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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (76-50) at New Orleans Baby Cakes (62-63)

August 21, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (76-50) At New Orleans Baby Cakes (62-63)

Tuesday, August 21 - 7:00 p.m. (CT) - Shrine on Airline (10,000) - New Orleans, Louisiana

Game #127 - Road Game #61 (39-21)

LHP Tyler Lyons (0-0, 2.45 ERA) vs. RHP Zac Gallen (7-7, 4.06 ERA)

THE GAME

TODAY'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and New Orleans Baby Cakes will kick off a three-game set tonight at 7:00 p.m. in New Orleans. It is the final series the two will play against one another this season. New Orleans won the series the two played last week 3-1. The Redbirds are coming off a 2-1 series loss to the Round Rock Express, while New Orleans is coming off a 2-1 series win over the Nashville Sounds. After this series, Memphis will return home for their last four games at AutoZone Park this season against Nashville before ending the season on the road at Round Rock and Nashville. Today's game will be broadcast on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Left-hander Tyler Lyons will take the mound in tonight's series opener for the Redbirds. This will be Lyons' third start with the Redbirds this season, and fifth overall appearance. Lyons is currently working toward getting stretched out for a starting role. In his first start, the lefty worked two scoreless innings before being pulled for usual starter Chris Ellis. In his last start, he threw 3.1 innings, allowing two runs before being pulled for Ellis. With the Redbirds this season, Lyons is 0-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 7.1 innings of work. Memphis has won just three of their last nine games, and in two of those games, Lyons was the starter, with Ellis piggy-backing him for the win.

The Baby Cakes will send right-hander and former Redbird Zac Gallen to the mound to battle Lyons and the Redbirds. In 22 starts with New Orleans this season, he is 7-7 with a 4.06 ERA in 115.1 innings of work. Gallen has started against the 'Birds three times this season, and has not taken a decision yet. He has combined to throw 14.0 innings, allowing five earned runs on 15 hits, while striking out 17 for a 3.21 ERA. In nine home starts this season, he is 4-3 with a 1.56 ERA.

HISTORY WITH NEW ORLEANS: Memphis and New Orleans have played every season dating back to 1998 when Memphis joined the PCL. In that span, New Orleans has been affiliated with Houston, Washington, and the Mets before becoming Miami's affiliate 10 years ago. So far this season, New Orleans leads the season series 7-6, including 3-2 at New Orleans. Memphis would have to sweep this series to earn the season-series victory over the Baby Cakes. In the first 13 games the two have played against one another this season, the Redbirds are outhitting the Baby Cakes with a .261 batting average, compared to their .232 average. However, New Orleans is posting a better ERA at 3.65, while the Redbirds have a 4.00 mark.

BIRD BITES

AROZARENA: Has hit safely in four of last six after having just two hits in his first 10 games back with Memphis

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: Sat. night, went 2-for-4 at the plate, snapping a five-game hitless streak with the Redbirds; had double and RBI

KELLY: Has at least one walk in five consecutive games, and has a career-high 42 walks with Memphis this season

MEJIA: Had one RBI Sat. night; now has 24 RBI in last 52 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; went on DL Wednesday

SCHROCK: Went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI Sat. night in his first game back after spending 10 games on DL

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 .323 (43-for-133) over last 37 games; recently snapped a season-long nine-game hitting streak

URIAS: Has recorded at least one hit in eight of nine games since rejoining Memphis, including three multi-hit games

WILLIAMS: Drove in the only Memphis run on Sunday with a solo home run in the second; second homer with team

BY THE NUMBERS

+295 run differential for the Redbirds in 76 wins this season, +3.9/game. -170 run differential for the Redbirds in 50 losses this season, -3.4/game.

ON THIS DATE

In 1998, RHP Brady Raggio threw a complete game nine inning shutout as Memphis beat Vancouver 2-0.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds dropped Sunday afternoon's game 3-1 to the Round Rock Express. It was the second consecutive series the Redbirds have dropped.

Memphis starter Austin Warner pitched 4.1 innings for the Redbirds, allowing three runs on 14 hits. All three of the runs came via solo home runs in the fifth inning. It was the first time in over five years that an opponent had hit back-to-back-to-back home runs against Memphis.

Tyler Webb, Conner Greene, and Giovanny Gallegos all came out of the bullpen and posted scoreless outings. Webb threw 1.2 innings, stranding an inherited runner. Green threw 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and a walk, and Gallegos threw the final 1.1 inning, stranding the two runners he inherited.

Justin Williams drove in the lone Memphis run with a solo home run in the second inning. It was his second home run since joining Memphis. Max Schrock collected two hits in the game, while five other Redbirds collected one hit. The team was 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

STRUGGLES WITH THE DIVISION: Despite having the best record in all of Triple-A Baseball at 76-50, Memphis has struggled against its own division. The 'Birds are 2-6 against Nashville, 6-7 against New Orleans, and 7-6 against Round Rock. Memphis has 14 games remaining this season. They will play three more against New Orleans, three more against Round Rock, and eight more against Nashville. Nashville is the closest to the 'Birds, sitting nine 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 .266 (301-for-1133) against the division. However, Memphis pitchers are posting a 3.90 ERA (129ER, 298.0IP) against the division, while posting a 3.42 ERA (308ER, 811.2IP) against everyone else.

