PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (23-25) vs San Antonio Missions (28-20)

Published on May 25, 2019 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (23-25) vs San Antonio Missions (28-20)

Saturday, May 25 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #49 - Home Game #20 (10-9)

RHP Anthony Shew (1-0, 1.29) vs RHP Aaron Wilkerson (2-0, 0.68)

BY THE NUMBERS

19 Rangel Ravelo's current hitting streak. It is his longest such streak at the Triple-A level and it is the longest Redbird streak since Scott Seabol also hit in 19 straight games from April 22 - June 25, 2005.

32 Number of home runs the Redbirds have hit through 23 games in May. It currently ranks T-5th most home runs that a Redbird team has hit in May. The franchise record is 38, set by the 1999 team.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds open up a five-game set with the San Antonio Missions tonight. The two clubs face off for the second time in just over a week, after the Missions swept the Redbirds in five games from May 16-20. It was the first time since 2006 that the Redbirds had been swept in a five-game series. Memphis has won both games played at this facility this season and will be making up the postponed April 18 game as part of a doubleheader on Monday. Rangel Ravelo extended his hitting streak to 19 games in last night's contest and is now just one game shy of matching Adam Kennedy's franchise record set in 1999. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Anthony Shew is scheduled to be activated off of the 7-Day IL and take the mound in tonight's game and make his fourth start for the Redbirds and eighth start overall this season across all levels. In his last time out on May 12 vs. Nashville, Shew took no-decision (2.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR) in the Redbirds' 7-2 victory over the Sounds, but had to depart the contest early through injury. In his first three Triple-A starts, Shew has allowed just two runs in 14.0 innings pitched. Before allowing a season-high six hits with Memphis, Shew had allowed just four hits combined in his first two starts with the Redbirds and also struck out 12 batters. He was transferred from Double-A Springfield on April 29 where he went 1-2, 1.93 (6 ER/28.0 IP) over five starts. Shew has three quality starts, including quality starts in his last two Double-A outings. Overall, he has allowed three runs or fewer in every start, including one earned run or less in six. The 25-year-old has fanned 42 and has issued just 11 walks in 42.0 innings. Shew has held opposing hitters to a .236 (37x157) average overall and has stymied hitters to the tune of a .185 average (12x65) with runners on. The University of San Francisco product split time between Double-A Springfield and Advanced-A Palm Beach, going 10-9, 3.85 (67 ER/156.2 IP) in 27 G/GS. The Bookings, Ore., native is in his fourth professional season, spending all of them with the St. Louis organization.

The Missions are scheduled to start right-hander Aaron Wilkerson today. The 28-year-old is slated to make his sixth Triple-A start of the season and his ninth appearance overall across all levels. In his last time out on Sunday vs. Memphis, Wilkerson earned the win (6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO) in the Missions' 9-3 victory over the Redbirds. It was his second quality start of the season and his first since April 12. Wilkerson has allowed one earned run or less in all of his starts and has allowed no more than four hits in any of his starts. He has also struck out seven batters or more in two of his starts. He has made one Major League stint this season, going 0-0, 7.36 (6 ER/7.1 IP) in three relief appearances. Prior to Sunday's contest, Wilkerson last faced the Redbirds on July 20, 2018 in Memphis, earning the victory (5.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) in the Sky Sox's 1-0 victory. He went 1-0, 0.84 (1 ER/10.2 IP) in the three starts against the Redbirds that season. The Fort Worth, Texas, native is in his seventh professional season and his fourth in the Milwaukee organization. He also spent time in the Boston organization after being signed by the Red Sox from the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League.

HISTORY WITH SAN ANTONIO: April 9 marked the first time that the Redbirds played a game in the Alamo City in their young history. It was also the first meeting between the two cities since 1973 when the Memphis Blues were members of the Texas League. The last time these two teams met prior to last week was in 1973 TL Championship Series, where the Blues won the series 3-2, with all games played in San Antonio, to capture their second TL title before moving to the International League the next year.

