Game Preview: July 2 vs. New Orleans
Memphis Redbirds (50–31) vs. New Orleans Baby Cakes (29–52)
Sunday, July 1 • 2:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee
Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play
Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP John Gant (1–3, 3.19) vs New Orleans LHP Adam Conley (1–3, 6.70)
Lineups:
ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Redbirds utilized three home runs to roll to a 5–1 victory over New Orleans last night. Wilfredo Tovar hit his second dinger in four games while Carson Kelly and Adolis Garcia added a two-run blast each.
Zac Gallen struck out eight over six quality innings in his second Triple-A start, earning his first victory.
A full recap is available here.
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Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with pitcher Kevin Herget earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:
Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes
TODAY’S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds continue their eight-game homestand with the first visit of the year from the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins). Memphis has won four straight games while New Orleans has dropped five of its last six and enters with the worst record in the league. Today’s game will be broadcast live on Sports56/87.7 FM and internet webcast at MemphisRedbirds.com, with Steve Selby and Pete Pranica on the call.
ON THE HILL: Memphis turns things over to John Gant this afternoon in his eighth start of the year. Gant is coming off his second straight home start in which he lasted eight innings, although he suffered the loss on Tuesday against Oklahoma City. He yielded three runs on five hits while striking out five. Gant has allowed three runs or fewer in all but one of his starts this season despite being victorious in only one start this year.
Adam Conley climbs the hill for New Orleans. The southpaw started the year with Miami (7 games, 2–3, 7.53 ERA) before joining the Baby Cakes in mid-May. Conley last pitched on Tuesday, allowing five runs on eight hits in five innings as part of a no-decision at Iowa. The first couple innings have been the trouble spot for Conley, as he has allowed a combined 21 earned runs in the first and second innings this year (10.50 ERA).
SCHEDULE WITH NEW ORLEANS: The Redbirds and Baby Cakes meet for their third series of the season, but for the first time at AutoZone Park. Memphis is 8–3 against New Orleans this year, taking four of five to open the season before splitting a four-game set earlier this month. Six of the 11 match-ups thus far have been decided by three runs or less, including three in the last at-bat.
THIS DATE IN REDBIRDS HISTORY (July 2, 2006): The Redbirds won at Albuquerque, 6–5, in 11 innings. John Nelson hit solo home runs in the 2nd and 10th innings. After the Isotopes tied the game in the bottom of the 10th, Jason Conti scored on a wild pitch by Bart Miadich to give the Redbirds the win.
FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds have the best record through 81 games in franchise history (49–32, 2000)
- A win today would be the earliest 51st win by games in franchise history (84, 2000)
- Memphis enjoy its largest division lead since winning the division by 13.5 games on September 4, 2000
- The Redbirds have are a season-high 19 games over .500… The Redbirds have not been this far over .500 since September 6, 2010 (20 games, 82–62)
- Memphis is one of 4 teams in MiLB with 50+ wins
NOTHING FOR YOU: The Redbirds pitching staff has been outstanding in the last 33 games, holding the opponent to four runs or less in 24 of those contests. Memphis has held its opponent to three runs or fewer on all six games of this homestand. The Redbirds have yielded only 94 ER in the last 286.0 innings pitched (2.96 ERA) and have moved into first in the PCL in ERA (3.78).
IT’S NOT JUST ERA: Memphis’ pitching staff has been one of the more dominant units in the league over the last two months, culminating in a league-leading 3.16 ERA in June. The Redbirds enter today having allowed the fewest runs (331, 4.1 per game) and hits (675, 8.3 per game) in the loop.
Additionally, Memphis pitchers sit second in strikeouts (681, 8.5 K/9) and earned runs allowed (301, 3.7 per game) and have walked the third-fewest batters (224, 2.8 BB/9)
CHANGE IN CULTURE: Memphis finds itself with the best record in the league thanks to winning in a variety of ways. After leading the league in homers in April (29), the ‘Birds were t-8th in blasts in June (31). Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which ranked 10th in the league in ERA in April (4.54), rose to second in May (3.84) and was the league’s best in June (3.16).
