Game Notes: Memphis Redbirds (9-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-9)
April 24, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release
Memphis Redbirds (9-9) at Omaha Storm Chasers (9-9)
Wednesday, April 24 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - Werner Park (9,023) - Omaha, Nebraska
Game #19 - Road Game #8 (3-4)
RHP Harold Arauz (1-0, 9.00) vs RHP Zach Lovvorn (1-0, 12.38)
BY THE NUMBERS
.438 Edmundo Sosa's batting average with runners in scoring position (7-for-16). That figure ranks 1st on active roster.
13 Number of games the Redbirds will be playing on their current road trip. This is the longest such stretch of games played away from home since Aug. 1-14, 2015.
THE GAME
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds and the Omaha Storm Chasers are set to meet for the first time at Werner Park as they open up a five-game set. In the first meeting between these two clubs, the Storm Chasers took two of three from the Redbirds to open the 2019 season, including a 14-3 victory in the series finale. In a series that was bookended by large margins of victory, the middle three games were only separated by four total runs, with a pair of one-run contests. 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 take the mound in tonight's game, to open this 13-game, three city road trip, and make his third appearance and second start of the season. In his last time out, his first relief appearance of the season on Saturday vs. Round Rock, Arauz tossed 2.0 innings, allowing four runs on three hits, including giving up back-to-back home runs to the Express' Taylor Jones and Drew Ferguson. He was also charged with two more runs after allowing the first two batters in the seventh to reach before departing. In his first start with Memphis, April 13 at Round Rock, Arauz delivered 6.0 innings of four-run ball, allowing eight hits and a home run. Opponents currently hold a .333 (11x33) average against Arauz. The 23-year-old 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. The Chiriqui, Panama, native tossed a complete game no-hitter on July 30, 2017 with Advanced-A Clearwater.
The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start right-hander Zach Lovvorn tonight. The 24-year-old is slated to make his fifth appearance of the season and his second start. In his last time out, April 17 at Oklahoma City, Lovvorn started the game, tossing 2.0 innings while allowing three runs on six hits. The Oxford, Ala., native has made two relief appearances against Memphis this season, combining to go 1-0, 4.50 (2 ER/4.0 IP) with two strikeouts and two walks. Lovvorn is in his eighth professional season and has spent them all within the Kansas City organization.
HISTORY WITH OMAHA: The Redbirds have winning records in each of the past two seasons at Werner Park in Omaha, going 5-3 in 2018 and 6-2 in 2017. The 'Birds have winning records in only seven of 21 seasons on the road against the Storm Chasers. Memphis holds a 163-143 edge overall, and a very slim 77-73 margin on the road. The Redbirds have not had a losing record against the Storm Chasers since 2011, when they went 6-9.
THE SEASON
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis Redbirds (9-9) were hampered by the home run Monday afternoon at AutoZone Park and lost the series finale to the Round Rock Express (Astros), 9-4.
Memphis pitching gave up four long balls, with two coming to Taylor Jones in his first two at-bats of the game. Yordan Alvarez blasted his 10th of the season in the ninth inning, and Jack Mayfield added one in the ninth as well.
On the Redbirds' side, Johan Mieses had two home runs of his own and finished the game with three RBI. He also made a run-saving diving catch in right field. John Nogowski had two hits for Memphis, and he drove in the club's other run in the ballgame.
Mieses' two homers marked the first two-homer game for a Redbird hitter this year.
Genesis Cabrera started and allowed four runs on four hits in 4.0 innings, and he was followed out of the Memphis bullpen by Ryan Meisinger, Tommy Layne, and Chris Beck.
MR. APRIL: On Monday, LHP Austin Gomber was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for April 15-21 following his complete-game shutout on Saturday in the second game of the doubleheader against Round Rock. Gomber allowed just three hits in his outing and faced the minimum over the final five innings. In his first four starts of the season, Gomber is 2-0, 3.22 (8 ER/22.1 IP) to go along with 22 strikeouts.
In April 2018, Gomber also won PCL Pitcher of the Week for April 23-29 and was also named Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month as well. In his last two Aprils, Gomber is 4-0, 2.81 (15 ER/48.0 IP) in eight starts and has held opponents to a .222 batting average (38x171).
CLUTCH HITTING: Edmundo Sosa delivered the Redbirds first walk-off victory of the season on Sunday vs. Round Rock with his two-run shot in the 10th. With runners in scoring position, Sosa is 7-for-16 (.438) with two doubles, a home run and seven RBI. With runners in scoring position and two outs, Sosa leads the team with a .571 average (4x7) and four RBI.
WALKING IN MEMPHIS: After matching a season-high nine walks in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, the Memphis Redbirds rank 3rd in the Pacific Coast League with 82 walks through the first 18 games of the season. The Redbirds' .357 on-base percentage also ranks T-7th in the PCL. John Nogowski holds the team lead by drawing 12 free passes.
EXTRA! EXTRA!: The Redbirds have recorded at least one extra-base hit in every game this season, collecting 31 doubles, three triples and 19 home runs. Adolis Garcia leads the team with eight extra-base hits, slugging three doubles and five home runs.
TWO-HIT TOMMY: Through his first 15 starts of the season, INF Tommy Edman has seven multi-hit games, including three, three-hit performances, April 12 at San Antonio, April 13 at Round Rock and Wednesday vs. San Antonio. His team-high 10-game hitting streak came to end Sunday, but he has reached safely in 12 of 15 contests. His 21 hits and five doubles are most among the current Redbirds roster and he also ranks 4th on the team with a .323 batting average.
