MEMPHIS, Tennessee – For the fifth straight game, the Memphis Redbirds won, rallying back from an early deficit to down the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A affiliate, Baltimore Orioles), 8-4, on a sunny Thursday night at AutoZone Park.
Early on, Norfolk (24-35) raced out to an early 3-0 lead via some powerful hitting. Rylan Bannon and Ryan Ripken each smacked solo home runs in the second and third innings respectively. Tyler Nevin tacked on another tally with a two-out, RBI single in the third. He drove home Jahmai Jones, who doubled earlier in the inning.
Memphis (26-36) bounced right back, tying the game with a lone run in the third and two runs in the fourth. The game-tying blast was a two-run home run from Clint Coulter, his fourth of the season. The Redbirds got closer in the third on an RBI single from Conner Capel. He has hits in five straight games, batting .370 during that time.
The ‘Birds put the finishing touches on their rally with an emphatic blow in the bottom of the sixth. Three walks loaded the bases with one out, and then Lane Thomas cleared the bases with a home run that just sailed over the right-field wall for a grand slam. It was Thomas’ third home run with Memphis this season and the second grand slam for the Redbirds at AutoZone Park.
Memphis tacked on insurance in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out RBI single from Coulter. The starting left fielder finished the game 2-3 with two runs scored and three runs driven in.
After the rally from the Redbirds put them ahead, the bullpen locked down the game late. Austin Warner, Kodi Whitley and Connor Jones combined to pitch five innings of one-run ball, striking out three batters in the process. They retired 15 of the 16 total batters they faced to clinch another win for Memphis.
