MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Memphis Redbirds jumped out to a 4-2 lead and then scored a key insurance run in the eighth inning to secure a 5-4 win and a three-game series sweep of the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals)Thursday night at AutoZone Park.
Memphis (7-1), playing as the Memphis Chicks Thursday night and every home Thursday during the season as part of a “Throwback Thursday” series, is off to its best start in franchise history one season after winning the Pacific Coast League championship and setting numerous franchise and league records with a 91-50 regular-season record.
Memphis scored a run in the first inning and three in the third, after Omaha took a 2-1 lead after the top of the third. Rangel Ravelo had a two-run double and scored on a Patrick Wisdom base hit to give the Redbirds a 4-2 advantage.
Omaha plated a third run off Austin Gomber in the top of the fifth, but all Gomber surrendered on the night were single runs in the second, third, and fifth frames. He finished with six hits allowed and four strikeouts to earn his first Triple-A victory.
The Redbirds plated what turned out to be a huge insurance run in the bottom of the eighth without the ball leaving the infield, as Adolis Garcia walked, stole second, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on another groundout, to make it 5-3 in favor of Memphis.
Omaha got a run right back in the top of the ninth, making it a 5-4 ballgame, but Edward Mujica settled down and struck out the final two hitters of the game to earn the save.
Wisdom’s RBI was his seventh of the season, and Tyler O’Neill finished 2-for-4. Max Schrock had a double alongside Ravelo.
The Redbirds’ season-opening homestand continues through Monday against the Iowa Cubs (Cubs). For more information on single-game tickets and ticket mini-memberships, visit www.memphisredbirds.com/tickets.
