Sports stats



PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (71-42) vs Fresno Grizzlies (64-49) --

August 6, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (71-42) vs Fresno Grizzlies (64-49)

Monday, August 6 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #114 - Home Game #58 (35-22)

RHP Chris Ellis (3-3, 4.07 ERA) vs. LHP Kent Emanuel (3-2, 5.20 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and Fresno Grizzlies will play game three of a four-game set tonight at 6:35 p.m. at AutoZone Park. This is the first and only time the two teams will meet in the regular season this year. The Redbirds are coming off a 2-1 series win over the Sacramento River Cats, while Fresno is coming off a 3-0 series sweep at the hands of the Nashville Sounds. This series is the last half of a seven-game homestand for the 'Birds, marking their final seven regular season games against West Coast teams this season. Today, Adolis Garcia was purchased by the Cardinals and was named the PCL Player of the Month for July. Brett Cecil was added on M.L. Rehab, and Tyler Lyons was outrighted to Memphis. Monday, Daniel Poncedeleon and Garcia were also named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher and Player of the Month for July. Today's game will be broadcast on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Chris Ellis will take the mound for the Redbirds tonight. Ellis will be making his 11th start of the year for the Redbirds, and is looking to rebound from his worst start of the season with Memphis. His last time out, he pitched the opener in the series against Sacramento, allowing six earned runs on nine hits in just five innings. Other than that outing, Ellis has been steady as a rock for the 'Birds this season. In his 10 starts thus far, he is 3-3 with a 4.07 ERA in 55.1 innings of work, allowing just 25 earned runs and 18 walks, while striking out 39 batters. Before his last outing, he had an ERA of 2.52 in his previous four starts.

The Grizzlies will send left-hander Kent Emanuel to the mound to battle Ellis and the 'Birds. Emanuel has made 26 appearances this season, with five of them being starts. He has not started a game since May 5. This season, the lefty is 3-2 with a 5.20 ERA in 62.1 innings of work.

HISTORY WITH FRESNO: Memphis and Fresno have played every year dating back to 1998 when Memphis joined the PCL. For most of that time, the Grizzlies were affiliated with the Giants, but have been affiliated with the Astros since the 2015 season. The Redbirds narrowly lead the all-time series between the two teams with a record of 49-45. They own the record in Memphis at 31-23, while narrowly trailing on the road at 18-22. The two teams have split the season series 2-2 each of the last three years.

BIRD BITES:

AROZARENA: Has just one hit in four games since rejoining Memphis last week; hitting .396 with Springfield

BARON: Last Wed. night, snapped an 8-game hitting streak; was his longest since 8-game streak July12-23, 2016

KELLY: Is hitting .343 (34-for-99) over last 27 games; has hits in 18 of those games and multiple in 12 of them

MEJIA: Had two RBI Fri. night; now has 20 RBI in last 42 games after having only eight RBI in first 42 games this year

RAVELO: Currently riding 11-game hitting streak, hitting .410 (16-for-39) in that stretch; hit walk-off single yesterday

SCHROCK: Fri. night, had first multi-RBI game since July 15; hitting just .221 (21-for-95) in 28 games since July started

SOSA: Last Friday night, hit first career Triple-A home run; is hitting .270 (99-for-366) in 97 games between MEM and SPG

THOMAS: Has hit safely in all seven of his games since being promoted to Memphis; eight of his 11 hits are extra-base hits

TOVAR: Is hitting .322 (37-for-115) over last 32 games; recently snapped a season-long nine-game hitting streak

WILLIAMS: Went 2-for-4 in his first start with the Redbirds on Saturday; hit a home run in the loss as well

WISDOM: Thursday, hit 14th home run of the season; has the fourth-most home runs and RBI in franchise history

BY THE NUMBERS

465 calendar days have passed since the Redbirds were not in first place (April 27, 2017); they have played 233 regular season games since that time.

BY THE NUMBERS

71 of the 123 home runs hit by the Redbirds this season are no longer on the roster. Between Luke Voit (9) and Oscar Mercado (8) being traded, Ramon Urias (3) being sent to Springfield and Paul DeJong (1), Yairo Munoz (3), Tyler O'Neill (26), and Adolis Garcia (21) being in St. Louis, the 'Birds are missing most of their home run power

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds earned their first walk-off win of the season yesterday, topping the Fresno Grizzlies 6-5 in 10 innings.

The 'Birds dug themselves in an early hole, trailing 5-0 after four innings. Starter Connor Jones went 2.2 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks, while striking out five.

Matt Bowman was the next man up, and threw 1.1 innings of two-run ball. After Bowman exited the game, four Memphis relievers combined to pitch six innings of shutout ball, allowing just three more hits and a walk, while striking out six. Landon Beck was the unsung hero, throwing three of those innings. Tommy Layne got the win, throwing only one pitch in the 10th inning.

