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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (22-23) at Nashville Sounds (17-27)

May 22, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (22-23) at Nashville Sounds (17-27)

Wednesday, May 22 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - First Tennessee Park (10,300) - Nashville, Tennessee

Game #46 - Road Game #27 (12-14)

RHP Daniel Ponce de Leon (3-2, 3.96) vs RHP Tim Dillard (3-2, 5.30)

BY THE NUMBERS

.483 Rangel Ravelo's batting average during his current 16-game hitting streak. He has raised his batting average to .299 after batting .173 in April.

2 Genesis Cabrera has allowed two runs or fewer in three of his last four starts, bringing his ERA down to a season-low 6.35. Cabrera has also turned in back-to-back quality starts after making no such starts in his first five.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds snapped their five-game losing skid last night with their 4-2 comeback victory over the Sounds. The Redbirds scored three times in the seventh, capped off by an RBI single by Rangel Ravelo. Ravelo also extended his hitting streak to 16 games in last night's contest and is batting .483 (28x58) during that span. Genesis Cabrera turned in a quality start, tossing six innings of two-run ball, allowing just four hits. The Memphis bullpen backed Cabrera's start by tossing three perfect innings in relief. 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 contest and make his fifth road start and eighth start overall. Ponce de Leon's last outing came on Friday at San Antonio, where he suffered the loss (3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) in the Redbirds' 5-3 defeat to the Missions. His 3.2 innings pitched marked a season-low and it was his shortest start at the Triple-A level since tossing 3.0 innings on June 21, 2018 vs. New Orleans. His five earned runs allowed also matched a career-high. Despite the loss, Ponce de Leon has won nine of his last 13 decisions at the Triple-A level, dating back to May 30, 2018. Ponce de Leon has made two starts against the Sounds this season, going 1-0, 1.80 (2 ER/10.0 IP) with nine walks and nine strikeouts. He last faced Nashville on May 11, earning the win (5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 3 SO) in the Redbirds' 7-5 victory over the Sounds. 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 27-year-old is currently ranked as the No. 15 prospect in the Cardinals system by MLB.com.

The Sounds are scheduled to start right-hander Tim Dillard in today's contest. The 35-year-old is scheduled to make his fifth start of the season and his 13th appearance overall. In his last time out on Monday at Round Rock, Dillard tossed 2.0 frames of extra-innings relief, allowing one run, none earned, and one hit, earning the win in the Sounds' 8-6 victory over the Express. In his last start on Friday at Round Rock, Dillard earned the win (5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 SO) in Nashville's 9-3 win. In one start against the Redbirds this season, he suffered the loss (5.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R/ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) in Nashville's 7-2 defeat to Memphis. As a starter, Dillard is 1-2, 4.50 (10 ER/20.0 IP) in four starts. He spent the 2018 season at Triple-A Colorado Springs, going 2-4, 9.70 (37 ER/34.1 IP) in 25 G/1 GS. The Sarasota, Fla., native is in his 17th professional season and his first with the Texas organization. He had spent the first 16 years of his career in the Milwaukee organization.

HISTORY WITH NASHVILLE: Memphis has faced off against Nashville every year since 1998 and trail 162-180 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 160-176.

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 20-16 record.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Three runs in the top of the seventh inning propelled the Memphis Redbirds (22-23) to a 4-2 win over the Nashville Sounds (Rangers) Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn., which ended Memphis' five-game losing streak.

Rangel Ravelo was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored, and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. He owns three of the 15-longest hitting streaks in Redbirds history and is four shy of tying the franchise record.

Seven Redbirds had at least one of Memphis' nine hits in the game.

Genesis Cabrera got the win with 6.0 innings of two-run baseball, allowing only four hits. He struck out six and walked only one. He fired 55-of-90 pitches for strikes.

After falling behind 1-0 after three innings, the Redbirds tied the game in the top of the fourth when John Nogowski singled home Ravelo, who doubled to start the inning.

The Sounds then took a 2-1 lead in the fifth and kept their lead through six innings before the Redbirds put up a three-spot to take the lead for good.

Tommy Edman tied the game with an RBI double that scored Kramer Robertson, Lane Thomas singled home Edman, and Ravelo provided another run with a knock to left field that plated Thomas and gave Memphis a 4-2 advantage.