WALK IT OFF: The Redbirds walk-off defeat to the Missions on April 9 was the first time since Aug. 5, 2017 that the Redbirds had lost in such fashion. The following night, it marked the first time since June 23-24, 2014 that the Redbirds had lost consecutive games in the last at-bat of the game. The two walk-off defeats this season have already matched last year's total.
CAUGHT IN A STORM: The Redbirds' 11-run defeat on April 8 marked the first time that Redbirds lost by 11 runs or more since June 16, 2018, when the Redbirds fell 13-1 at El Paso. Additionally, Omaha's 12-run second was the first time since May 12, 2016 against the Storm Chasers, that the Redbirds had given up more than 10 runs in an inning.
Elier Hernandez and Nick Dini became the first two opponents to hit back-to-back home runs against the Redbirds since May 8, 2017 and Hernandez became the first player to post a 6 RBI against Memphis since June 9, 2018.
FIRST NO MORE: Following Memphis' defeat on April 6, the Redbirds fell out of first place for the first time since April 28, 2017. It also marked the first time since April 27, 2017 that their record fell below the .500 mark. The Redbirds played the final 120 games of the 2017 season in first place, and played all 140 games of 2018 in first place. They had been in first place for the 708 calendar days, playing 262 regular-season games and 20 playoff games in that span.
The Redbirds entered April 7 in T-3rd place in the division, which marked the first time since April 12, 2016, that they had fallen out of the top two spots in the standings.
WELCOME HOME BEN: Hailing from nearby Germantown, Tenn., new Redbirds manager Ben Johnson earned the first win of his managerial career on April 4 with the 'Birds 9-2 victory over the Storm Chasers. Johnson spent last season at Triple-A Durham (Tampa Bay), as part of a staff that captured the International League title before falling to the Redbirds in the 2018 Triple-A National Championship. The 37-year-old is also the youngest manager in team history, a mark that was previously held by Danny Sheaffer, who was 41 years old when he was named manager on June 10, 2003.
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK: The Opening Night roster featured 20 players that were not on the roster for Opening Night last season. Of the five returning players (Adolis Garcia, Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Rangel Ravelo, Max Schrock) only three (Garcia, Ravelo, Schrock) were starters in the 2018 opener against Round Rock at Dell Diamond. Garcia, Gomber and Ponce de Leon all went on to make their big-leauge debuts last season with St. Louis.
FARM RAISED: Memphis' Opening Night roster featured 11 of St. Louis' top-30 prospects (Baseball America), including three of the top-10. Current prospects on the roster are: Genesis Cabrera (No. 6), Lane Thomas (No. 7), Andrew Knizner (No. 8), Ryan Helsley (No. 11), Tommy Edman (No. 12), Daniel Ponce de Leon (No. 13), Adolis Garcia (No. 15), Jake Woodford (No. 16), Edmundo Sosa (No. 22), Max Schrock (No. 25) and Giovanny Gallegos (No. 29).
BEAK-TO-BEAK-TO-BEAK?: Professional baseball has been played in the city of Memphis since 1877. In that span, only three teams have won back-to-back league championships in that time. The Memphis Egyptians won back-to-back titles in 1903-04, the Memphis Chickasaws won consecutive titles in 1952-53, and now the Redbirds have accomplished the feat with their successive PCL titles in 2017-18. No team in Memphis, however, has been able to capture a third successive title.
WINNING WAYS: After the Redbirds went 91-50 in 2017 and 83-57 last season, they have won 174 games in the last two years. That is the most wins in a two-year span in Memphis history since 1933-34 when the Chickasaws also won 174 games. The 1921-22 Chickasaws set the record for most wins in a two-year span by a Memphis professional team with 198.
KINGS OF THE HILL: After setting the franchise record for best ERA in a season at 3.77 in 2017, last year's staff shattered that record, posting a 3.54 mark. It was the second-consecutive season they owned the best ERA in the league. Additionally, they set the franchise record for most strikeouts in a season (1,160), fewest runs allowed (564), fewest hits allowed (1,152), and lowest opponent batting average (.248). Memphis' entire 2018 Opening Night, five-man starting rotation was promoted to St. Louis last season. John Gant, Dakota Hudson, Austin Gomber, Jack Flaherty, and Daniel Ponce de Leon all played large roles in St. Louis' second-half turnaround.
THE 2018 SEASON
THE BEST ONCE AGAIN: After a 5-0 victory on Sept. 15, 2018, the Memphis Redbirds were crowned champions of the Pacific Coast League, defeating the Fresno Grizzlies three games to one. It was Memphis' fourth PCL title in franchise history, and their second-straight. Memphis also won titles in 2000 and 2009. In 120 seasons of professional baseball in Memphis, it is the 16th championship all-time. Infielder Tommy Edman and outfielder Randy Arozarena were named co-MVPs of the PCL Playoffs. Arozarena hit two home runs in Game 4, giving Memphis all the offense they needed. Edman hit .469 in eight playoff games, notching a hit in all but the final game of the series. Manager Stubby Clapp has now been part of three of Memphis' four titles since they joined the PCL. He played a crucial role on the 2000 team as a middle infielder, and has now guided the Redbirds to consecutive championships as manager.
NEW FACES, NO PROBLEM: The Redbirds won the PCL Championship for the second-straight season, and advanced to the Triple-A National Championship, despite the fact that the Memphis roster was almost completely different from the playoff roster during the 2017 season. It was also almost completely different from the 2018 Opening Day roster. Of the 13 position players who made an appearance in the 2017 playoffs, only two were still on Memphis' active roster. Wilfredo Tovar and Tommy Edman are those two players. Every other player has either been traded, released, or is at a different level of the organization.
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