PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (28-19) vs Colorado Springs Sky Sox (26-19)

Published on May 25, 2018 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (29-19) vs Colorado Springs Sky Sox (26-19)

Friday, May 25 - 7:05 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #49 - Home Game #25 (14-10)

RHP Daniel Poncedeleon (3-2, 2.76 ERA) vs. RHP Bubba Derby (2-2, 5.14 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and Colorado Springs Sky Sox will kick off a five-game set tonight at 7:05 p.m. It is the second time the two teams have met in the last 10 days. Memphis took the 3-1 series win last week at Colorado Springs. Memphis is coming off a 3-1 series win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers, while Colorado Springs is coming off a 3-1 series loss to the Nashville Sounds. Today's game will be broadcast on memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Daniel Poncedeleon will get the ball for the Redbirds tonight. Poncedeleon comes into tonight's game with a 3-2 record and a 2.76 ERA in eight starts this season. His last start was against Colorado Springs, as well. In that game, he earned the win in the first game of a doubleheader, throwing 5.0 innings of three-run ball, while striking out 10 batters. It was the second time he had struck out at least 10 batters this season. Poncedeleon has been solid all season for the 'Birds. Coming into tonight's contest, he owns the fourth-best ERA in the league, narrowly behind teammate Dakota Hudson (2.70), who sits in third. Poncedeleon is also tied for fourth in the league with 54 strikeouts on the season, three behind teammate Austin Gomber, who leads the league with 57. He also owns the PCL's second-best strikeouts per nine innings pitched ratio at 11.76

The Sky Sox will counter with right-hander Bubba Derby. Derby comes into tonight's game with a 2-2 record and a 5.14 ERA in nine starts this season. Derby faced the Redbirds in last week's series in game two of the doubleheader, taking the loss. In that game, he lasted just 0.2 innings, allowing eight runs on seven hits while the 'Birds sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning.

HISTORY WITH COLORADO SPRINGS: Memphis and Colorado Springs have faced off once this season. That series was last week, and after dropping the first game, the 'Birds won the final three to take the 3-1 series win. Memphis had been rooted in a deep offensive slump prior to the series last week, but they saw that end with an offensive outburst in the final three games. So far this season, Memphis holds on the mound, while Colorado Springs holds a slight edge at the plate. Memphis' pitching staff is posting a 4.35 ERA against Colorado Springs, and a .329 batting average. Colorado Springs is posting a .336 average, and an 8.44 ERA.

BIRD BITES

AROZARENA: Including last nine Double-A games, has 14-game hitting streak; .412 (21-for-51) in that stretch

GARCIA: Recorded his league-leading eighth outfield assist Wednesday night, cutting down a runner trying to take second

KELLY: Rejoins the team on Major League Rehab; hitting .228 with four 2B, two HR and 11 RBI in 22 games with Memphis

KNIZNER: Has recorded a hit in each of his 5 games with Memphis; was hitting .333 in 27 games with Double-A Springfield

MARTINEZ: Recorded first multi-hit game with Memphis with two hits in Wednesday night's win; also recorded an RBI

MEJIA: Recently ended a season-best eight-game hitting streak; was hitting .462 (12-for-26) in that stretch

MERCADO: Riding an eight-game hitting streak; is hitting .583 (21-for-36) in that stretch with seven multi-hit games

RAVELO: Is hitting just .103 (3-for-29) in last nine games; was hitting .276 (8-for-29) in previous nine games

SCHROCK: Hit a three-run home run in game one Saturday, his first since Opening Day; both his homers have been 3R

TOVAR: Is hitting .161 (5-for-31) over last nine games; was hitting .438 (14-for-32) in previous nine games

URIAS: Belted first Triple-A homer Saturday, a three-run shot in 10-run first; was hitting .369 in 17 games with Springfield

VOIT: Has recorded back-to-back multi-hit games for the second time this season; also did so May 9 - May 10

WISDOM: Is hitting .455 (15-for-33) over current nine-game hit streak; streak is his longest of season

BY THE NUMBERS

3-1 series win over Oklahoma City snapped streak where Memphis had lost or tied 10-straight series against OKC dating back to beginning of 2016

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds won last night's contest over the Oklahoma City Dodgers 7-4 to capture its second-consecutive series win.

