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PCL1 Memphis Redbirds

Redbirds Go Down 8-7 in 11 Innings

August 29, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Memphis Redbirds News Release


METAIRIE, La. - Chris Valaika hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th to give New Orleans an 8-7 victory over Memphis on Wednesday night at Zephyr Field. The game winner followed a wild 10th that saw both teams score three times.

With Omaha losing at Iowa, the Redbirds (66-73) stay 1.0 game behind the American Northern Division lead with their loss to the Zephyrs (70-69). Both Omaha and Memphis have five games remaining on the schedule.

New Orleans outhit Memphis 13-12 in the three-hour, 55-minute game. Chris Swauger and Brock Peterson both homered; with Swauger's being a three-RBI, game-tying shot. Jamie Romak, Justin Christian, and Travis Tartamella each had two hits.

Eric Fornataro made a spot start for the Redbirds, his third of the season. The right-hander finished with three runs allowed, one earned, in three 2/3 innings pitched. He gave up five hits and five walks, striking out three and tossing 71 pitches, 39 for strikes.

Fornataro worked around three singles in the first inning, leaving the frame scoreless with the help of a Zephyr caught stealing. But New Orleans would have action in the second, leading off with a Rob Brantly double. The Zephyrs opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly by the pitcher, Elih Villanueva, to put the home team up 1-0.

The Z's played add-on just two innings later after loading the bases on a double and two walks (one intentional) off Fornataro. With the two outs and the bases full of Zephyrs, Nick Greenwood was called on to get the final out of the inning. Greenwood induced a ground ball to first off the bat of Bryan Petersen, where it was misplayed for an error, allowing two runs to score and extending the lead to 3-0.

Zephyrs' starter Villanueva held the 'Birds scoreless over his six innings pitched, allowing four hits, two walks, and striking out two.

The Redbirds would tie the game in the seventh off reliever Jonathan Albaladejo. Greg Garcia led off the inning with a hit-by-pitch, the PCL-leading sixth time he's been plunked in August. Ryan Jackson followed with a one-out walk. Two men were on with two outs for pinch-hitter Swauger, who deposited his second homer of the season over the right field wall to even things at 3-3.

The eighth inning started with a single by Christian, who was delivered to third by a Romak single. Garcia extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single, plating Christian and putting Memphis up 4-3.

Sam Freeman worked a scoreless seventh and gave way to Keith Butler for the eighth. Kyle Jensen led off against Butler with a single and scored two outs later on a double by the MLB-rehabbing Chris Coghlan to knot the contest at 4-4.

Two outs into the 10th inning, the Redbirds took the lead back for a short time. Peterson sent his PCL-leading 25th homer the opposite way for the go-ahead score. The solo shot put Memphis up 5-4. A costly Zephyrs' error put Romak on base. Jermaine Curtis as a pinch-hitter and Chad Huffman hit back-to-back RBI doubles to push the lead to 7-4.

Deryk Hooker came in for the bottom of the inning to pitch for the 'Birds. After a Chris Valaika single, Kyle Skipworth hit his 10th home run to cut the deficit to 7-6. A walk and a Petersen RBI single tied the game at 7-7. After an intentional walk to get to the pitcher's spot, the Zephyrs left the bases loaded when their closer, Chris Hatcher (4-3) flied out to left.

Kevin Thomas (0-1) got one out before giving up the game winner to Valaika in the 11th.

Thursday's series finale is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT at Zephyr Field. The starting pitcher for Memphis is yet to be announced.

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