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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (28-19) vs Oklahoma City Dodgers (28-15)

May 24, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (28-19) vs Oklahoma City Dodgers (28-15)

Thursday, May 24 - 7:05 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #48 - Home Game #24 (13-10)

RHP Alex Reyes (NR) vs. RHP Dennis Santana (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and Oklahoma City Dodgers will play the finale of their four-game set tonight at 7:05 p.m. The two teams have met 11 times in the last three weeks, with Memphis holding the slight advantage with a 6-5 record. Memphis is coming off a 3-1 series victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, while Oklahoma City is coming off a four-game sweep of the Nashville Sounds. Today's game will be broadcast on memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander and Cardinals' No. 1 prospect Alex Reyes will be making the start for the Redbirds tonight. Reyes will be making his fourth rehab start on his back from Tommy John surgery. The surgery forced him to miss the entire 2017 season. Reyes appeared with Memphis in 2016 before making his MLB debut. In 14 starts with the Redbirds, he was 2-3 with a 4.96 ERA in 65.1 innings, and had 93 strikeouts. He made his MLB debut in August of that year, and made 12 appearances, including five starts, with St. Louis. Reyes was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in 46.0 innings with the Cardinals, striking out 52 batters. Over the last few weeks, Reyes has made three rehab starts between Palm Beach, Peoria, and Springfield. In those games, he combined to go 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 16.0 innings, allowing just six hits and six walks, while striking out 31 batters.

The Dodgers will counter with righty Dennis Santana. Santana, the No. 10 prospect in the Milwaukee system made his Triple-A debut last week against Nashville, and dazzled. The righty threw 6.0 shutout innings, allowing three hits and no walks, while striking out 11 batters. Between Double-A and Triple-A this season, Santana is 1-2 with a 2.22 ERA in 44.2 innings, and has struck out 62 batters.

HISTORY WITH OKLAHOMA CITY: Memphis and Oklahoma City have played 11 games against each other already this season. So far, Memphis narrowly leads the season-series with a 6-5 record. Through the first 11 games of the season series, both teams are hitting .257. Oklahoma City holds the slight advantage on the mound, posting a 3.56 ERA against Memphis, compared to a 3.86 ERA from the Memphis pitching staff.

BIRD BITES

AROZARENA: Including last nine Double-A games, has 13-game hitting streak; .396 (19-for-48) in that stretch

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

KELLY: Rejoins the team on Major League Rehab; hit .236 with four 2B, two HR and 11 RBI in 21 games with Memphis

KNIZNER: Has recorded a hit in each of his 4 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 last 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 a seven-game hitting streak; is hitting .548 (17-for-31) in that stretch with six 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 .148 (4-for-27) over last eight 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: Nine of 24 total hits this season are doubles, and one is a home run, making 42 percent of his hits for extra bases

WISDOM: Is hitting .483 (14-for-29) over current eight-game hit streak; has hit homers in two of last five games

BY THE NUMBERS

19-2 when scoring at least five runs in a game this season. The Redbirds are just 8-17 in games where they score under five runs

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds bounced back last night, winning 7-2 over the Oklahoma City Dodgers to win their fifth game in their last six.

The 'Birds got the scoring started early, notching three runs in the first inning. They later scored two in the sixth and two in the eighth to post the 7-2 win.

Kevin Herget was solid on the mound for Memphis, posting his second quality start since moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation. Herget twirled 6.0 innings, allowing just four hits and one walk, while striking out six. His only blemish came in the sixth inning when he allowed a solo home run to former Redbirds Breyvic Valera.

Offensively, Oscar Mercado led the charge for the 'Birds. He extended his hitting streak to seven games with a three-hit performance. He also drove in three of the Memphis run, two coming via his sixth homer of the year.

Luke Voit (2-for-4), Randy Arozarena (2-for-4), and Jeremy Martinez (2-for-4) also recorded multi-hit games. Hector Mendoza and Arturo Reyes pitched the final three frames, allowing one run on three hits.

HAVE MERCY, MERCADO: Oscar Mercado continued his hot-stretch at the plate last night, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a home run, 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 .548 (17-for-31) in his last seven games, notching five doubles, a home run, seven RBI, and scoring nine runs. Six of the seven games have been multi-hit performances. His .548 average since May 16 is the best in the PCL by 58 points. Mercado is now hitting .329 (53-for-161) this season with 32 runs scored, eight doubles, six home runs, 21 RBI, 15 walks, 23 strikeouts, and 10 stolen bases, third in the league.

FINALLY, SOME GOOD LUCK FOR HERGET: Last night, Kevin Herget turned one of his best performances of the season. The righty earned his second win of the year, throwing 6.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk, while striking out six batters. His lone blemish came in the sixth inning when he allowed a solo home run to former Redbird Breyvic Valera. Three of his five starts have come against Oklahoma City, and he has pitched well in each of them. His first start was a spot start, and he allowed two runs over three innings. In his last start against the Dodgers, he threw 6.2 innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts, but the 'Birds were shutout. In his two most recent appearances against the Dodgers, Herget is 1-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 12.2 innings. He has allowed just two total runs in those two games, while striking out 13 batters.

