MEMPHIS, Tennessee – The Memphis Redbirds answered the bell in more ways than one, putting up a three-spot in the bottom of the seventh inning to power a 3-2 win over the Salt Lake Bees (Angels) Tuesday night at AutoZone Park.
The first-place Redbirds have won six-straight games, 10-straight contests at AutoZone Park, and 21 of the last 25 games overall. Memphis’ 67-35 record is the best in all of Triple-A Baseball.
Salt Lake broke a scoreless game in the top of the seventh with two runs, but the Redbirds came right back with three in the home-half to account for the final score in the game. Tyler O’Neill, who entered the game as an injury replacement, hit his first home run as a member of the Redbirds and 20th of the season after a Nick Martini single. Adolis Garcia tripled and scored two batters later to ultimately give the Redbirds the win.
In a last-minute spot start, his first start since 2011, Miguel Socolovich was outstanding for 4.0 hitless innings. He struck out five and walked one. Mark Montgomery followed with 2.0 shutout innings, and Josh Lucas finished the game with 2.0 frames and picked up his 10th save of the season.
The Redbirds committed an error on a failed pick-off attempt in the seventh inning, ending a streak of 119.2-straight errorless innings, spanning nearly 13 full games.
Memphis is now 18-4 in the month of July and is three wins shy of eclipsing 20-9 in 2014 for the best July in franchise history and four wins shy of bettering a 21-9 Sept. of 1998 for the best month in franchise history.
The Redbirds and the Bees resume action tonight at 7:05.