This is 14th-straight year that the Redbirds have faced off against Milwaukee's Triple-A affiliate, with the previous four being played against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Memphis went 38-26 against the Sky Sox from 2015-18, including an 11-5 record last season. The 'Birds played the Sox for 21-straight seasons prior to this season's realignment, going 104-87 overall, 60-35 at home and 44-52 on the road. Prior to Colorado Springs, Nashville played host to the Brewers' top affiliate, where the Redbirds went 76-84 from 2005-14.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Rangel Ravelo homered to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, one shy of tying the franchise record, but the Nashville Sounds (Rangers) took the series finale with the Memphis Redbirds (23-25) Friday night in Nashville, Tenn., 10-6.

Memphis led 6-0, but the Sounds (19-28) scored the final 10 runs of the game. After a one-out walk in the top of the third, the next 18 Redbirds were retired until a one-out single in the top of the ninth.

Ravelo's two-run home run capped a six-run second inning for the Redbirds and brought his hitting streak to 19-straight contests. With a hit in his next game, he will match Adam Kennedy for the franchise record for consecutive games with a hit. Kennedy hit in 20-straight from June 28-Aug. 12, 1999.

Max Schrock had a two-run double in that second inning, Tommy Edman had a sacrifice fly, and Ramon Urias drew a bases-loaded walk.

But it was all Sounds after that, with Nashville scoring two in the second, three in the third, one in the sixth, and four in the seventh to secure the victory.

Jake Woodford started and only gave up three hits, but he was hampered by six walks. He struck out five in 5.0 innings. Chasen Shreve took the loss, walking three and surrendering four runs in one-third of an inning.

The Redbirds had two outfield assists in the game, with Drew Robinson getting an out at second base and Tyler O'Neill notching an out at third.

NASHVILLE SERIES WRAP: The Redbirds split their second and final series against the Sounds this season and finish 2019 with a 4-4 record at First Tennessee Park.

The Redbirds had leads of four runs or more in the final two games of the series, but ultimately could not come away with victories in either contest. Their average margin of victory on the road at Nashville this season was nine runs, while their average margin of defeat was only 2.5 runs.

Rangel Ravelo went 5-for-14 with two doubles, a home run and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to 19 games in the process, now just one hit shy of equaling the franchise record of 20, set by Adam Kennedy in 1999. Tyler O'Neill hit his eighth home run of the year during the series and has now hit seven of his long balls against the Sounds. Tommy Edman went 6-for-18 with a double, two home runs and seven RBI as well. Edman's seven runs driven in were his most in a single series this season.

The 'Birds starting staff went 2-0, 4.67 (11 ER/22.1 IP) fanning 20 batters while issuing 11 walks. The starters also only gave up three home runs in the series. Genesis Cabrera turned in the lone quality start, tossing 6.0 innings of two-run ball, allowing four hits while striking out six. He also issued a season-low one walk. The Memphis bullpen went 0-2, 6.70 (9 ER/12.1 IP) with 12 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 5th (3.02) and Gomber ranks 4th (2.98) in the PCL in ERA, as the pair have combined to go 7-1, 3.00 (34 ER/102.0 IP) in 18 starts. Gomber and Woodford rank 4th (52) and T-6th (50) respectively in strikeouts, 17th (45.1) and 2nd (56.2) in innings pitched and 10th (1.28) and 7th (1.25) in WHIP. Woodford also ranks 3rd in opponent average (.195), 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 stayed hot all month, going 31-for-73 (.425) in 21 games this 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 19-game hitting streak and has homered four times during that span. The franchise record is 20 games, set by Adam Kennedy from June 28 - Aug. 12, 1999. The 27-year-old has raised his batting average to .297 on the season and is getting on base at a .373 clip.

O'NEILL CONTINUES TO RAKE: 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 eight home runs in just 17 games. Seven of his eight 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 and had another three-hit performance last night. 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. On May 16 in the series opener against San Antonio, 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-36 (.444) 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 joint second-highest batting average in the Pacific Coast League with runners in scoring position (min. 36 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 85 doubles, 10 triples and 60 home runs. Adolis Garcia holds the team lead with 19 extra-base hits with six 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.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 25, 2019


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