MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Adolis Garcia hit a walk-off, two-run homer in the bottom of the 11th, and Kevin Herget struck out 15 batters in the Memphis Redbirds’ 2-0 win over the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres) in Game 2 of the Pacific Coast League Championship Series Thursday afternoon at AutoZone Park.
The Redbirds now need one win in three games in El Paso tomorrow–Sunday to wrap up their first PCL title since 2009. The win also makes Memphis an astounding 13-0 in extra-inning games this season, and the Redbirds won 50 games at AutoZone Park in 2017.
Herget’s 15 strikeouts were one shy of the Redbirds’ franchise record, set by Lance Lynn on Sept. 10, 2010 at Oklahoma City, which was also in the playoffs. Herget allowed just five hits and walked one, and he only threw 27 balls out of 107 pitches.
The Chihuahuas did not have a runner reach second base in the ballgame and struck out 20 times in their 38 at-bats.
Garcia finished 2-for-5, and Breyvic Valera also had two hits. Patrick Wisdom walked twice in the ballgame.
After Herget was lifted in the ninth inning, Mike Mayers came on and struck out four in 2.0 innings of relief, and Sean Gilmartin and Rowan Wick combined to work the 11th inning.
Valera struck out to start the bottom of the 11th, and Aledmys Diaz singled ahead of a Tyler O’Neill pop-out. Garcia stepped to the plate and blasted the first pitch he saw out to left-center field, giving the Redbirds the win.
Memphis has won four-straight ballgames, dating back to the final two games of the PCL semifinals at Colorado Springs.
Tomorrow’s Game 3 is in El Paso at 8:05 p.m. (CT), and Game 4 is Saturday night at 8:05 if necessary. Sunday’s series finale, if necessary, is Sunday night at 7:05. The winner of the PCL plays the winner of the International League in the winner-take-all Gilden Triple-A National Championship Game, which will be played Tuesday in Scranton, Pa.
