Monday, July 3 • 6:35 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP Kevin Herget (2–0, 5.19) vs New Orleans RHP Scott Copeland (5–7. 5.53)

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: New Orleans pounded out 18 best hits and pulled away with a five-run seventh to defeat Memphis 10–3 on Sunday. John Gant took the loss for the Redbirds, allowing four runs (three earned) in five innings.

Wilfredo Tovar hit his third home run in the last five games while Harrison Bader blasted a solo shot in the 7th.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with pitcher Kevin Herget earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Kevin Herget Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: The Memphis Redbirds finish their eight-game homestand with the first visit of the year from the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins). Memphis saw its four-game winning streak snapped yesterday, but can still assure a series victory with a triumph today. 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: Kevin Herget gets a spot start for the Redbirds in place of Luke Weaver, who was recalled to St. Louis today. Herget has made nine appearances with Memphis, most recently earning a victory with three scoreless innings against New Orleans in the series opener Friday. Herget has nine starts in 169 career appearances, but none since 2014. His last start was in game two of a doubleheader on June 29, 2014 for Single-A Peoria (4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 5 K).

Scott Copeland gets the ball for New Orleans in the series finale. Copeland is making his 16th start of the year for the Baby Cakes, most recently earning a win at Iowa by allowing three runs on eight hits with eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings on Wednesday. The righthander has faced Memphis twice so far this season, suffering defeats in both of his starts (0–2, 6.48 ERA, 8.1 IP, 14 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 6 BB, 8 K).

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 8–4 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 12 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 3, 2002): Memphis starting pitcher Andy Benes squared off against his younger brother Alan, the starting pitcher for Iowa. Andy recorded the win in the Redbirds’ 8–5 victory at Iowa, but Alan smacked a double off of his older brother. Among the 12,748 in attendance were the proud parents of the Benes brothers.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds have tied the best record through 82 games in franchise history (50–32, 2000)
- A win today would be the earliest 51st win by games in franchise history (84, 2000)
- A win today would tie a season-high by going 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 9 teams in MiLB with 50+ wins

A FULL DOZEN: Luke Weaver was promoted to St. Louis today, becoming the 12th different Redbird to join the big league club this year. Weaver made his MLB debut a year ago, and left the club this season with a 7–1 mark and a 1.93 ERA, which would have led the league by more than a full run had he pitched enough innings to qualify. Of the 12 players, eight still remain with the Cardinals as of today.

Game Preview: July 3 vs. New Orleans was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with pitcher Kevin Herget earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Kevin Herget Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

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).

Game Preview: July 2 vs. New Orleans was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Friday, June 30 • 7:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP Zac Gallen (0–1, 5.40) vs New Orleans LHP Chris O’Grady (3–4, 3.14)

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Memphis pounced for four runs in the last of the first and cruised to a 7–1 series-opening win over New Orleans. Rangel Ravelo, Carson Kelly, and Patrick Wisdom all collected multi-hit game with Wisdom blasting his 16th homer of the year in the process.

Josh Zeid, Kevin Herget ,and Ryan Sherriff held the Baby Cakes to just seven hits on the day.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with All-Star catcher Carson Kelly earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Carson Kelly Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

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 three straight games while New Orleans has dropped four of its last five 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: Zac Gallen is set to make his second Triple-A start after debuting with the Redbirds on Monday. The 21-year-old showcased his strikeout arsenal with eight punchouts across five innings against Oklahoma City, also allowing three runs on six hits. Gallen enters today’s game with the second-best full-season ERA in the STL system (2.24) and second-most K’s (79). He began the year with A+ Palm Beach and made four starts with AA Springfield.

Chris O’Grady toes the slab for New Orleans in his ninth start (12th appearance of the year). O’Grady has pitched extremely well recently, allowing two earned runs in his last 24 innings across four starts (0.75 ERA). One of those starts came against Memphis, when he allowed two unearned runs on two hits with seven strikeouts in six innings in a no-decision on June 7. He was signed by Miami in early May after spending last five year in the Angels organization.

