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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (76-48) vs Round Rock Express (55-69)

August 18, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (76-48) vs Round Rock Express (55-69)

Saturday, August 18 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #125 - Home Game #65 (37-27)

RHP Kevin Herget (8-9, 4.50 ERA) vs. RHP Chris Jensen (1-2, 5.20 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and Round Rock Express will play game two of a three-game set tonight at 6:35 p.m. in Memphis. It is the third of four series the two teams will play against one another this season, and the last they will play at AutoZone Park. The fourth and final series will take place in two weeks in Round Rock. The Redbirds are coming off a 1-3 series loss to New Orleans, while Round Rock is coming off a 2-2 series split with the Nashville Sounds. Memphis has finished playing teams from other divisions, and will play the last 16 games against the three opponents from their own division. Today's game will be broadcast on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Right-hander Kevin Herget will take the mound for the Redbirds in game two of this series. Coming into tonight's game, Herget is 8-9 with a 4.50 ERA in 25 games and 19 starts this season. With the recent promotions of so many Memphis pitchers, Herget is now the most experienced Triple-A starter on the Memphis roster. In his last start, Herget took the hard-fought loss, tossing seven innings, allowing four earned runs on two home runs and six total hits. He did not walk a batter in the start, and struck out eight batters. After tossing five-consecutive quality starts from late June to early July, Herget has hit a slight road bump. He has allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last three starts, including a season-high eight on August 4 against Fresno. Despite his recent cold-stretch, Herget has been solid this season. He has already topped his previous highs in innings pitched, wins, losses, and strikeouts.

The Express will send right-hander Chris Jensen to the mound to battle Herget and the Redbirds. So far this season, Jensen is 1-2 with a 5.20 ERA in 12 games, four of which have been starts. As a starter with the Express, he is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in 18.2 innings of work. He has allowed eight earned runs on 19 hits and seven walks, while striking out eight batters.

HISTORY WITH ROUND ROCK: Memphis and Round Rock have played every season dating back to 2005 when Round Rock joined the PCL. In that span, Round Rock was initially affiliated with the Astros before becoming the Rangers' affiliate in 2011. This will be the first meeting between the two since the last week of April. In 11 games against one another this season, Memphis narrowly leads the series at 7-4. The 'Birds won the opening series 4-1 before dropping the second one 2-3. So far, Memphis is outperforming Round Rock both at the plate and on the mound. Memphis is hitting .284 compared to their .253, and posting a 3.26 ERA compared to their 5.38 mark.

BIRD BITES

AROZARENA: Has just seven hits in 15 games since rejoining Memphis for his third stint; hitting .396 with Springfield

BARON: Has hit safely in 14 of his last 17 games since June; had a season-long eight-game hitting streak in that stretch

EDMAN: Hit first career Triple-A home run in Wed. night's loss; has career-high seven HR between Memphis and Springfield

GARCIA: Was recently recalled to St. Louis for Major League debut; recorded first hit on August 10 at Kansas City

KELLY: Went 2-for-2 reaching base all five times Wed. night due to BB&2HBP; hitting .318 (42-for-132) over last 36 games

MEJIA: Had one RBI last night; now has 24 RBI in last 51 games after having only eight RBI in first 42 games this year

RAVELO: Currently riding 16-game hitting streak, hitting .407 (24-for-59) in that stretch; has career-high 13 home runs

SCHROCK: Has missed last 10 games after being placed on the Disabled List in early August

SOSA: Wed. night, snapped three-game hitless streak, hitting a game-tying two-run double in the third inning

THOMAS: Thursday night, hit three-run home run in third inning to put Memphis ahead for good; they won 3-2

TOVAR: Is hitting .326 (42-for-129) over last 36 games; recently snapped a season-long nine-game hitting streak

URIAS: Had recorded at least one hit in six of seven games since rejoining Memphis, including three multi-hit games

WILLIAMS: Has hits in eight of 11 starts since joining the Redbirds; drove in two runs in last night's win over Round Rock

BY THE NUMBERS

7-4 against Round Rock this season. Only divisional team Memphis has a winning record against this season. Memphis is 21-6 against the Express since the beginning of 2017

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds posted big first and second innings to win the series-opener against Round Rock 7-4 last night in Memphis.

After the Express grabbed an unearned run in the first, the 'Birds broke out the bats in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs. Round Rock tied the game on a two-run home run in the second, before the 'Birds scored four in the bottom of that inning to put them ahead for good.

Memphis starter Jake Woodford threw seven strong innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and no walks. He struck out three batters in the game. Giovanny Gallegos came in to relieve Woodford, pitching the final two innings to earn his first save of the season with Memphis.

