Redbirds Beat Bulls 3-1
IL Durham Bulls

Redbirds Beat Bulls 3-1

August 7, 2025 - International League (IL)
Durham Bulls News Release


MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Jimmy Crooks doubled home the tie-breaking runs with two outs in the eighth inning to lift the Memphis Redbirds past the Durham Bulls 3-1 on Thursday night at AutoZone Park.

The Redbirds (18-18) scored three unearned runs against Evan Reifert (L, 2-2) just after Durham (19-14) had taken a 1-0 lead in the top half. Tre Morgan delivered a sac fly to right to bring home Kenny Piper to put the Bulls up 1-0.

However, in the last of the eighth, Michael Siani tripled past Everson Pereira, then scored on a wild throw to the plate by shortstop Carson Williams after fielding a grounder by Gavin Collins with the infield in. Collins took second on the thrown, then following a sac bunt, Nathan Church bounced out to Bob Seymoru at first base. Matt Koperniak walked and stole second ahead of Crooks double over Morgan, who was playing shallow left.

In the ninth, Durham loaded the bases with one out, but Chris Roycroft (S, 5) entered to induce a game-closing double play off the bat of Piper.

Forrest Whitley and Quinn Mathews matched up in a dominant starting duel, with Whitley retiring the first 13 batters of the game. Whitley lost his no-hit bid in the sixth with one out and finished six shutout innings. Mathews worked seven shutout innings, permitting two hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.

How It Happened: The Bulls took a 1-0 lead in the eighth against recently acquired Skyler Hales. Piper, who finished the game 2-4, singled to left, then advanced to second and third on wild pitches. After a one-out walk to Pereira, Morgan lined a sac fly to right to bring Piper home. In the last of the eighth, Siani lined a triple to the left of Pereira in centerfield, a ball that he wasn't able to cut off. With the infield in, Williams fielded Collins grounder, but threw errantly far to the right of Piper, permitting Siani to score. With two outs, Crooks drove a 2-2 pitch from Reifert over the head of Morgan in shallow left. Roycroft entered with the bases loaded in the ninth, replacing Gerson Moreno. Roycroft saved Wednesday's game on 20 pitches, and worked back-to-back games for just the third time this season. On his second pitch against Piper, Roycroft induced a medium-hit grounder to short that the Redbirds converted into the game ending double play.

Whitley Shines: Forrest Whitley matched his career long with a six inning start, permitting one hit, one walk and struck out four. Whitley needed just 77 pitches to go six frames, just the second time in his career that he's pitched that long. In 2017, Whitley threw six innings in his Double-A debut with Corpus Christi against Tulsa.

What's Next: The fourth game of the series is slated for Friday at 8:05 PM ET with Logan Workman (7-3, 3.90) opposing Max Rajcic (0-1, 5.91).

Check out the Durham Bulls Statistics



International League Stories from August 7, 2025


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