The 'Birds started making their comeback in the fifth inning. Outfielder Lane Thomas launched a three-run bomb to cut the deficit to two runs. Helped in part by two errors from Fresno in the eighth, the 'Birds tied it on a Justin Williams single.

In the 10th, with the pace of play rules, the last out from the previous inning starts on second base. Lane Thomas started the frame on second, and scored when Rangel Ravelo blooped a single into right field for the win.

Ravelo (3-for-5) and Thomas (2-for-5) combined for five of the 'Birds' eight hits, four of the runs, and four RBI.

TALE OF THE TOP TWO TEAMS: This series against Fresno brings the two teams with the best records in all of Triple-A head-to-head for the first and only time this regular season. Memphis sits at 70-42, while Fresno sits at 64-48. The Redbirds hold a 13.5 game lead in their division, while the Grizzlies hold a six game lead in their division. Both teams rank atop of the leaderboards in multiple categories in the league. The 'Birds have the best ERA at 3.37, while Fresno has the fourth-best at 4.11. Fresno's pitching staff has struck out the most batters this season with 1,067 K's, while Memphis is second in that category at 947. Redbird hitters have also struck out the fewest times in the league this season, whiffing only 743 times. Fresno has the fifth-most homers, while Memphis has the sixth-most.

RAVELO ON FIRE: In yesterday's comeback, walk-off win over Fresno, infielder Rangel Ravelo went 3-for-5 at the plate, scoring once and driving in a run, while also extending his season-long hitting streak to 11 games. During this stretch, he is hitting .410 (16-for-39), scoring 12 runs, hitting two doubles, three home runs, driving in seven runs, walking six times, and striking out just six times. Although Adolis Garcia's 14-game hitting streak ended yesterday, Memphis accomplished the rare feat of having two players with at least 10-game hitting streaks at the same. Ravelo, in the midst of one of his finest seasons, is hitting .302 (88-for-291) in 84 games with a career-high 12 home runs. Since he joined Memphis last season, he now has hit safely in at least 10-straight games twice. He hit in 15-straight last season (May 9-June 3). He is now one of five Redbirds to have a hitting streak of at least 10 games this season. Tyler O'Neill (10), Yairo Munoz (10), Adolis Garcia (14), and Patrick Wisdom (16) have also accomplished the feat.

LANE IS PRETTY GOOD: In yesterday's win, centerfielder Lane Thomas continued his hot-hitting with the Redbirds and helped provide spark that led to the comeback win. Since being transferred from Springfield seven games ago, Thomas has been a force at the plate. Yesterday, he went 2-for-5 at the plate, scoring three times and hitting a three-run home run, his second with Memphis. His home run came with two outs in the fifth inning, leading to the first runs of the game for Memphis. With the new pace of play rules, as he made the last out in the ninth inning, he started the 10th inning on second base. He scored the winning run on Rangel Ravelo's bloop single. He has recorded a hit in each game he has played with Memphis, and has notched multiple hits in five of the seven games. In his debut, he went 3-for-6, falling a home run short of the cycle. He hit a home run the next night. With Memphis, he is hitting .394 (13-for-33). Eight of his 11 hits have been for extra bases.

ALL GOOD THINGS END: In yesterday's walk-off win, Adolis Garcia went 0-for-4 at the plate, snapping his 14-game hitting streak. His hitting streak also included a stretch of 11-consecutive games with an extra-base hit. For his efforts last month, he was named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month, and the PCL Player of the Month. On July 26, the outfielder became the seventh player in Memphis history, and the second in four games, to hit three home runs in a game. Tyler O'Neill hit three home runs against Colorado Springs on July 22. Garcia was the first player to hit a grand slam in a three-home run performance in Memphis history. Last Thursday, Garcia also tied the franchise record with eight RBI in a game. He joins Tagg Bozied (8/1/07) as the only Redbirds to drive in eight runs in a game. Earlier today, Garcia's contract was purchased by St. Louis, and he will make his Major League debut.

HI, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?: After all the activity over the last week with the Trade Deadline passing, the Redbirds have almost an entirely different roster than the one they had opening night. Only three of the original 13 pitchers are still with Memphis. John Brebbia, Jack Flaherty, John Gant, Austin Gomber, Dakota Hudson, and Daniel Poncedeleon are all with St. Louis. Meanwhile, Derian Gonzalez is with Springfield, and Sean Gilmartin, Preston Guilmet, and Arturo Reyes are no longer in the organization. Only Kevin Herget, Andrew Morales, and Edward Mujica remain among Opening Day pitchers. Additionally, four Opening Day position players are no longer with the team. Tyler O'Neill and Adolis Garcia have been recalled to St. Louis, while Oscar Mercado was traded to Cleveland, and Luke Voit traded to the Yankees. The Redbirds have had 166 transactions this season, 58 total players, 16 players who have made their Triple-A debuts, and five players who have made their Major League debuts. The 162 transactions this season are already the most in franchise history with over a month left to play.