Offensively, Wilfredo Tovar and Justin Williams paced the 'Birds. Both drove in two runs, while Adolis Garcia and Alex Mejia also drove in a run each.

Tommy Edman also continued his hot-hitting, going 2-for-3 at the plate. Carson Kelly continued to get on base, walking twice in the game.

THAT'S MORE LIKE IT, JAKE: In last night's 7-4 win over Round Rock, Memphis starter Jake Woodford was solid for the Redbirds. The big righty threw seven innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and no walks, while striking out three batters. For his efforts, he earned his fourth win of the season with the Redbirds. Last night was a positive sign for Woodford, who had struggled in his previous two starts. In those two games, he was 0-1, pitching a total of just eight innings. He had allowed 13 runs, nine earned, on 17 hits and four walks, while striking out just six batters, giving him a 10.13 ERA in those two starts. Woodford has been much better with Memphis this season than he was with Springfield. In 16 starts with Springfield, the righty was 3-8 with a 5.22 ERA in 81.0 innings. He had allowed 94 hits, 47 earned runs, and walked 35, while striking out only 56 batters. In nine starts with the Redbirds, he is 4-3 in 48.0 innings of work, allowing 22 earned runs on 49 hits and 15 walks, while striking out 36 batters. Opposing batters were hitting .290 (94-for-324) off Woodford at Double-A and are hitting just .263 (49-for-186) off him at the Triple-A level.

BIG NIGHT FOR TOVAR: Last night, Wilfredo Tovar was a force at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double. In the first, he singled in Justin Williams for Memphis' third run of the inning. In the second inning, he doubled home Adolis Garcia, driving in the seventh and final run of the game for the Redbirds. Since coming off the Disabled List earlier this week, Tovar has recorded a hit in each of his four games, scored twice, and hit a double and a triple. Since July began, Tovar has been on fire. In his 29 games since July 1, Tovar is hitting .320 (33-for-103) with 10 runs scored, five doubles, one triple, 11 RBI, eight walks, and two stolen bases.

EDMAN STILL HITTING: Since joining the Redbirds last week, infielder Tommy Edman has been on fire at the plate. Last night, he went 2-for-3 with a walk, scoring two runs. Wednesday night, he went 2-for-5 at the plate, hitting a game-tying two-run home run in the second inning. It was his first career home run at the Triple-A level, and his seventh overall this season. In his first game last Saturday, he went 2-for-4, scoring once, hitting a sacrifice fly, and driving in two in the win. He went hitless in Memphis' two-hit shutout loss on Sunday, but has hit safely in each of his last five games. In his first seven games with the 'Birds, Edman is hitting .400 (10-for-25). He has hits in six of seven games, and multiple hits in four of those games. Additionally, he has five RBI in his first seven, and has multiple RBI in two of those games. In the playoffs with Memphis last season, the utility infielder appeared in nine games, hitting .222 (2-for-9), and did not make an error. With Springfield this season, he was hitting .298 (128-for-429) in 104 games. His seven home runs between Memphis and Springfield this season are already a career-high. He hit four in his first season in 2016, and hit five across three levels last season.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Since rejoining Memphis for his third stint of the season, utility infielder Ramon Urias has been solid at the plate. In his first seven games back with the 'Birds, Urias has hit safely in six of them, and recorded multiple hits in three of them. In 35 games with Memphis this season, Urias is hitting .263 (26-for-99). Since rejoining the team almost two weeks ago, he has raised his batting average by 42 points from .221 to .263.

ANOTHER ONE FOR MEJIA: Last night, utility infielder Alex Mejia continued his recent hot streak at the dish, going 1-for-3 in the game and driving in his 32nd run of the season. Mejia had had just eight RBI through his first 42 games this season, but has been on a tear since that time. He now has 24 RBI in his last 51 games. His 32 RBI are the second-best mark of his career with a single team. He set that high driving in 33 with Memphis last season. Between Memphis, Springfield, and St. Louis last season, he drove in a total of 60, but the 33 with Memphis were the highest he had between any of the three.

STRUGGLES WITH THE DIVISION: Despite having the best record in all of Triple-A Baseball at 76-48, Memphis has struggled against its own division. The 'Birds are 2-6 against Nashville, 6-7 against New Orleans, and 7-4 against Round Rock. Memphis has 16 games remaining this season. They will play three more against New Orleans, five more against Round Rock, and eight more against Nashville. Nashville is the closest to the 'Birds, sitting 10 games behind Memphis. While the 'Birds batters hold similar lines against divisional and non-divisional opponents, the biggest difference is pitching. Memphis is hitting .274 (859-for-3136) against opponents in other divisions, and are hitting a slightly lower .265 (281-for-1062) against the division. However, Memphis pitchers are posting a 3.92 ERA (122ER, 280.0IP) against the division, while posting a 3.42 ERA (308ER, 811.2IP) against everyone else.

