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Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (33-45) vs Nashville Sounds (32-45)

June 26, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (33-45) vs Nashville Sounds (32-45)

Wednesday, June 26 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #79 - Home Game #38 (12-25)

RHP Harold Arauz (3-1, 5.58) vs RHP Seth Maness (4-2, 3.72)

BY THE NUMBERS

13 Number Redbirds that have made their Triple-A debuts this season after Junior Fernandez's appearance in last night's game. The 2018 Redbirds had 22 players make their Triple-A debuts.

6 Jake Woodford will become the sixth Redbirds pitcher to start a Triple-A All-Star Game when he takes the mound on July 10 in El, Paso, Texas. He is also the second-straight Redbird to start game after Dakota Hudson did so last season.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds continue their nine-game homestand tonight in the second of four games against Nashville Sounds in the final series between the two clubs this season. The Redbirds fell in last night's opener 10-4, with the Sounds collecting 18 hits, matching a Redbirds season-high for hits allowed. It was also the second-straight game that the Sounds have scored 10 runs against the 'Birds. John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to 10 games, becoming the third Redbird this season to post such a streak. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Harold Arauz is scheduled to make his eighth appearance and fifth start for the Redbirds tonight's contest. It will also be his 14th appearance overall across all levels this season and his first time facing the Nashville Sounds in his career. In his last time out on Friday at Oklahoma City in the second game of the series, Arauz too no-decision in the start (4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 SO, 1 HR, 2 HBP) in the Redbirds' 14-7 victory over the Dodgers. It marked the fourth time this season that he has allowed at least seven hits in an outing with Memphis and it was his first time in a start with the Redbirds that he did not reach not reach the 5.0 innings mark. The five earned runs allowed was his most at the Triple-A level this season. Prior to rejoining the Redbirds on June 6, Arauz went 0-4, 8.86 (21 ER/21.1 IP) in five starts with Double-A Springfield. He yielded an opponent's average of .385 (40x104) and allowed 11 extra-base hits. He also allowed career-highs in hits (12, May 4) and walks (5, May 15) during that span. Overall, he has allowed three earned runs or fewer four of his 10 starts and has made just two quality starts in his outings. The 24-year-old has fanned 37 has issued 26 walks in 58.2 innings across all levels this season. Arauz has yielded an opponent's average of .333 (84x252) overall but has limited opponents to a .242 average (8x33) when pitching as a reliever. The Chiriqui, Panama, native is in his 8th professional season and first within the Cardinals organization. He has also spent time in the Houston and Philadelphia systems at various levels. At Advanced-A Clearwater on July 30, 2017, Arauz tossed a no-hitter.

The Sounds are scheduled to start right-hander Seth Maness in tonight's contest. The 30-year-old is scheduled to make his 11 start in as many games and his third start against the Redbirds this season. In his last time out on Thursday at New Orleans, Maness suffered his second loss of the season (7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 SO, 3 HR) in the Sounds' 6-2 defeat to the Baby Cakes. The loss was his first since May 2, his first start of the season, and the eight hits allowed matched a season high (4 times). It was also the first time that Maness allowed multiple home runs in a start since May 8. It was also his longest outing of the season and the third time that he had worked into the seventh inning. In his two starts against the Redbirds this season, Maness has gone 0-0, 4.50 (6 ER/12.0 IP) in one home and one road start. In his start at AutoZone Park on May 13, he took no-decision (6.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR) in the Sounds' 5-3 victory over the Redbirds. He initially started the season with the High Point Rockers of the Atlantic League before being signed by the Texas Rangers on May 2. Maness is a former Redbird, making his last appearance for Memphis on June 16, 2016 at Nashville. Overall, Maness went 2-2, 4.00 (12 ER/27.0 IP) in 6/4 GS in a Redbirds uniform. He spent the 2018 season at Triple-A Omaha, going 0-1, 4.63 (6 ER/11.2 IP) in 5 G/1 GS. The Pinehurst, N.C., native is in his 9th professional season and his first with the Texas organization. He has also spent time with the St. Louis and Kansas City organizations.

HISTORY WITH NASHVILLE: Memphis has faced off against Nashville every year since 1998 and trail 163-183 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 161-179.

Memphis a winning record at AutoZone Park in just three seasons against the Sounds, the most recent coming in 2014 (5-3). Prior to that year, the last time the Redbirds had a winning record here in downtown Memphis against their in-state rivals was in 2005 (6-2).

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Irving Lopez was 2-for-4 with his first Triple-A home run and Adolis Garcia had three hits, but the Memphis Redbirds dropped the series opener to the Nashville Sounds (Rangers) Tuesday night at AutoZone Park, 10-4.

Eight of Nashville's (32-45) 10 runs and all four of Memphis' (33-45) were scored in the first three innings. The Sounds got a pair of unearned runs in the top of the ninth.

The Redbirds led 2-0 after the first inning, with Edmundo Sosa walking, going to third on a Rangel Ravelo single, and scoring on a balk. Ravelo then crossed the plate on an Andrew Knizner single.

The Sounds scored three in the second inning off Anthony Shew, but Lopez tied the game in the home-half with his first-career Triple-A long ball.

With the score tied at 3, Nashville came back with five runs in the third inning off Seth Elledge to open a lead it would not relinquish.

Junior Fernandez made his Triple-A debut with 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two singles, one erased on a double play, with no walks and five strikeouts. The No. 20 St. Louis Cardinals prospect was transferred from Double-A Springfield earlier in the day.

In addition to his walk and run in the first, Sosa hit his eighth home run of the season in the third.

Sosa is now on a five-game hitting streak and has four extra-base hits during the span. He has also scored a run in five-straight games and seven overall during that period.

After his 3-for-4 game, Garcia is riding a seven-game hitting streak and has stolen three bases in the last two games.

