.

The pitching staff gave up a season-high three home runs to the Sounds in the loss. Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock both extended their hitting streaks to seven and six, respectively, in the contest.

MAX GETTING BACK ON TRACK: After starting out his first season at the Triple-A level at a blistering pace, infielder Max Schrock hit a bit of a road bump, but seems to be getting his feeling back at the plate. In his first 13 games of the season, Schrock was hitting .397 (23-for-58). However, in his next eight games, he hit just .222 (6-for-27), and went hitless in back-to-back games for the first time all season. He has collected hits in seven of his last eight games and is currently on his third six-game hitting streak of the season. On Thursday, he provided most of the offense for Memphis, going 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles. It was his first three-hit game since April 16 against Iowa. After his recent hot-streak, Schrock is now hitting .342 on the season. He is tied for second in the PCL with 40 hits, and is fifth in the league at hardest to strikeout, striking out just once every 11.45 plate appearances.

SHOW THE MUSCLE: In yesterday's 8-2 loss, Tyler O'Neill crushed his eighth home run of the year, and his second in as many games. The slugging outfielder, and Cardinals' No. 4 prospect has been working to find his groove since coming back from St. Louis. After going hitless in three of his first five games back, O'Neill now has back-to-back multi-hit games for the first time since April 12-13. So far in the series against Nashville, O'Neill is 5-for-12 with three runs scored, two home runs, and two RBI. O'Neill's eight homers on the season have him tied for third in the PCL, despite spending 10 days in St. Louis with the Cardinals.

FINDING HIS STRIDE: Infielder and Cardinals' No. 17 prospect Yairo Munoz had a hot spring and started the season on St. Louis' roster. Since being optioned two weeks ago, Munoz initially struggled to find his stride, but seems to have found it, and is riding a seven-game hitting streak coming into tonight's game. In his first 11 games with Memphis, the young infielder was hitting just .250 (9-for-36) and struck out nine times. However, he has been on a tear since the series with Oklahoma City and is currently on his longest hitting streak of the season, and has had three two-hit games (.384, 10-26).

LUKE'S STRUGGLES: Infielder and Cardinals' No. 16 prospect, Luke Voit, has struggled through the first month of the season. Last season, Voit was a force at the plate in 74 games with Memphis. In his first season at the Triple-A level last season, the slugging infielder hit .327 (88-for-269) with 23 doubles, one triple, 13 home runs, 50 RBI, and 29 walks, giving him a career-high .407 on-base percentage. Last season also saw him make his Major League debut, playing in 62 games for St. Louis. However, after getting injured on Opening Day this season, and missing about two weeks, he has struggled mightily at the plate. In 13 games since coming off the disabled list, Voit is hitting just .174 (8-for-46) with just three doubles, three RBI, and six walks, while striking out 12 times. Last night, Voit was 0-for-4 with a season-high three strikeouts.

CAN'T BE STOPPED: Infielder Patrick Wisdom had a career-year last season, hitting a career-high 31 home runs. He got off to a quick start this season, as well, hitting more for average than for power. Through his first 10 games, he was hitting .308 with two homers and 12 RBI. He then struggled over the next nine games, hitting just .200 with four total RBI. Since going hitless in both games of a doubleheader against Round Rock last week, he has recorded a hit in six of his last eight games. In that stretch, he is 8-for-30 (.267) with two doubles, two home runs, four RBI, three walks, and just seven strikeouts.

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 10 appearances, spanning 15.0 innings, allowing just six hits and two earned runs, while striking out 22 and holding batters to a .122 (6-for-49) average. Guilmet is tied for third in the PCL with five saves, is tied for the league-lead with nine games finished, is second in lowest batting average against for a relief pitcher, and leads the league in fewest baserunners per nine innings pitched for a reliever at 5.40.

SHARP ON THE MOUND: 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 3.37 ERA through the first 31 games, including a 2.89 ERA and 15 quality starts from the starting rotation. The 3.37 team ERA is second in the PCL, only behind Oklahoma City (2.54).

BETTER SIDE OF THE STRIKEOUTS: Memphis is among the PCL leaders for strikeouts by the pitching staff, and is towards the bottom of the league in strikeouts by batters. The pitching staff has struck out 283 batters through the first 31 games (9.1/game). The 283 strikeouts ranks second among all PCL teams, behind only Fresno (295). 'Birds batters are also towards the bottom of the league in total strikeouts. Memphis batters have struck out 223 times through the first 31 games. Only Oklahoma City (216), Omaha (216), and Fresno (221) have struck out less than Memphis.

DOMINANT DAKOTA: Thursday's starter Dakota Hudson was brilliant in his sixth start of the year. The lanky right-hander pitched 8.0 innings, allowing just one unearned run and five hits, while walking one and striking out four batters. He was saddled with the tough-luck loss, his first of the year, in the game. He cruised through 7.0 innings before the leadoff hitter in the eighth reached on an error by the Memphis defense. After a hit, a sacrifice bunt, and a fielder's choice, the run came around to score, giving Oklahoma City the 1-0 win. So far this season, Hudson has been one of the best starting pitchers for the 'Birds. Through six starts, he is 3-1 in 35.2 innings pitched. He has allowed just 12 earned runs and nine walks, while striking out 24 batters, good for a 3.02 ERA. The 8.0 innings he pitched Thursday night tied his career-high, which he set last season while with Double-A Springfield.

SETTLING DOWN: After getting off to a shaky start this season, veteran reliever Sean Gilmartin has been nothing but consistent in his last five appearances. In his first four relief appearances of the season, he gave up seven earned runs in just 4.0 innings, giving him a 15.57 ERA. However, since making a spot-start in game two of a doubleheader at Omaha on April 19, Gilmartin has been lights-out. Including his April 19 start, Gilmartin has appeared in five games since his rough start to the season, making spot-starts in two of them. In 9.2 innings, he has allowed just two earned runs giving him a 1.96 ERA in those five appearances.

MORE HONORS FOR GOMBER: On Monday, starting pitcher Austin Gomber was named the PCL Pitcher of the Week today after his 16-strikeout performance last Monday. On Thursday, he was named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for April. 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). After that performance, he was called up to the Cardinals last Sunday for his MLB debut. Gomber was on a roll since his season-debut on April 7. In four starts since then, Gomber has thrown 27.0 innings of nine-run ball and has struck out 32 batters. The honor marked the sixth-straight month that a Redbirds player had won the Cardinals Minor League Player or Pitcher of the Month honors.

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

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Pacific Coast League Stories from May 7, 2018


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central