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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Memphis Redbirds (48-63) vs El Paso Chihuahuas (66-45)

August 3, 2019 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


Memphis Redbirds (48-63) vs El Paso Chihuahuas (66-45)

Saturday, August 3 - 6:35 p.m. (CT) - AutoZone Park (10,000) - Memphis, Tennessee

Game #112 - Home Game #57 (20-36)

LHP Genesis Cabrera (4-4, 6.38) vs RHP Bryan Mitchell (0-3, 13.72)

BY THE NUMBERS

1,945 Number of games played by Yadier Molina across all levels between his last appearance for the Redbirds on June 1, 2004 and last night against El Paso. Molina played in 37 games with Memphis in 2004, slashing .302/.387/.372/.759 before making his Major League debut on June 3.

9 Edmundo Sosa's current hitting streak, matching a season high. A hit in tonight's contest would make him the fifth Redbird this season to post a hitting streak of at least 10 games. The Redbirds had a total of six players reach that mark last season.

THE GAME

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds continue their seven-game homestand in the second of four games against the El Paso Chihuahuas tonight. The Redbirds dropped last night's series opener 6-1, ending a run of four-straight wins at AutoZone Park. Joe Hudson drove in the lone run for the Redbirds with an RBI-single in the sixth. Yadier Molina began his Major League rehab assignment and made his first appearance in a Redbirds uniform since 2004. Tonight's game will be broadcast live on www.memphisredbirds.com with Steve Selby on the call.

ON THE HILL: Left-hander Genesis Cabrera is scheduled to take the mound tonight and make his 16th appearance and 14th start with Memphis and his 21st appearance overall across levels in 2019. Cabrera last took the mound on July 27 at Oklahoma City, earning the win (6.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R/ER, 1 BB, 9 SO, 1 HR) in the Redbirds' 9-4 victory over the Dodgers. It was his first win with the Redbirds since June 9 at Reno and he has now won three of his last four decisions. His nine strikeouts matched a season-high, set on May 10 vs. Iowa, and he allowed one walk or fewer for the third time in his last five starts with the Redbirds. However, he has allowed at least six hits in four-straight, in which his average against has risen from .268 to .293 (80x273). He has allowed at least four earned runs in three-straight starts after allowing three earned runs or fewer in five-straight. Cabrera worked just 6.0 innings for the first time since July 2 after making two-straight starts of just 3.0 innings. He has allowed one home run in four-straight and has allowed a home run in 11 of 15 outings. Cabrera will be making his first career start against El Paso in tonight's contest. During his second Major League stint of the season from June 13-23, he made three relief appearances, allowing two runs on two hits in 3.1 total innings. In his return to Memphis on June 9 at Reno, Cabrera earned the win (5.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R/ER, 3 BB, 8 SO) in the Redbirds' 7-4 victory over the Aces. It was his third consecutive start of allowing two earned runs or fewer He fans fanned at least six batters in three of his last six starts in Memphis. During his first career Major League stint from May 29 - June 4, Cabrera went 0-2, 6.48 (6 ER/8.1 IP) in two starts. He made his MLB debut on May 29 at Philadelphia, suffering the loss (3.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR)in the Cardinals' 11-4 defeat to the Phillies. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, native is in his sixth professional season and second with the St. Louis organization. Cabrera entered this season ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the Cardinals system by Baseball America. He spent the bulk of last season at Double-A Montgomery, going 7-6, 4.12 (52 ER/113.2 IP). He was named a Southern League All-Star and ranked 3rd in the league with a .218 batting average.

The Chihuahuas are scheduled to start right-hander Bryan Mitchell in tonight's game. The 28-year-old has gone 0-3, 13.72 (31 ER/20.1 IP) in seven starts with El Paso this season. In his last time out on Sunday vs. Las Vegas, Mitchell suffered the loss (5.1 IP, 10 H, 6 R/ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 4, HR) in the Chihuahuas' 10-1 defeat to the Aviators. It was his third-straight dropped decision and his second-straight start allowing 10 hits or more. In his last four starts, Mitchell has allowed at least five earned runs and six hits. He began the season with the Chihuahuas and started off the year going 0-0, 7.11 (5 ER/6.1 IP) in three starts. He was later placed on the 7-Day injured list on May 3 and did not make an appearance again until June 19 while on rehab assignment with the AZL Padres 2 in the Arizona League. In four starts between the AZL Padres 1 & 2, Mitchell went 0-0, 6.23 (9 ER/13.0 IP) before returning to El Paso on July 12. He is in search of his first win since Sept. 24, 2018 while pitching with the San Diego Padres. Tonight will be Keel's first start against the Redbirds in his career. The Reidsville, N.C., native is in his tenth professional season and his second within the San Diego organization. He spent the first six years of his career at various levels within the New York-AL organization. At the Major League level in his career, Mitchell has gone 4-10, 5.15 (68 ER/171.1 IP) in 64 games, 20 starts.

