MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After completing a suspended game from Tuesday night, the Memphis Redbirds used stellar starting pitching and another late rally to beat the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A affiliate, Miami Marlins) by a 6-3 final at AutoZone Park on a comfortable Wednesday night.
Before the regularly scheduled game could start, the Redbirds and Jumbo Shrimp had to complete the game that was suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning on Tuesday night. When the game resumed just past six o’clock (after nearly an hour-long rain delay), the ‘Birds had the bases loaded with nobody out in a tied game at 1. Jacksonville danced its way out of the jam with three straight strikeouts, and that set the stage for one of the more unique games you’ll ever see.
The game eventually ended in a 6-4 win for the Jumbo Shrimp in 10 innings. The game featured 32 total players, 32 combined hits, and multiple momentum swings late in the ballgame. It was 2-1 Jacksonville in the bottom of the seventh, when Rayder Ascanio launched a two-run home run over the left-field fence to make it 3-2 Memphis. The Jumbo Shrimp tied the game with a lone run in the eighth, then plated three runs on three hits in the top of the 10th to surge to a 6-3 lead. The ‘Birds got a run back in the bottom of the 10th on an RBI single from Conner Capel, but the rally ended up being too little, too late.
Game two of the day began at 8:10 local time (an hour after first pitch was originally scheduled), and once it did, the starting pitchers locked themselves in quite the duel. Braxton Garrett went six strong innings for Jacksonville (27-21), allowing just two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and one walk. The former first-round pick had struggled mightily in his last two outings, allowing 12 combined earned runs.
On the other side, Matthew Liberatore bullied his way to one heck of an outing. The top prospect in the Cardinals’ system went eight innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on five hits with one walk and six strikeouts. Each of his strikeouts were swinging, and he went the longest of any Memphis (19-31) starter in an outing this season.
In the bottom of the eighth, the ‘Birds bats backed up Liberatore and gave him the win with a flurry of runs, plating four runners on four hits plus two walks and an error. Two moments shone above the rest. First, Nolan Gorman lined a sharp single to center field, scoring Scott Hurst to tie the game and give Gorman his first Triple-A RBI. Then, Juan Yepez laced a double down the left-field line, scoring two runs and giving the Redbirds a lead they would never relinquish. Yepez now has hits in eight consecutive games.
Seth Elledge came on in the ninth to lock down the win, earning the save with a 1-2-3 frame. The righthander struck out two of the three batters he faced while clinching one of the sweeter wins of the season for Memphis.
