Sports stats



PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (34-49) vs New Orleans Baby Cakes (45-38)

July 2, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (34-49) vs New Orleans Baby Cakes (45-38)

Tuesday, July 2 - 5:05 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #85 - Home Game #44 (13-29)

RHP Mike Mayers (0-0, 4.50) vs LHP Brian Moran (2-1, 4.88)

BY THE NUMBERS

15 John Nogowski's current hitting streak. He is the second Redbird this season have a hitting streak of at least 15 games, joining Rangel Ravelo. It is also the longest hitting streak of his career at any level.

4 Number of hits by Randy Arozarena Sunday. It was his second four-hit performance in his last three games, which is the joint-most among Redbirds players this year.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds continue their nine-game homestand tonight with a doubleheader against the New Orleans Baby Cakes. The two teams will resume last night's suspended contest, with the Baby Cakes leading the Redbirds 1-0 entering the second inning. Genesis Cabrera is scheduled to come out of the bullpen in relief of Harold Arauz when the game resumes. The Redbirds won their first game of the current homestand Sunday in a 10-6 comeback victory. Joe Hudson broke a 6-6 tie with a two-run triple and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Irving Lopez to cap a five-run frame. John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to 15 games yesterday, going 3-4 with a pair of singles and a double. Randy Arozarena also had his second four-hit game in his last three. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Mike Mayers is scheduled to take the mound following the conclusion of the suspended game and make the start. It will be his first start at the minor league level since 2017 with the Redbirds and his first during his current rehab assignment. Mayers has gone 0-0, 4.50 (1 ER/2.0 IP) in two inning-long relief appearances. His relief appearance on Wednesday vs. Nashville was his first in-game action since April 15 with St. Louis. He has been on the Injured List since April 16 due to a right shoulder lat strain. At the Major League level this season, Mayers went 0-1, 5.40 (5 ER/8.1 IP) in eight games. During that span, he allowed an opponent's average of .286 (10x35) with five of those hits going for extra bases. He also struck out eight and issued five walks. He began the season allowing one earned run in 6.2 innings and had a run of four consecutive scoreless appearances before allowing four earned runs in his last two games before his injury. Mayers spent the bulk of 2018 with St. Louis, going 2-1, 4.70 (27 ER/51.2 IP) in 50 games. He posted a 2.57 ERA on the road in 24 games, compared to a 7.23 ERA in 26 games at home. Mayers was dominant during the month of June, holding opponents to a .194 average (7x36) while fanning 15 in 10.2 innings. The Ole Miss product was drafted by the Cardinals in the 3rd round (93rd overall) in the 2013 June Amateur Draft. The 27-year-old is in his seventh professional season and has spent them all within the Cardinals organization.

The Baby Cakes are scheduled to start left-hander Brian Moran in tonight's seven-inning contest. The 30-year-old is scheduled to make his first start of the season and his 26th appearance for the Baby Cakes overall. Moran has gone 2-1, 4.88 (17 ER/31.1 IP) in his 25 outings and has made scoreless appearances in each of his last four games (7.0 IP). In his last 13 games, Moran has allowed earned runs in just three appearances and is holding opponents to a .227 (15x66) average. In his last time out on Friday at Oklahoma City, he tossed three scoreless innings, allowing no hits and whiffing five in the Baby Cakes' 9-7 victory over the Dodgers. It was his longest outing of the season and the second time that he had tossed more than 2.0 innings in an appearance. He has made one appearance against the Redbirds this season on May 2, tossing 0.1 innings, allowing one hit and no runs. The Port Chester, N.Y., native is in his tenth professional season and his first within the Miami organization. He had previously spent time in the Seattle, Atlanta, Los Angeles-NL and Colorado organizations. Moran missed the entirety of the 2014 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

HISTORY WITH NEW ORLEANS: Memphis has faced off against New Orleans every year since 1998 and trail 168-174 in the all-time series. In the 10 years that the Redbirds have faced off against the Miami Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans, the 'Birds have winning records at AutoZone Park in just four seasons, 2009 (5-3), 2014 (7-1), 2016 (5-3) and 2017 (5-3), but have only dropped one season series at this facility in 2012 (3-5). Despite the Redbirds overall dominance in 2018, they went 7-9 against the Baby Cakes, including a 4-4 record at home. Their overall record against the Miami Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans is 83-83.

Memphis has faced off with Miami's top affiliate every year since 2003. From 2003-08, the Albuquerque Isotopes played host for the Marlins Triple-A club, where the Redbirds had a 44-54 record over six seasons. Over the 16 seasons that the Redbirds have faced off against Miami's Triple-A club, the 'Birds trail 127-136 overall.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds trailed the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins) 5-0 midway through the game but scored 10 times in their final four at-bats to earn a 10-6 win Sunday afternoon at AutoZone Park.

Randy Arozarena finished the game 4-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored, and two RBI for his second four-hit game in three outings. John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to 15-straight games with a 3-for-5 showing, and he also drove in a pair for the Redbirds (34-49).

Kramer Robertson went 3-for-4 with two doubles, and Irving Lopez was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored twice. Robertson and Lopez each drove in two runs as well.

The Redbirds plated two in the bottom of the fifth to get on the board and another in the bottom of the sixth to make it 5-3, and the Baby Cakes (45-38) then got their fourth home run of the game in the top of the seventh to open up another three-run lead.

After that, however, it was all Redbirds as the club scored five times in the bottom of the seventh to gain an 8-6 advantage.

Arozarena started things off with a single, went to third on a Max Schrock ground-rule double, and then scored along with Schrock on a Nogowski ground-rule two-bagger. After a flyout Rangel Ravelo was intentionally walked, and Nogowski and Ravelo scampered home on a Joe Hudson triple. Lopez then plated Hudson on a sacrifice fly.