The Redbirds' bullpen locked down after that, with Dominic Leone, Jesus Cruz, and Chris Beck retiring all nine Sounds they faced to finish the game. The trio struck out five Nashville hitters. Beck earned his fourth save of the year by closing out the victory.

Drew Robinson swiped two bases in the game to give him nine on the year, and Max Schrock and Thomas also stole bases.

Nashville (17-27) only had two at-bats with runners in scoring position.

SAN ANTONIO SERIES WRAP: The Redbirds were swept for the first time this season and the first time in a five-game series since July 21-23, 2006 at Iowa, but that series included two doubleheaders.

The Redbirds series record on the road fell to 1-2-3 (W-L-T) with both series losses coming at San Antonio. Memphis won just one of seven games at the Wolff.

Adolis Garica and Rangel Ravelo were the standout performers offensively in the series, combining to go 14-for-33 (.424) with two home runs and four RBI. Garcia homered in back-to-back contests on Thursday and Friday, while Ravelo extended his hitting streak to a season-high 15 games. Ravelo is batting .472 (26x55) during that span.

The 'Birds starting staff went 0-3, 6.14 (15 ER/22.0 IP) fanning 22 batters while issuing eight walks. The starters also only gave up two home runs in the series. Genesis Cabrera turned in the lone quality start. The Memphis bullpen went 0-2, 5.44 (11 ER/18.2 IP) with 22 strikeouts.

PAIR OF ACES: Austin Gomber and Jake Woodford turned in back-to-back seven-inning quality starts to close out the series against the Sounds on May 13 and May 14 and find themselves among Pacific Coast League leaders in multiple categories as a result. Woodford ranks 2nd (2.44) and Gomber ranks 6th (2.98) in the PCL in ERA, as the pair have combined to go 7-1, 2.69 (29 ER/97.0 IP) in 17 starts. Gomber and Woodford rank 3rd (52) and 10th (45) respectively in strikeouts, 10th (45.1) and T-3rd (51.2) in innings pitched and 8th (1.28) and 4th (1.20) in WHIP. Woodford also ranks T-2nd in opponent average (.197), while Gomber is one of two pitchers in the PCL to have thrown a complete-game shutout.

RAVELO STAYS HOT: After hitting a career-low .173 (13x75) in the month of April at the Triple-A level, Rangel Ravelo has gotten off to a hot start in May, going 28-for-62 (.452) in his first 18 games of the month. Ravelo already has four three-hit games this month, compared to just one in 21 games in April. He is currently riding a season-high 16-game hitting streak and has homered three times during that span. The 27-year-old has raised his batting average to .299 on the season and is getting on base at a .373 clip.

O'NEILL RETURNS: In his first Triple-A appearance of the season on May 5, 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 ranks 2nd on the team with seven home runs in just 14 games. Six of his seven long balls have come against Nashville. On May 8 in the 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.

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. In Thursday's series opener, Memphis was walked off by the Missions for a third time this season. The Redbirds also suffered a walk-off defeat on April 28 at Omaha The four last-at-bat defeats this season have already surpassed last year's total of two and have matched 2017's total. The Redbirds have not been walked-off more than four times in a season since 2016 when it occurred six times.

SHEW SHINES: In his first two career Triple-A starts, Anthony Shew did not allow a run in 11.2 innings and allowed just four hits in 39 at-bats (.103). On May 8 in the series opener against Iowa, Shew delivered his first quality start at the Triple-A level, tossing 6.0 scoreless frames and yielding a season-low one hit while fanning a season-high eight. The Bookings, Ore., native did not allowed a run in 17.2 innings across all levels and has allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of eight of his outings in 2019 overall.

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.

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 16-for-34 (.471) with three doubles, a home run and 17 RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .563 average (9x16) and nine RBI.

Sosa has the second-highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League with runners in scoring position (min. 34 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 77 doubles, 10 triples and 54 home runs. Adolis Garcia holds the team lead with 18 extra-base hits with five doubles, two triples and a team-high 11 home runs.

After Garcia's home run May 2, 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.

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 eight starts of the season, Gomber is 4-0, 2.98 (15 ER/45.1 IP) to go along with 52 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).

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