Homer Parade Guides Express to 3-1 Victory over Redbirds
August 19, 2018 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Round Rock Express News Release
MEMPHIS, Tennessee - The Round Rock Express (57-69) finished their seven-game road trip on a high note, defeating Memphis Redbirds (76-50) 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at AutoZone Park to grab a series win over the American Southern division leaders.
Express starter RHP Austin Bibens-Dirkx (3-4, 5.00) was rock-solid over 5.0 innings, permitting just one earned run on three hits on his way to earning the win. Redbirds starter LHP Austin Warner (1-1, 3.33) took the loss after he was knocked around for 14 hits and three earned runs in 4.1 frames.
Memphis struck for their only run of the game in the bottom of the second as they jumped out to a quick 1-0 edge on a solo homer off the bat of LF Justin Williams.
Round Rock's offense struggled to deliver a finishing blow in the first four innings, recording 10 hits without pushing across a run. However, the bats broke out in a major way in the top of the fifth as the E-Train stormed out to a 3-1 lead.
Leading off the side, DH Tommy Joseph obliterated an 0-1 pitch from Warner, depositing it half way up the berm in left field for a home run. The next batter, 3B Andy Ibanez, swung at the first pitch he saw and connected on a solo shot to left of his own. With Warner reeling on the mound from surrendering consecutive round-trippers, C Carlos Perez blasted the third straight longball of the frame over the fence in left-center.
This marked the first stretch of back-to-back-to-back home runs for the Express since 2012, when Elio Sarmiento, Matt Kata and Joey Butler accomplished the feat in a July 8 matchup at Albuquerque. Coincidentally, the last occurrence of back-to-back Round Rock homers came on July 8 of this season as Hanser Alberto and Drew Robinson teamed up on a pair of round-trippers in Oklahoma City.
Working with a two-run lead, the E-Train bullpen cruised through the final five innings to ensure the win. LHP Brandon Mann tossed two scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh before LHP Zac Curtis added a shutout side of his own in the eighth. In the ninth, Round Rock RHP R.J. Alvarez collected his PCL-leading 27th save of the year after striking out the final three batters Memphis sent to the plate.
Following a league-wide off-day on Monday, the Express will return home to Dell Diamond on Tuesday for a three-game set with the Nashville Sounds (66-59). Round Rock is expected to start RHP Chris Rowley (1-3, 4.18) against Nashville RHP Daniel Mengden (4-1, 3.27). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CDT.
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