IL Memphis Redbirds

Redbirds Beat Sounds in Extras for Second Straight Night

August 20, 2021 - International League (IL)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


MEMPHIS, Tennessee - The Memphis Redbirds outlasted the Nashville Sounds (Triple-A affiliate, Milwaukee Brewers) in one of the wildest baseball games of the season. The Redbirds won 12-11 in a contest that featured 31 combined hits, 11 combined pitchers and took 10 innings to complete. The game lasted four hours and 16 minutes.

Kwang Hyun Kim made a brief rehab start for Memphis (44-49), allowing two runs on two hits (both solo home runs) in 2.0 innings of work with two strikeouts. After that, Zack Thompson worked 4.1 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits. Thompson had been utterly excellent in his prior four outings (all starts), posting a 2-0 record with a 1.64 ERA in 22 innings (17 strikeouts).

The 'Birds bats were active early, scoring twice in the third and fifth innings respectively. Nolan Gorman was the shining star, crushing a two-run home run in the third and driving in a run with an RBI single in the fifth. He doubled in the first and finished the game a triple shy of the cycle.

The game was 5-4 with Nashville (50-43) on top entering the top of the seventh inning...and then it got really interesting. The two teams played ping-pong the rest of the night, going back and forth with plenty of twists and turns. The Sounds scored twice in the seventh to make it 7-4, then the Redbirds scored once in the bottom half to make it 7-5.

Nashville scored three times in the top of the eighth to take a 10-5 lead and seemingly put the game out of reach, before Memphis answered right back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth. Finally, the 'Birds scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 10 and send it into extras.

Memphis was buoyed by clutch hits from Kramer Robertson (RBI single) and Gorman (another RBI single) in the eighth, capped off by a Conner Capel game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. The three combined to reach base 13 times in the game, including four hits for Gorman and three hits for Capel.

Nashville scored once in the top of the tenth to make it 11-10, but that only set the stage for this memorable game's final act. The Redbirds loaded the bases with one out, and due to injuries and a short bench, the pitcher (Brandon Dickson) was forced to bat. No problem! The reliever grounded a two-run single into left field, scoring Clint Coulter and Robertson to give Memphis a 12-11 win in one of the games of the season.

The Memphis Redbirds are the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Memphis has claimed four League Championships and one Triple-A National Championship since their affiliation with St. Louis began in 1998. For the latest team news, follow the Redbirds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ticket information can be found at memphisredbirds.com/tickets.

Next Game

Friday, August 20 vs. Nashville (7:10 p.m. CT)

- Redbirds Probable Starter: RHP Johan Oviedo

- Sounds Probable Starter: RHP Josh Lindblom

Watch: MiLB.tv

Listen: MiLB First Pitch App

Check out the Memphis Redbirds Statistics



International League Stories from August 20, 2021


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