OMAHA, Nebraska – Luke Weaver was sensational in his first start since Opening Day after coming off the Disabled List earlier in the day, and the Memphis Redbirds held on for their fifth-straight win with 2-1 victory over the Omaha Storm Chasers (Royals) Tuesday night in Omaha, Neb.
Weaver worked 6.0 shutout innings for Memphis (15-11), allowing three hits without a walk and striking out five. He needed just 63 pitches to get through the 6.0 frames, and he tossed 47 strikes. Coupling Weaver’s start with Mike Mayers’ yesterday afternoon, the last two Redbird starters have worked 12.0 shutout innings and allowed just five hits.
Luke Voit was 3-for-4 with a crucial home run in the eighth inning to give the Redbirds some breathing room at 2-0. The home run was his sixth of the year, and he has now driven in 17 runs. Patrick Wisdom tripled and scored on a Paul DeJong sacrifice fly in the second inning to account for the Memphis scoring on the night. Jorge Soler had two hits for Omaha (13-11).
Weaver finished his night retired the final 11 Storm Chasers he faced and 14 of the final 15 overall. He handed the ball to Mike Montgomery, who worked the seventh and the eighth innings and gave up only one hit.
The Storm Chasers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to bring the score to 2-1, but thanks to Voit’s eighth-inning home run, the Redbirds held on after Josh Lucas stranded the tying run on base in getting out of the inning.
Todd Cunningham was 1-for-4 from the leadoff spot and extended his hitting streak to seven games. DeJong ended the night 1-for-3 and has hit safely in 19 of his 22 starts this season.
