INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana – It took well over four hours, but Memphis lost to the Indianapolis Indians (Triple-A affiliate, Pittsburgh Pirates) by a 8-7 final in 11 innings on Sunday afternoon. The series finale on Father’s Day took 4:19 to complete, the longest game of the season for the Redbirds.
Early on in the afternoon, it was the Zack Thompson show. The starting pitcher for Memphis (17-25) worked three scoreless innings on the mound, allowing just two hits and two walks while racking up four strikeouts.
The highlight of his day though, believe it or not, came at the plate. With the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the second, Thompson laced a line drive over the center fielder’s head, scoring John Nogowski, Tyler Heineman and Rayder Ascanio. It was the first extra-base hit for a Memphis pitcher batting at the plate this season.
The fun continued for the ‘Birds in the fourth, when Kramer Robertson grounded a two-out single into center field, scoring two more runners. The middle infielder finished the six-game series with eight runs driven in.
The teams traded runs in the fourth and sixth innings, making the score 6-1 entering the bottom of the seventh. Then, the game unraveled for Memphis, as Indianapolis (22-19) scored five runs combined between the seventh and eighth innings to tie the game at six.
The eighth was a nightmare for the Redbirds. The Indians scored four runs on five hits, including a game-tying single from Anthony Alford. He reached in all six of his plate appearances on Sunday afternoon (two singles, four walks).
The game eventually reached extra innings, where Memphis scored a lone run in the top of the 11th via an RBI single from Justin Williams to take a 7-6 lead. In the bottom of the 11th, Indianapolis snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. With runners on first and second with two outs, Christian Bethancourt lined a sharp single into left-center field, scoring Alford. Wilmer Difo advanced to third on the base hit, and after a tag attempt by Rayder Ascanio, Difo realized no one for the Redbirds was covering home plate. He sprinted home to score the game’s winning run.
The Memphis Redbirds are the proud Triple-A Affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Memphis has claimed four League Championships and one Triple-A National Championship since their affiliation with St. Louis began in 1998. For the latest team news, follow the Redbirds on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Ticket information can be found at memphisredbirds.com/tickets