With an 8-6 lead, Chris Ellis came out for his second inning of relief in the top of the eighth and fired a 1-2-3 frame. After allowing a leadoff home run to the first batter he faced in the seventh, Ellis retired six-straight New Orleans hitters. He handed the ball to Chris Beck, who tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to close the ballgame after Arozarena gave Memphis two more runs with a home run to right field.

The final nine Baby Cakes were retired and 13 of the last 14 overall.

After the first two New Orleans hitters homered to start the game, Redbirds starter Austin Warner battled through 6.0 innings in his first Triple-A start of the season.

The Redbirds were 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

NASHVILLE SERIES WRAP: The Memphis Redbirds were swept in four games by the Nashville Sounds in the final meeting between the two teams this season. It was the fourth time in the last five home series that the Redbirds have been swept. The 'Birds fall in the season series 7-9 and finish with a 3-5 record at AutoZone Park. They also dropped their final six games against the Sounds this season. The Redbirds have gone 7-9 against their in-state rivals the past two years and having losing records at home in three of the last four. The Redbirds were outscored 33-18 in the series and scored four runs or fewer in three games and went 0-2 in contests where they outhit the Sounds. In the series opener on June 25, the Redbirds allowed 18 hits, matching a season high (3 times). The 17 runs allowed on Wednesday set a season-high and it was the first time that Memphis had allowed that many runs in a game since May 28, 2016 at Las Vegas.

Randy Arozarena led the way for the Redbirds offensively in the series, going 8-for-19 (.421) and a pair of RBI. After going 0-for-5 in the opener, Arozarena responded by going 8-for-14 over the final three games, picking up a three-hit performance on Wednesday and his first four-hit game of the season Friday. Through 16 games with Memphis following the series, Arozarena was slashing .344/.411/.516/.927 and has failed to reach safely when he starts just twice (14 G). Adolis Garcia extended his hitting streak to a season-high 10 games after going 6-for-17 over four games. Garcia also swiped three bags in the series and has at least one stolen base in four of his last five games overall. After going 1-for-1 with three walks in Friday's game, Irving Lopez pushed his hitting streak to three games, a career-high at the Triple-A level. He had multi-hit performances in each of the first two games of the series and on Friday became the fifth Redbird this season to draw at least three walks in a single game. Three of his five hits went for extra bases and he launched his first-career Triple-A home run on Tuesday. John Nogowski extended his current hitting streak to a season-high 13 games after collecting one hit in each game. It is the second-longest hitting streak by a Redbird this season, as he only trails Rangel Ravelo's 19-game streak. Tyler O'Neill blasted his 11th home run of the year on Thursday for the Redbirds' 100th home run of the season. They trailed only the 2005 squad for most home runs hit through June (101). Edmundo Sosa has pushed his hitting streak to eight games and is just one game away from matching his season-high streak of nine. Overall in the series, the offense batted .301 (44x146) against Sounds pitching, averaging 11 hits per game. Eleven of those 44 hits went for extra-bases.

The 'Birds starting staff went 0-1, 6.92 (14 ER/18.2 IP) fanning 13 batters while issuing three walks. Two of the four starters allowed two earned runs or fewer in their outings while tossing at least 5.0 innings. They allowed four home runs and yielded an opponent's average of .296 (42x142). Reigning Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week Jake Woodford continued to dominate on the mound and tossed his second-straight quality start in Friday's series finale. It was his third quality start in his last five outings and he has allowed two earned runs or fewer in four starts during that span. Genesis Cabrera made his first start for the Redbirds since June 9 at Reno, picking up right where he left off by allowing just one earned run on four hits in five innings of work. He also issued no walks in an outing for the first time this season in a Redbirds uniform. In his last four starts for the Redbirds Cabrera has allowed two earned runs or fewer in each outing, bringing his ERA down to a season-low 5.44. The Memphis bullpen went 0-3, 8.95 (17 ER/17.1 IP) with 12 strikeouts and 11 walks. Junior Fernandez made his Triple-A debut on June 25 and dazzled on the mound, twirling 3.1 scoreless frames while striking out five. After allowing five earned runs in 0.2 innings in his Triple-A debut on June 25, Seth Elledge tossed a scoreless eighth on Friday. Mike Mayers made his first appearance since April 15 on Wednesday to begin his rehab assignment, needing just six pitches to complete a one-two-three inning.

JUNE RECAP: The Redbirds finished June with a 11-16 record, going 3-12 at AutoZone Park and 8-4 on the road. This is the just the third time since 2017, that the Redbirds have posted a losing record in a month, adding to May 2019 and August 2018. The 39 home runs slugged by the Redbirds ranks 2nd for home runs in June, falling just one home run shy of joining the 2005 squad (44) of being the only two teams in Redbird history to hit at least 40 home runs in June. The 102 total home runs launched this season through June are the most by any Redbirds team.

John Nogowski led the regulars with a .410 average (34x83), and also posted a .479 OBP and a 1.081 OPS. He also ended the month riding a career-high 15-game hitting streak. Edmundo Sosa led the team with five home runs and also finished a single shy of the cycle in back-to-back games on June 6 and 7.

NOGOWSKI ON A ROLL: After going 3-4 on Sunday, John Nogowski extended his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. He has eight multi-hit games during that span, raising his batting average from .272 to .316. He is the second Redbird this season to have a hitting streak reach at least 15 games, joining Rangel Ravelo.

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 .325 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.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

• Discuss this story on the Pacific Coast League message board...

Pacific Coast League Stories from July 2, 2019


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central