MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Matt Pearce tossed 7.0 innings for his first-career Triple-A win, and Nick Martini was 2-for-4 with two RBI in a 2-1 Memphis Redbirds win over the Las Vegas 51s (Mets) Saturday night at AutoZone Park.
The first-place Redbirds have now won seven-straight home games and 18 of their last 22 games overall to move to 64-35 on the season. The 29 games over .500 are a season high-water mark.
Pearce allowed just three singles and hit a batter in his first 6.2 innings, before Las Vegas (37-63) touched him for a home run. Pearce responded by getting a pop-out to end the seventh. He struck out five without a walk in his second start of the season with the Redbirds and fourth overall, including two starts at the end of last season.
Pearce helped himself at the plate in the sixth inning, when he led off with a single for Memphis’ first hit of the game, moved to third on a Breyvic Valera double, and scored on a Martini base knock. Valera also scored on Martini’s hit to account for all of the Memphis scoring in the game.
With two driven in tonight, Martini has accounted for all six Memphis RBI this series.
Sam Tuivailala pitched the eighth inning, allowing a single, Ryan Sherriff got the first batter in the ninth, and Josh Lucas earned his ninth save of the season with two strikeouts to end the game.
Memphis did not commit an error for a 10th-straight contest, extending its miscue-free streak to 95.0-straight innings.
The Redbirds and the 51s are back in action tomorrow afternoon at 2:05, before the series finale is Monday night at 7:05. The Redbirds then continue their eight-game homestand with four games against Salt Lake (Angels) Tuesday–Friday.
