PCL1 Oklahoma City Comets

RedHawks Game Notes: July 20, 2013

Published on July 20, 2013 under Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Oklahoma City Comets News Release


Oklahoma City RedHawks (52-47) vs. Memphis Redbirds (49-51)

Houston Astros vs. St. Louis Cardinals

Game #100 of 144/Road #52 of 71 (26-25)

Pitching Probables: OKC-RHP Jake Buchanan (1-2, 5.00) vs. MEM-RHP Chris Carpenter (NR, -.--)

Saturday, July 20, 2013 | AutoZone Park | Memphis, Tenn. | 6:05 p.m. CT

Radio: KGHM AM-1340 The Game, 1340thegame.com, IHeartRadio - Alex Freedman

Today's Game: The RedHawks and Redbirds continue their four-game series at 6:05 p.m. at AutoZone Park. Memphis will send longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher and former Cy Young Award winner Chris Carpenter to the mound as he makes a rehab start.

Last Game: The RedHawks and Redbirds split a doubleheader Friday. Oklahoma City won game one, 4-1, and Memphis won the second game, 5-1. Starting pitcher Brad Peacock (6-2) led the RedHawks in the first game, allowing one run over 6.2 innings in his seventh-consecutive quality start. He allowed five hits, no walks and set a season high with 10 strikeouts in the win. The Redbirds scored their lone run in the first inning before a two-run homer by George Springer in the fourth inning put the RedHawks in front, 2-1. A two-run homer from Jose Martinez in the seventh boosted OKC to a 4-1 edge. Pitcher Josh Zeid recorded his 11th save of the season. Memphis took a quick 4-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, using a critical error by the RedHawks to plate three of the runs. Oklahoma City's lone run came in the third inning on a two-out RBI single by Brandon Laird. Memphis pitcher Tyler Lyons (5-1) got the win, allowing one run and six hits in six innings. Eric Berger (3-3) made a spot start for OKC, allowing five runs (two earned), five hits and two walks with one strikeout.

Today's Probable Pitcher: Jake Buchanan gets the start for the RedHawks tonight as he tries for his second win with OKC...Tonight will be his first start since July 11 against New Orleans. In the loss he allowed five runs and eight hits over seven-plus innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. He had allowed just three runs through seven innings before the first two batters of the eighth both reached base and eventually scored after he left the game...The one walk was the first issued by Buchanan with the RedHawks and just the 10th walk this season in 100.0 IP. Over 18.0 IP with the RedHawks he has struck out 19 batters and owns a 6.3 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the season...Buchanan spent the first half of the season with Double-A Corpus Christi. He went 7-2 with one save and had a Texas League-leading 2.09 ERA in 18 games (13 starts). He ranked first in the league in WHIP (0.93), fourth in average (.226) and fifth in innings (82.0)...He is currently second among Astros farmhands with a 2.61 ERA and third with 100.0 IP...Tonight is his first career outing against Memphis.

Against the Redbirds: 2013: 5-5 2012: 8-8 All-time: 130-120 In MEM: 52-76

With a win Friday, the RedHawks recorded their fourth win in Memphis this season, surpassing the team's win total at AutoZone Park over the past two seasons combined (2012 - 2; 2011 - 1)...In each of their previous two series this season, the road team has won three of four games...Memphis has a slight 61-57 scoring advantage through 10 meetings this season, but the RedHawks are batting .310 as a team against the Redbirds, while Memphis is hitting .287 against OKC...Brandon Laird has a team-leading 18 hits and 12 RBI. He is hitting .439 with two homers...The winning team has scored at least 10 runs in four games between the teams this season.

Doing the Splits: Yesterday was the seventh time in nine doubleheaders this season the RedHawks split the pair of games. Going back to last season, they have split eight of their last 10 doubleheaders.

Springer Uncoiled: George Springer has hit safely in 17 of his last 18 games, batting .431 (25x58) with eight home runs and 19 RBI. Since June 28, he leads the PCL in all three major offensive categories. He is also second overall in the Minors with 27 homers this season, trailing only Ryan Rua of Low-A Hickory, who has 28. Springer has also swiped 28 bases and is in striking distance of becoming the first player in the Minors to go 30/30 since Grant Desme in 2009.

The Laird Up There: Brandon Laird has hit safely in each of his last five games, going 7-for-18 (.389) with three extra-base hits and four RBIs. He paces the team with 45 RBI, 23 doubles, and is tied for the team lead with 11 home runs and 45 runs scored.

A Fine Ol' Chap: Kevin Chapman has not been scored upon in nine of his last 11 appearances and has posted a 1.35 ERA (2 ER/13.1 IP) with 16 strikeouts during that time. He leads all OKC relievers with 47 K's.

A Healthy Inheritance: RedHawks relievers have allowed only four the last 24 inherited runners to score, including none of the last 13. The RedHawks have allowed only 35 percent of inherited runners to score throughout the season.

Clean Sweep: RedHawks outfielder George Springer and pitcher Asher Wojciechowski were named PCL Player and Pitcher of the Week on Monday, becoming the second teammates of the season to sweep the awards. (Nick Franklin & Andrew Carraway of Tacoma; week of April 28.) Springer hit .450 with three homers and seven RBI over six games. He is now batting .404/7/17 over 17 games with the RedHawks since being promoted from Double-A. Wojciechowski allowed one run and six hits over 15 innings in two starts. The week included his July 8 outing against Round Rock, when he faced the minimum and tossed a complete game, one-hit shutout.

Barnes Cycles: Last night former RedHawk Brandon Barnes became the eighth player in Houston Astros history to hit for the cycle, going 5-for-5 in a 10-7 loss against Seattle. He's also the first Astro to do it since Luke Scott July 28, 2006 vs. Arizona. Barnes batted .197 in 71 games with OKC in 2011 before improving to .323 last season. He's been with the Astros since making his Major League debut Aug. 7, 2012.

Century Club: The RedHawks enter their 100th game of the season at least five games above .500 for the fifth time in the last six seasons. It's also the fifth time in the last six seasons they've reached the century mark while playing Memphis (lost 6-2 last year).

UPCOMING SCHEDULE AND PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)

DATE TIME OPPONENT OKC PITCHER OPP. PITCHER

Sunday, July 20 6:05 p.m. @ Memphis LHP Wade LeBlanc (0-1, 8.36) TBA

Monday, July 21 7:05 p.m. @ Omaha TBA TBA

Tuesday, July 22 4:05 p.m. @ Omaha TBA TBA

Game 2 @ Omaha TBA TBA

Wednesday, July 23 12:05 p.m. @ Omaha RHP Brad Peacock (6-2, 2.59) TBA

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