The loss snapped Memphis' four-game winning streak, one shy of a season long.

PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE ALL-STARS: Memphis Redbirds pitcher Jake Woodford and infielder Rangel Ravelo have been named to the 2019 Pacific Coast League All-Star Team, with the 32nd annual Triple-A All-Star Game against the International League stars on Wednesday, July 10 in El Paso, Texas.

Woodford was the top vote-getter among all pitchers and earns the prestigious starting nod. He is the sixth Redbird, and second-straight, to start an All-Star Game on the mound.

Ravelo leads Redbirds regulars with a .326 batting average, which was highlighted by a 19-game hitting streak earlier this season that ended one game shy of matching the franchise record. He hit .449 (31-69) during the hitting streak, which spanned from May 2-24. He had eight multi-hit games during the stretch.

Ravelo made his Major League debut with the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this season after 838 games in the minor leagues.

OKLAHOMA CITY SERIES WRAP: The Memphis Redbirds took four of five games from the Oklahoma City Dodgers to win their second road series in their last three in their first visit to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark this season. After dropping the opening game on Thursday, the Redbirds rattled off four-straight wins, matching their season-high winning streak. This is the third time this season that the Redbirds have had a winning streak of at least four games and they are one win shy of matching their season-high of five straight road wins. It also marked the second time this season they had won four consecutive games in a single series, the last from April 24-28 at Omaha. One more win against the Dodgers in Oklahoma City will match a season-high for road wins for the 'Birds at OKC (5, 2013, 2000).

The Redbirds scored just 19 runs in the four games in their previous series vs. Las Vegas, the offense exploded for 39 runs and 57 hits in five games, collecting double-digits in the hit column in the final four games. The offense slugged a total of 10 home runs, including a season-high five on Friday, and collected 29 extra-base hits overall. Against Oklahoma City pitching, Memphis mashed their way to a .311 average (57x183) and had 17 players pick up multi-hit performances. The Redbirds averaged 11.4 hits per game and went 13-for-47 (.277) with runners in scoring position. Among Pacific Coast League American Conference teams, the Redbirds rank 3rd with a .293 average with runners in scoring position.

John Nogowski led the way for the Redbirds offensively in the series, going 8-for-16 (.500) with seven RBI. Six of his eight hits went for extra-bases and he had back-to-back games with three RBI on Saturday and Sunday. Nogowski extended his current hitting streak to a season-high nine games in the process. He had multi-hit games in three games of the series and he ranks T-2nd on the Redbirds with 16 multi-hit performances overall. Tyler O'Neill and Drew Robinson had immediate impacts in their return from the Injured List last night, going a combined 4-for-7 with two runs scored, two runs driven in and three walks. O'Neill launched his tenth home run of the year, a solo shot in the 9th, and now ranks 2nd on the team in that category after just 35 games played with the Redbirds this season. Robinson reached safely in four of his five plate appearances. In the Redbirds five-HR barrage on Friday, Yariel Gonzalez and Joe Hudson each hit a pinch-hit solo home run and would both homer in Saturday's contest as well. Hudson's eight long balls this season match his career high, set in 2014. Lane Thomas homered in consecutive at-bats in the sixth and seventh innings of Sunday's game for his first multi-HR game of the season. Thomas led all Cardinals minor leaguers in 2018 with 27 home runs. Before getting transferred back to Double-A Springfield yesterday, Conner Capel extended his hitting streak to eight games. He hit safely in each game he played during his first career Triple-A stint.

The 'Birds starting staff went 1-0, 3.91 (7 ER/16.1 IP) fanning 11 batters while issuing nine walks. Three of the five starters allowed no earned runs in their outing, but just one starter pitched past the 5.0 inning mark. They also allowed seven home runs and yielded an opponent's average of .241 (41x170). Jake Woodford snapped a stretch of three straight series without a quality start by tossing 7.0 scoreless frames, allowing just two hits in the Redbirds 5-0 shut-out victory on Saturday. That outing earned him PCL Pitcher of the Week honors for the first time in his career. Mike Hauschild made his first two starts since April 8, bookending the series. He allowed two earned runs in 6.2 innings of work and six hits. Alex Reyes continued where he left off from his start on June 18 by fanning two in the first, but departed through injury after one batter in the 2nd. He had recorded seven of his last nine outs via strikeout. The Memphis bullpen went 3-1, 4.09 (11 ER/24.2 IP) with 30 strikeouts. Chasen Shreve tossed 3.0 scoreless innings during the series, lowering his season ERA to 3.99. Jesus Cruz made his longest outing of the season on Sunday, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings, allowing just one batter to reach via hit by pitch.

WOODFORD PCL PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Memphis Redbirds starting pitcher Jake Woodford has been named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for June 17-23, the league announced Monday.

Woodford earned the honor after throwing seven scoreless frames and allowing just two hits on Saturday's 5-0 Memphis win over the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Dodgers) in Oklahoma City. He held the Dodgers to just two at-bats with runners in scoring position and he faced the minimum in four of his seven frames. It was also his seventh quality start of the season and his third in his last five outings.

In 15 starts for the Redbirds this season, Woodford is 5-3 with a 3.39 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 87.2 innings. He has held opponents to just a .212 average against. Among PCL league leaders, he ranks 3rd in innings pitched, 3rd in ERA, 2nd in opponent's average and 6th in strikeouts.

NOGOWSKI ON A ROLL: After his base hit in his final at-bat last night, John Nogowski extended his season-high hitting streak to 10 games. At the beginning of this stretch, Nogowski was batting .272 to go along with a .394 OBP and is now posting a .308 average and a .417 OBP. He has six multi-hit games during this span and has drove in at least one run in eight of the 10 games.

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