HISTORY WITH EL PASO: The Redbirds have faced off against the El Paso Chihuahuas every year since 2014. trails in the overall series 10-11 and are trails at this facility 4-5. The Chihuahuas last visited downtown Memphis in 2017, where the Redbirds took three-of-four to claim a series win. The teams met last season at Southwest University Park, where they split a four-game set 2-2.

The two teams have squared off in the postseason once, with the Redbirds coming away victorious in in the 2017 Pacific Coast League Championship. The Redbirds captured their first PCL title since 2009 by winning the series 3-2, winning the finale on the road 3-1. Current Redbird Adolis Garcia went 5-for-20 with three runs scored, a double, a home run and two runs driven in during the series.

This is 22nd-straight year that the Redbirds have faced off against the San Diego Padres' Triple-A affiliate. El Paso has been the Padres' top affiliate since 2014 and Memphis has a 10-10 record during that span. From 1998-2000, the Las Vegas Stars were was the organization's top affiliate, where the Redbirds went 12-8. From 2001-10, the 'Birds went 27-10 against the Portland Beavers and from 2011-13 they went 7-5 against the Tucson Padres. Overall, Memphis is 56-34 against the Padres' Triple-A club.

THE SEASON

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: St. Louis Cardinals superstar catcher Yadier Molina made his first appearance as a Memphis Redbird since 2004, catching five innings on an injury rehabilitation assignment, with the Redbirds dropping the series opener to the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) Friday night at AutoZone Park, 6-1.

Molina, a nine-time Major League Baseball All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner, made one plate appearance before leaving the game. Fellow Cardinals rehabber Matt Carpenter was 0-for-2 with a walk in his innings of action Friday night.

Joe Hudson, Molina's replacement behind the plate, went 2-for-2 and drove in Memphis' (48-63) run on the night. Justin Williams also had two hits.

After Jake Woodford started and allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.0 innings and Zac Rosscup allowed two runs, Seth Elledge and Dominic Leone pitched the final 3.0 innings for the Redbirds in scoreless fashion with seven combined strikeouts.

Ty France was 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored for the Chihuahuas (66-45).

ROSTER MOVES: Prior to tonight's game, Marcell Ozuna's MLB rehab assignment ended and he was activated by the Cardinals.

The following roster moves were made prior to last night's game: Harold Arauz was unconditionally release, Daniel Ponce de Leon was optioned by St. Louis and Yadier Molina was assigned for injury rehab.

Arauz departs as the Redbirds' leader for wins this season with seven and overall went 7-2, 5.93 (38 ER/57.2 IP) in 13 games, nine starts.

Ponce de Leon returns from his third Major League stint of the season. He went 1-1, 5.26 (15 ER/25.2 IP) in seven games, four starts during his time with the Cardinals and earned his first career MLB win on July 4 at Seattle in relief.

Molina heads to the Bluff City as he rehabs a strained tendon in his right thumb. This will be the first time since 2004 that Molina will don a Redbirds jersey.

RANDY REPEATS: After slashing .374/.456/.607/1.063 in 28 games between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis in June en route to being named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month, Randy Arozarena won the award for the second-straight month after posting a slash of .378/.455/.592/1.047 in 26 games in July. Arozarena became the third Redbird in franchise history to hit for the cycle on July 26 at Oklahoma City and accomplished that feat in his first four at-bats and had 12 total multi-hit games in July. He has also reached base safely in his last 30 starts and has 13 multi-hit games during that span.

