MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A sellout crowd of 10,076 fans at AutoZone Park was treated to one heck of a show on Saturday night. The Redbirds rallied back from an early deficit to down the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A affiliate, Miami Marlins) by a 9-8 final. The game featured 21 combined hits, six of which were home runs.
Early on, Jacksonville (29-22) surged in front with three runs on five hits in the first inning. A two-run home run from Isan Díaz highlighted the early output from the Jumbo Shrimp. However, Memphis (20-33) wasn’t going to take that lightly, responding with a run of their own in the bottom of the first. One hit, two walks, and a hit batter got a run onto the board for the ‘Birds.
The fourth inning brought even more scoring. Jacksonville got a lone run on a solo home run from Bryson Brigman – he finished the game with a career-high five hits. Memphis promptly countered with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth, with a Lane Thomas two-run single providing the damage.
The fifth inning was the Redbirds’ magnum opus. Memphis roared ahead with five runs in the frame, and one big blow brought the house down. Rayder Ascanio launched a no-doubt grand slam with the score tied at four, bringing the huge crowd to its feet and giving the ‘Birds a lead they would never give up.
However, the game was far from over. The teams traded runs in the seventh inning. Zack Zehner hit a solo shot for the Jumbo Shrimp in the top of the seventh, while Ali Sánchez answered with one of his own in the bottom of the seventh. It was Sánchez’s third home run of the season.
The game remained 9-5 into the top of the ninth, when things got interesting. With nobody on base and two outs, the Jumbo Shrimp mounted a furious late rally. Back-to-back singles followed by a three-run home run from Deven Marrerro made it 9-8 and put the final outcome in doubt. However, Zack Thompson bore down to get the final out and secure the victory for Memphis. The former first-round pick worked the final three innings of the game.
After a shaky start, Angel Rondón settled into a solid outing. The 23-year-old righthander eventually went 5.2 innings in his start, allowing just one run after the three-run first inning. Rondón racked up seven strikeouts with just one walk to his name.