Cardinals' No. 1 prospect Alex Reyes made his fourth rehab start on the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery. Reyes was dominant. He pitched 7.0 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out 13 batters, including nine-straight.

Offensively, Oscar Mercado led the charge, notching four hits for the second time this season, and knocking in three runs for the second-consecutive game. He now has an eight-game hitting streak, and has multiple hits in seven of those games.

Seven of the eight position players recorded hits for the 'Birds, while Max Schrock (2-for-5), Luke Voit (2-for-5), and Randy Arozarena (2-for-3) also notched multi-hit games. Preston Guilmet earned his ninth save of the year, as well.

HAVE MERCY, MERCADO: Oscar Mercado continued his hot-stretch at the plate last night, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored, and three RBI. Mercado got off to a hot start this season, hitting .341 (28-for-82) through his first 22 games before falling into a deep slump. Over his next 13 games, he hit just .167 (8-for-48), going hitless in five of those contests, and not recording a single multi-hit game. However, Mercado is now hitting .583 (21-for-36) in his last eight games, notching five doubles, a home run, 10 RBI, and scoring 11 runs. Seven of the eight games have been multi-hit performances. His .583 average since May 16 is the best in the PCL by 59 points. Mercado is now hitting .343 (57-for-166) this season with 34 runs scored, eight doubles, six home runs, 24 RBI, 15 walks, 24 strikeouts, and 11 stolen bases.

Mercado now has the best batting average on the team, has the 10th best batting average in the PCL, and is in the top three of almost every team offensive category. Mercado leads the team with 34 runs scored, 57 hits, is tied for third with eight doubles, is tied with Patrick Wisdom with the most homers among current Redbirds players, is second with 24 RBI, leads the team with 83 total bases, has the best on-base percentage (.397), and leads all Redbirds players who have appeared in at least 30 games with a .897 OPS. Mercado also has 15 multi-hit games this season, and leads the team with five three-hit games, and two four-hit games. His 11 stolen bases leads the team, and is tied for third in the league, while his 57 hits puts him tied for fourth in the league.

WELL THAT WAS FUN: Last night, Cardinal's No. 1 prospect made a rehab start for the Redbirds, and was dominant. Reyes, recovering from Tommy John surgery, pitched 7.0 innings, allowing just one hit and one walk, while striking out 13 batters, including nine-straight at one point. The nine-consecutive strikeouts is a Redbirds record, and it set a new PCL record for consecutive strikeouts. Reyes struck out the side in the second, fourth, and fifth innings. The 13 strikeouts also tied his career-high. In four rehab starts throughout the Cardinals' system in the last month, Reyes has been lights-out. He has combined to go 3-0 in 23.0 innings pitched. He allowed just seven hits and seven walks in the four starts, without allowing a run. He struck out 44 batters in the four games, as well. With 44 strikeouts in 23.0 innings, Reyes has a 17.2 strikeouts per nine innings pitched ratio in his rehab starts.

PRESS ON, PRESTON: 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. Guilmet came on in the eighth inning last night after lefty Sean Gilmartin had allowed four runs in 0.2 innings to cut the Memphis lead to 5-4. Guilmet sent down four-straight batters to close out the game for the 'Birds, and earn his ninth save of the season. Guilmet's nine saves are the second-most in the PCL this season. Guilmet is also posting the lowest opponent's batting average among relievers at .108 (8-for-74), owns the lowest walks per nine innings pitched ratio among relievers at 1.14, and owns the lowest baserunners per nine innings pitched ratio among relievers at 4.56. Guilmet is now nine-for-ten in save chances this year, and is posting a 1.14 ERA in 22.2 innings, and has struck out 29 batters.