BIG BIRDS ON THE MEND: A pair of rehabbing St. Louis Cardinals had big games on Thursday to help give the Redbirds their first three-game series sweep of the season. Matt Carpenter went 2-for-3 with a run, double and three RBI and Marcel Ozuna went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, home run and five RBI. Ozuna also reached safely five times in the contest by drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch. Carpenter's two-run single in the sixth cut the Isotopes' lead to 6-5 and Ozuna followed up with a three-run blast to give the 'Birds the lead for good. Carpenters' double in the third also snapped an 0-for-22 stretch to open his rehab assignment.

PULLING AN ALL-NIGHTER: Thursday night's game against the Albuquerque Isotopes lasted four hours and seven minutes, making it the longest game of the season for the Redbirds. It also became the second-longest nine-inning game in franchise history, falling just two minutes short of matching the record of 4:09, set on June 15, 2013 against the Isotopes at Isotopes Park. It was also the first four-hour game the Redbirds have played in since June 11, 2017 vs. Nashville in a 12-inning affair.

YADI RETURNS: With Yadier Molina's start in last night's game, he took the field for the first time with a Redbirds jersey for the first time since June 1, 2004, which was here at AutoZone Park against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Molina went 1-for-4 in that game. He would make his Major League debut two days later vs. Pittsburgh, going 2-for-4 with a run and a double. From there, the rest is history. Yadi's storied career has seen him turn into one of baseball's all-time greats as he has won two World Series titles, nine Gold Gloves, four Platinum Gloves and a Silver Slugger. He has also been named to nine MLB All-Star teams. He has appeared in 1,941 games in a Cardinal uniform and has posted a career slash of .282/.333/.404/.737, collecting 1,918 hits.

A HAT-TRICK FOR THOMAS: On June 27 at Oklahoma City, Lane Thomas homered three times, launching two solo shots and one two-run blast. He became the eighth Redbird to homer three times in a game, matching a franchise record. He is the first player to accomplish this feat since Adolis Garcia slugged three home runs on July 26, 2018 at Salt Lake.

AROZARENA HITS FOR THE CYCLE: On June 26 at Oklahoma City, Randy Arozarena became the third Redbird in franchise history to hit for the cycle. He opened up the game with a bunt single, doubled in the third, homered in the fourth and completed the cycle with a triple in the fifth. After an 18-year gap between the first two cycles in franchise history (Mark Little, June 23, 2000; Luke Voit, June 30, 2018), the Redbirds have now had a player hit for the cycle in consecutive years. Arozarena's four-hit game that night was his third such game for the Redbirds this season, which leads the team.

ADOLIS' BIG DAY: On June 21, Adolis Garcia put on an impressive display of power at Werner Park by homering twice and driving in eight runs. His eight RBI matched a franchise record that he also matched last season on July 26 at Salt Lake. In the third inning with two outs, he launched his second grand slam of the season. After homering again in the eighth inning, it was his third game in his last five that he had homered twice. Garcia ranks T-2nd in the Pacific Coast League with 12 dingers with two outs and T-9th with 29 RBI in similar situations.

CLIMBING THE LEADERBOARDS: In 24 games in July, Adolis Garcia launched eight home runs and drove in 22 runs and posted a slash-line of .237/.283/.570/.853. As result, he has entered and climbed into the Top-10 in several batting categories on the Redbirds all-time lists. His first home run on July 26 moved him into 5th with 44 and his second blast that day moved him just six long balls away from matching Patrick Wisdom for 4th. His three RBI on July 25 moved him to 10th place at 155. He also ranks T-5th in triples (11), 7th in strikeouts (264), 8th in hit by pitches (16) and 8th in extra-base hits (112).

LET'S GET IT STARTED: Redbirds players batting first in the order this season are hitting .320 overall, which ranks 2nd in the Pacific Coast League. They also rank 2nd in hits (149), 5th in OBP (.384), T-5th in OPS (.894) and T-4th in SLG (.510). Randy Arozarena leads the Redbirds with a .388 average when batting first in the order.

WOODFORD SHINES IN EL PASO: Jake Woodford tossed 2.0 perfect innings to start the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game and earned the win in the Pacific Coast League All-Stars' 9-3 win over the International League All-Stars on July 10. Woodford fanned two batters and three of the other four outs were recorded via ground-outs. He was the sixth Redbirds pitcher to start the All-Star Game and second-straight to earn the honor.

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