PITCHERS WHO RAKE (SOMETIMES): Last night, not only did pitcher Kevin Herget throw a gem, he also went 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored at the plate. It was his second double of the season, the second in as many days from Memphis pitchers, as Tuesday's starter Ryan Helsley also smacked a double. Herget's day at the plate continued a positive trend at the plate for the 'Birds pitching staff. Redbirds pitchers have recorded hits in five of the last seven games, including three straight. Four Memphis pitchers have recorded hits this season, Sean Gilmartin, Austin Gomber, Helsley, and Herget. Gomber (2-for-7), Helsley (2-for-2), and Herget (3-for-8) are the only Memphis pitchers with multiple hits.

WIZ SEEING BEACH BALLS AT THE PLATE: After notching an RBI double in the 10th inning Tuesday, slugging infielder Patrick Wisdom continued his eight-game hitting streak. After a 1-for-4 performance with a double and a walk yesterday, Wisdom now has a season-long eight-game hitting streak, and is hitting .483 (14-for-29) over that stretch. In the last four games alone, Wisdom is hitting .529 (9-for-17) with three doubles, a triple, and two home runs, while driving in nine runs, walking four times, and striking out just four 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 14 games, he is hitting .385 (20-for-52) with eight extra-base hits, 11 RBI, and nine runs scored. He has collected hits in 12 of those 14 games, including six games with multiple hits.

FIVE IS THE LUCKY CHARM: The Redbirds have been virtually invincible when scoring at least five runs in a game. When Memphis scores five or more, they are 19-2. When the Redbirds score under five runs, they are just 8-17 on the season. After winning yesterday, the Redbirds are also a perfect 4-0 in Wednesday games this season.

STRONG OUTFIELD: Last night, Adolis Garcia cut down Rocky Gale trying to stretch his single into a double. It was Garcia's eighth outfield assist this season, the top mark in the PCL. As a team, Memphis has recorded 13 outfield assists this season, tied with Sacramento and El Paso for third-most in the PCL. Fresno and Salt Lake have the most outfield assists as a team with 15 each, and Round Rock has 14. Garcia himself has as many or more assists than six PCL teams. Garcia also made a fantastic diving play to end the ballgame last night, and seal the win for Memphis.

SOLID NIGHT FOR VOIT: Last night, Luke Voit went 2-for-4 at the dish, knocking in a run in the first inning, and coming around to score, as well. It was the infielder's 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. Since May 10, Voit has played in 11 games and is hitting just .194 (7-for-36) over that span. Voit was hitless in five of those games, as well.

STRONG STARTERS, STRUGGLING 'PEN: The Memphis starting pitching staff has been a force to be reckoned with this season. Memphis starters are 23-10 with a 3.03 ERA through the first 47 games this season. Through the first 47 games, the starters have pitched 261.0 innings, allowing just 99 total runs, only 88 of which have been earned. In addition, they have walked only 82 batters, and have struck out 270 hitters. To go with that, the 'Birds starters have thrown 22 quality starts this season. They threw 55 total in 2017. The 22 quality starts put the 'Birds one ahead of the New Orleans Baby Cakes for most in the PCL this season. The Redbirds staff has also thrown four-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 four games, they are 3-1.

The Memphis bullpen has been a different story so far this season. Through the first 47 games, they have appeared in 46 games, and are 5-9 with a 4.68 ERA. They have pitched 146.2 innings, have allowed 76 earned runs, 18 home runs, and 49 walks. While they have struggled at times this season, the bullpen leads the league with 16 saves.

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 429 batters through the first 47 games (9.1/game), which is only behind Fresno (445) for the best mark in the PCL this season. The 429 strikeouts is also the third-best mark in all of Triple-A baseball. The Durham Bulls of the International League lead all of Triple-A with 449 strikeouts this season. 'Birds batters are also towards the bottom of the league in total strikeouts. Memphis batters have struck out just 318 times through the first 47 games, the lowest mark in the league. Memphis is the only team in the PCL to strikeout under 320 times this season, and one of just three teams in all of Triple-A baseball to have fewer than 320 strikeouts. The Redbirds are tied with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League for second-fewest strikeouts in all of Triple-A, trailing only the Buffalo Bisons (304) for fewset strikeouts in Triple-A.

HELSLEY DOMINANT: Tuesday, Memphis starter Ryan Helsley was lights-out in his second start with Memphis. After allowing two hits, two runs, and a walk in the first inning, Helsley settled in, pitching six-straight 1-2-3 innings, which resulted in 20-straight batters being retired. He took the no-decision as the 'Birds fell in 10 innings, while striking out nine batters. In his two starts with Memphis this season, Helsley is 1-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 14.0 innings. He has allowed just three total runs on six hits, while walking two and striking out 18 batters. In seven starts with Double-A Springfield this season, Helsley is 3-2 with a 4.39 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 41.0 innings pitched. Through nine total starts this season, Helsley is 4-2 with a 3.76 ERA in 55.0 innings. He has struck out 62 total batters, and is holding opposing hitters to just a .185 (36-for-195) batting average.

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)

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