WARNER STUNG BY LONG BALL: In Sunday's loss to the Round Rock Express, Memphis starter Austin Warner struggled in his fifth Triple-A start. The lefty threw just 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on 14 hits. The 14 hits surrendered were a career-high from Warner. All three of the runs came via back-to-back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth inning of the game. It was the first time since July 3, 2013 when the Iowa Cubs hit three consecutive home runs of a Redbirds' pitcher. It was the second-consecutive game Warner had allowed three solo home runs. However, he did continue his trend of not walking batters. He posted his third-straight game with no walks. Warner is now 1-1 with a 3.33 ERA in five starts with Memphis. He has combined to throw 27.0 innings, allowing 10 earned runs on 42 hits. Opponents are hitting .359 (42-for-117) off him with Memphis this season.

AUGUST PITCHING WOES: After dropping Sunday's game, the Memphis pitching staff continued their struggles in the month of August. The starters in particular have struggled. So far this month, the starters are 4-7 with a 6.27 ERA in 18 games. They have allowed 62 earned runs in just 89.0 innings of work. In all 25 games of April, the Memphis starters allowed only 39 total earned runs in 135.2 innings. They have now allowed their season-high for earned runs in a month with 11 games left to play in August. They have allowed 16 home runs this month, also a season high. With all the recent transactions, the Memphis hitters have struggled to keep up with the opposition at the plate as well. The pitching staff, bullpen included, has allowed 95 runs this month (5.3/game). The Redbirds have scored only 88 total runs this month (4.9/game). Additionally, the pitchers have allowed 24 home runs this month, while the hitters have notched just 13.

HOMERS SINKING 'BIRDS: On July 25, Memphis allowed multiple home runs in their loss to Salt Lake. In the 24 games since that time, Redbirds pitchers have allowed home runs in 13 games, including eight games where they have allowed two or more home runs. They are just 11-13 in the last 24. Memphis is out-homering the opponent 130-to-113 this season, however, since July 25, the Redbirds are being out-homered 28-to-25. The 24 home runs the team has allowed this month are their third-most in a month this season through only 18 games. They allowed 31 in 30 May games and 25 in 27 June games.

EDMAN STILL HITTING: Since joining the Redbirds last week, infielder Tommy Edman has been on fire at the plate. Sunday, he went 1-for-4 at the plate, one day after he went 2-for-5 scoring both Memphis 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 seven games. In his first nine games with the 'Birds, Edman is hitting .382 (13-for-34). He has hits in eight of nine games, and multiple hits in five of those games. Additionally, he has five RBI in his first nine, 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.

WELCOME BACK, MAX: In Sunday's loss, infielder Max Schrock went 2-for-4 at the plate, posting his second-consecutive multi-hit game. He came back to the Memphis lineup after a 10-game stint on the Disabled List Saturday. He served as the DH in that game, providing a spark to the top half of the lineup, going 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in his return to action. Saturday night was his first multi-hit game since recording three hits on July 24 at Salt Lake. The two-hit performance was a solid sign for Schrock who had been struggling for consistency at the plate before going on the Disabled List. He recorded back-to-back multi-hit games on July 1 and 2 and then had a 16-game drought where he had one or zero hits until July 24. Schrock got off to a hot-start this season, his first at the Triple-A level. He hit .296 (55-for-286) in the first two months of the season before hitting a deep slump. He has hit just .234 (44-for-188) over the last two plus months.

GALLEGOS IS DEALING: Since being traded to the organization late last month from the Yankees, right-handed reliever Giovanny Gallegos has been dominant on the mound. The righty has made eight appearances spanning 10 innings. In Sunday's loss, Gallegos was called on to pitch the final 1.1 innings. He came in with two runners on, stranding them both before pitching a scoreless ninth inning. In his eight games with Memphis, Gallegos is 0-0 with one save and a 0.00 ERA. He has allowed just four hits and three walks, while striking out eight batters. Opponents are hitting just .125 (4-for-32) off him since he joined the Redbirds.

WILLIAMS GOES DEEP: In Sunday's 3-1 loss to Round Rock, all three runs were scored on solo home runs. Memphis' lone home run came off the bat of outfielder Justin Williams. It was Williams' second home run since being traded to the organization from Tampa Bay. So far, Williams has appeared in 15 games for Memphis, starting 13 of them. He is hitting .231 (12-for-52) with two multi-hit games. He has notched at least one hit in 10 of his 13 starts with Memphis.

CONSISTENCY IS KEY: Since rejoining Memphis for his third stint of the season, utility infielder Ramon Urias has been solid at the plate. Sunday, he struggled a bit, but still went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts in his role as DH. In his first nine games back with the 'Birds, Urias has hit safely in eight of them, and recorded multiple hits in three of them. In 37 games with Memphis this season, Urias is hitting .262 (28-for-107). Since rejoining the team almost two weeks ago, he has raised his batting average by 41 points from .221 to .262.

ON-BASE MACHINE: Sunday, catcher Carson Kelly went 0-for-3 at the plate, walking 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. Kelly has walked in five-consecutive games and 11 total times in 16 games this month. Kelly has now hit safely in nine of his last 14 games, and has driven in seven runners in those 14 games. Kelly is having one of his finest seasons thus far. In 75 games with the Redbirds, he is hitting .286 (76-for-267). He has hit 14 doubles, one triple, and seven home runs, while driving in 41 runs. He has also walked 42 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 .389, just behind Rangel Ravelo's team-leading .395 mark. With his walk last night, he now leads Ravelo by two 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': Saturday night, infielders Tommy Edman and Max Schrock, as well as outfielder Randy Arozarena, each stole a base, giving Memphis 105 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 15 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 14. The Redbirds also have the third-most steals in the PCL this season behind Colorado Springs' 151 and Fresno's 108. The Redbirds have only been caught 33 times on the base paths this season, giving them a 76 percent success rate. Memphis now has 105 steals for the first time since 2002. They trail only the 2000 team (106) and the 1999 team.

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