ON-BASE MACHINE: Last night, catcher Carson Kelly went 0-for-2 at the plate, walking twice and scoring once. This came after he reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances Wednesday. In the game, he recorded two singles and a walk, and was twice hit by a pitch. He also scored once and drove in a run in the game. Despite going hitless last night, Kelly has now hit safely in eight of his last 12 games, and has driven in seven runners in those 12 games. Kelly is having one of his finest seasons thus far. In 73 games with the Redbirds, he is hitting .288 (75-for-260). He has hit 14 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs, while driving in 41 runs. He has also walked 40 times this season, and struck out just 39 times. Of current players that have appeared in at least 70 games with Memphis this season, Kelly owns the second-best on-base percentage at .391, just behind Rangel Ravelo's team-leading .395 mark. With his two walks last night, he now leads Ravelo by one for the team-lead in walks. If he continues to get on base at the same pace he has thus far, he will set his career-high in on-base percentage. He has already bested his previous career-high in walks, as well.

RUNNIN' RUNNIN': Last night, outfielders Lane Thomas and Randy Arozarena both stole a base, giving Memphis 102 stolen bases this season. Wednesday, Wilfredo Tovar stole the 100th base of the season for Memphis. This season is the first time the Redbirds have recorded at least 100 steals in a season since 2013 when they stole 104 as a team. In the 21-year history of the franchise, the 'Birds have only stolen 100 bases seven times in a season (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2018). The 'Birds have only stolen 100 bases as a team four times since 2002. The franchise record for steals is 110, set in 1999. With 16 games remaining, the Redbirds are still within striking distance of that record. With Oscar Mercado getting traded, and Patrick Wisdom getting called-up, Tovar's 11 steals are second-most on the team behind Arozarena's 13. The Redbirds also have the third-most steals in the PCL this season behind Colorado Springs' 151 and Fresno's 106. The Redbirds have only been caught 32 times on the base paths this season, giving them a 76 percent success rate.

QUALITY STARTS GALORE: After Jake Woodford's performance last night, 'Birds starters have thrown 56 quality starts in 124 games this season. They threw 55 total in 2017. Earlier this season, the Redbirds staff had a streak of 11-straight quality starts. Of the 17 pitchers that have made a start for Memphis this season, 11 of them have thrown at least one quality start. Sam Tuivailala, Sean Gilmartin, Luke Weaver, Tyler Webb, Tyler Lyons, and Connor Jones combined for 15 starts, and have not thrown a quality start. Dakota Hudson has 11 in 19 starts, Kevin Herget has nine, John Gant has seven, Daniel Poncedeleon has six, Austin Gomber has five, Jack Flaherty, Chris Ellis and Jake Woodford have four apiece, Ryan Helsley has three, Austin Warner has two, and Alex Reyes has one.

RAVELO ON FIRE: In Tuesday night's loss to New Orleans, infielder Rangel Ravelo went 3-for-4 at the plate, hitting a home run and driving in two runs to extend his season-long hitting streak to 16 games. Wednesday night, he was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance before exiting the game, keeping the streak intact. His home run Tuesday tied the game at three in the fifth inning, and the score stayed that way until the 10th inning. During this stretch, he is hitting .407 (24-for-59), scoring 16 runs, hitting two doubles, four home runs, driving in 17 runs, walking 10 times, and striking out just eight times. Although Adolis Garcia and Lane Thomas have both ended their hitting streaks, Memphis accomplished the rare feat of having two 10-game hitting streaks at the same time. Ravelo's has overlapped with both Garcia's and Thomas'. Ravelo, in the midst of one of his finest seasons, is hitting .309 (96-for-311) in 90 games with a career-high 13 home runs. Since he joined Memphis last season, he now has hit safely in at least 15-straight games twice. He hit in 15-straight last season (May 9-June 3). He is now one of six Redbirds to have a hitting streak of at least 10 games this season. Tyler O'Neill (10), Yairo Munoz (10), Lane Thomas (10), Adolis Garcia (14), and Patrick Wisdom (16) have also accomplished the feat. With a hit in his next appearance, he will have the longest hitting streak for a Memphis player this season and will have tied the franchise record for the fourth-longest hitting streak. The longest hitting streak in franchise history is 20 games, which was set in 1999 by Adam Kennedy.

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