NEW GUYS NEED TO STEP UP: With Adolis Garcia's contract being purchased by St. Louis earlier today, the 'Birds are now without many of their offensive weapons. With the trades of Luke Voit and Oscar Mercado, and Tyler O'Neill and Garcia going to St. Louis, Memphis has lost nearly all its power. Voit (9), Mercado (8), O'Neill (26), and Garcia (21) have combined for 64 of the Redbirds' 123 home runs this season. Ramon Urias, who is now with Springfield, has three, Paul DeJong and Yairo Munoz, both with St. Louis, have combined for four home runs as well. With that, Memphis is now missing 71 of its home runs this season (58 percent). With those seven players off the roster, the 'Birds are also missing 244 of 568 runs scored, 389 of 1,045 hits, 78 of their 206 doubles, nine of their 15 triples, 230 of their 539 RBI, and 45 of their 96 stolen bases.

BECK SHUTTING IT DOWN: Yesterday, reliever Landon Beck was lights-out for the Redbirds. The righty pitched 3.0 innings, allowing just one hit, while striking out three batters. Beck is currently on his second stint with Memphis this season, his first at the Triple-A level. Since allowing runs in back-to-back games upon being transferred back to Memphis, the righty has been dominant. Since July 24, he has made four appearances, spanning seven innings, allowing just four hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters. He now has a 3.60 ERA in 13 appearances with Memphis this season, spanning 20.0 innings.

HOME RUN HAPPY: In yesterday's win, outfielder Lane Thomas went deep in the fifth inning for the first and only home run of the game for Memphis. With the homer, Memphis has now hit a home run in seven-consecutive games for the first time this season, topping their previous best of five. The 'Birds have been mashing at the plate over the last month and a half. Through June 8 this season, the 62nd game of the year, the 'Birds had hit just 49 home runs as a team. In the 51 games since then, Memphis has hit 74 home runs. The Redbirds are now tied with Fresno for the fifth-most home runs in the PCL this season, and the most out of teams not located on the West Coast.

WISDOM CONTINUES TO MAKE HISTORY: Yesterday, Patrick Wisdom went 1-for-4 at the plate, hitting a double, and scoring a run. Wisdom is now hitting a career-high .287 (98-for-341) this season. Wisdom's career-high in hits came last season with Memphis when he recorded 111. With under 30 games left to play this season, Wisdom is very near his career mark. With his career-year, Wisdom is now in the top-10 or just outside it for many offensive categories in Redbird history. Wisdom has played the 10th-most games in franchise history (304), is now has the seventh-most doubles in franchise history (67), has the fourth-most home runs (50), has the fourth-most RBI (174), the fifth-most extra-base hits (120), and the ninth-most total bases (493). He is also outside the top-10 in multiple other categories, including at-bats, runs scored, hits, walks, and hit-by-pitches. He needs just six more at-bats, five more runs scored, and 13 more walks. Unfortunately, Wisdom is also just six strikeouts from passing John Nelson for the most in franchise history. Wisdom has also hit 28 home runs at AutoZone Park in his career, tied for the second-most in Redbird history.

MORE HONORS FOR THE 'BIRDS: Earlier today, outfielder Adolis Garcia was named the PCL Player of the Month for July. Earlier this week, outfielder Garcia was also named PCL Player of the Week for the week of July 23-29. Garcia and pitcher Daniel Poncedeleon were named the Cardinals Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Month for July earlier this week, as well. It is the fourth time a Redbird has won a Weekly PCL Honor this season. Garcia joins pitchers Daniel Poncedeleon and Austin Gomber to earn the honor. Poncedeleon earned the honor early in July, and Gomber earned the award once in April and once in May. It is one of just many honors that have come this season for the Redbirds. Earlier this season, Poncedeleon, Dakota Hudson, and Patrick Wisdom were all named PCL All-Stars, while Hudson and outfielder Randy Arozarena participated in the MLB Futures Game. Hudson was also named the Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June, the second Memphis pitcher to earn that accolade this season after Gomber earned it in April. Infielder/outfielder Rangel Ravelo was also named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for June. The Redbirds have had a player or pitcher earn the Cardinals Minor League monthly honors every month, except one dating back to the beginning of the 2017 season.

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics

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

Pacific Coast League Stories from August 6, 2018


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