WIZ SEEING BEACH BALLS AT THE PLATE: After notching a single in the fifth inning yesterday, Patrick Wisdom extended his hitting streak to nine games. After a 1-for-4 performance with a single and a run scored, Wisdom now has a season-long nine-game hitting streak, and is hitting .455 (15-for-33) over that stretch. In the last five games alone, Wisdom is hitting .476 (10-for-21) with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs, while driving in nine runs, walking four times, and striking out just five times. In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Wisdom fell just a home run short of the cycle, but notched a home run in game two, giving him a cycle for the day. Since falling into a deep slump from April 16 to May 6, in which he hit just .220 (13-for-59) with four extra-base hits and eight RBI in 18 games, Wisdom has rebounded significantly. Over his last 15 games, he is hitting .375 (21-for-56) with eight extra-base hits, 11 RBI, and 10 runs scored. He has collected hits in 13 of those 15 games, including six games with multiple hits.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT RANDY: Last night, Randy Arozarena went 2-for-3 at the dish with a double, two runs scored, and a walk. Arozarena has now hit safely in each of his five games since returning from Springfield. His five-game hitting streak with the Redbirds over the last few days also ties his longest streak with the team this season, which he set back in April. In 13 games with Springfield, Arozarena hit .385 (20-for-52), and recorded a hit in all but one of those games. He recorded hits in nine-straight before being transferred back to Memphis, giving him a 14-game hitting streak between the two teams. Arozarena is now hitting .292 (26-for-89) in 27 games with Memphis this season, and is hitting .326 (46-for-141) in 40 games between Springfield and Memphis.

TWO IN A ROW FOR VOIT: Last night, Luke Voit went 2-for-5 at the dish, and knocked in a run in the first inning. On Wednesday, the infielder's notched his first multi-hit game since May 10 at Oklahoma City. Voit recorded back-to-back multi-hit games May 9 and May 10, including a 4-for-5 day on the 9th that saw Voit smack three doubles. It is the second time Voit has recorded back-to-back multi-hit games this season. Since May 10, Voit has played in 12 games and is hitting just .220 (9-for-41) over that span. Voit was hitless in five of those games, as well.

TWO FOR MAX: Last night, Max Schrock went 2-for-5 at the plate, giving him his first multi-hit game since May 12 against Nashville. After a slump, Schrock has now collected hits in five of his last six games, and has collected a hit in each of his last five starts. Schrock is also second on the team with 14 multi-hit games.

STRONG STARTERS, STRUGGLING 'PEN: The Memphis starting pitching staff has been a force to be reckoned with this season. Memphis starters are 24-10 with a 2.96 ERA through the first 48 games this season. Through the first 47 games, the starters have pitched 268.0 innings, allowing just 99 total runs, only 88 of which have been earned. In addition, they have walked only 83 batters, and have struck out 283 hitters. To go with that, the 'Birds starters have thrown 23 quality starts this season. They threw 55 total in 2017. The 23 quality starts are the most in the PCL this season. The Redbirds staff has also thrown five-straight quality starts after going seven-straight games without a quality start. Over that seven game stretch, the 'Birds were 3-4. In their last five games, they are 4-1.

The Memphis bullpen has been a different story so far this season. Through the first 48 games, they have appeared in 47 games, and are 5-9 with a 4.86 ERA. They have pitched 148.2 innings, have allowed 80 earned runs, 19 home runs, and 50 walks. While they have struggled at times this season, the bullpen leads the league with 17 saves. Nine of those saves have come from Preston Guilmet. He is 9-for-10 in save chances this season, while the rest of the bullpen has combined to go 8-for-15 in save chances.

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 442 batters through the first 48 games (9.2/game), which is only behind Fresno (445) for the best mark in the PCL this season. 'Birds batters are also towards the bottom of the league in total strikeouts. Memphis batters have struck out just 322 times through the first 48 games, the lowest mark in the league. Memphis and the Omaha Storm Chasers (330) are the only two teams in the PCL that have struck out under 330 times this season.

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

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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 25, 2018


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