COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Matt Williams went 3-4 with two runs, two RBI and two walks, and Patrick Wisdom and Alex Mejia each had two hits in a wild 10-9 win by the Memphis Redbirds in the series opener at Colorado Springs Friday night.
The Redbirds (5-4) trailed on three separate occasions and scored seven runs in the last four innings to secure their third-straight win after dropping the three previous contests. Memphis has scored 22 runs in the last three games after scoring six in the three previous outings.
Six of Memphis’ nine RBI on the night came with two outs, which comes on the heels of the Redbirds’ walk-off win against Oklahoma City on Thursday where the final three batters all faced an 0-2 count with two outs before reaching base.
Colorado Springs (4-5) started things off with a run in the first off Thomas Lee, but Memphis scored three in the top of the third on a Jacob Wilson sacrifice fly, an RBI groundout by Carlos Peguero and a solo home run to right field by Anthony Garcia, his first of the season.
In what would be indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the game, the Sky Sox answered with four in the bottom of the fifth to take a 5-3 lead before Memphis added three in the top of the sixth to re-claim a 6-5 advantage. Mike Ohlman had an RBI double and came around to score when pinch-hitter Nick Martini singled with two outs, and Williams singled home Martini with two away after Martini swiped second.
The Redbirds took advantage of a Colorado Springs error in the top of the seventh to plate an insurance run and make the score 7-5, but the Sky Sox scored four in the home-half to reclaim a 9-7 lead through seven innings.
Four walks, a wild pitch and a Jonathan Rodriguez single brought in two more runs for Memphis to tie the game once again, this time at nine after seven-and-a-half innings.
Juan Gonzalez shut down Colorado Springs in order in the bottom of the eighth, and the Redbirds plated the eventual winning run on a Williams single through the right side that scored Ohlman.
Gonzalez earned the win with 2.0 innings of no-hit relief with three strikeouts.
Memphis and Colorado Springs continue their series Saturday at 5:05 p.m. (CT) with Arturo Reyes getting the ball for the Redbirds. The series will finish Sunday and Monday, before the Redbirds head to Oklahoma City Tuesday–Friday ahead of returning to AutoZone Park on Saturday, April 23. All road games will be broadcast on MiLB.tv and on the radio on Sports 56 and 87.7 FM with Steve Selby on the call. The radio broadcast is also available on MemphisRedbirds.com.
For tickets or for more information on the 2016 Redbirds season, contact the Redbirds front office at (901) 721-6000 or visit www.memphisredbirds.com.