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 7–3 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 10 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 1, 2011): C Steven Hill’s 6th inning grand slam led Memphis to a 5–2 win over Oklahoma City at AuotZone Park.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds are tied for the best record through 80 games in franchise history (49–31, 2000)
- A win today would be the earliest 50th win by games in franchise history (82, 2000)
- Memphis enjoy its largest division lead since winning the division by 13.5 games on September 4, 2000
- The Redbirds have tied their season-high by being 18 games over .500… The Redbirds have not been this far over .500 since September 6, 2010 (20 games, 82–62)
- Memphis is one of 8 teams in MiLB with 49+ wins

WRAPPING UP JUNE: The Redbirds completed June by going 17–10, increasing their division lead by 7.5 games. It marked the best month of June record-wise for the franchise since 2011 (19–10) and third-best record in the PCL this year. Memphis blasted 31 home runs, its most in any month since August 2014 (36), and most in June since 2008 (37). The Redbirds pitching staff posted a remarkable 3.16 ERA, tied for the second-best monthly mark in the PCL this season (Oklahoma City, 2.93 in April).

NOTHING FOR YOU: The Redbirds pitching staff has turned the corner in the last 32 games, holding the opponent to four runs or less in 23 of those contests. Memphis has held its opponent to three runs or fewer on all five games of this homestand. The Redbirds have yielded only 93 ER in the last 277.0 innings pitched (3.02 ERA) and have moved into second in the PCL in ERA (3.81).

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 July having allowed the fewest runs (330, 4.1 per game) and hits (669, 8.4 per game) in the loop.

Additionally, Memphis pitchers sit second in strikeouts (671, 8.5 K/9) and earned runs allowed (300, 3.8 per game) and have walked the third-fewest batters (222, 2.8 BB/9)

TWO (OR THREE) OLIVES: Nick Martini collected another base knock last night, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Martini has posted five multi-hit games in his last nine games overall (15-for-36, .417, 3B, HR, 6 R, 9 RBI) and is riding a season-best five-game hitting streak.

After suffering through a 2-for-24 skid from June 7–16, Martini has reached base safely in 10 of 12 games, driving in 12 runs in the process. Since joining the Redbirds on May 6, 15 of his 29 RBI have come with two outs, seven have given the ‘Birds the lead, and three have been game-winning RBI.

CRACKING WISE: Patrick Wisdom connected on his third homer in the last two games yesterday, following his second multi-homer game of the season. He became the second Redbird to accomplish that feat this year (Luke Voit). Overall, Memphis players now have nine multi-homer games this season.

Wisdom now leads the team and the Cardinals organization with 16 home runs this season. He is 4-for-7 in the last two games after snapping an 0-for-14 skid.

Game Preview: July 1 vs. New Orleans was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Friday, June 30 • 7:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP Josh Zeid (4–2, 5.94) vs New Orleans RHP William Cuevas (1–0, 0.00)

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Patrick Wisdom blasted a pair of home runs, including a game-breaking three-run shot in the fifth to send Memphis to an 8–2 win over Oklahoma City, securing a series split. Wisdom was 2-for-4 on the day with four RBI, his third game this year with 4+ RBI.

Marco Gonzales authored seven quality innings on the hill, limiting the Dodgers to two runs on three hits.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with All-Star catcher Carson Kelly earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Carson Kelly Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: The Memphis Chicks continue their eight-game homestand with the first visit of the year from the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins). Memphis won the last two games of its series against Oklahoma City to salvage a series split while New Orleans dropped three of four to Iowa 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: Memphis hands the ball to Josh Zeid in the series opener. Zeid is making his 11th start of the season (17th overall appearance), but first since June 13 against Colorado Springs. The righthander has pitched out of the bullpen in his last three outings, most recently firing two scoreless frames against Oklahoma City on Monday. Zeid has squared off with New Orleans twice so far this year, allowing eight runs in 10 innings during two no-decisions.

William Cuevas starts for the Baby Cakes this evening. The righthander began the years with the Tigers organization, appearing in four games (two starts) with Triple-A Toledo before making one appearance with Detroit (4 R in 0.1 IP). He was designated for assignment on May 27 and signed by Miami on June 5. In three appearances (two starts) since joining New Orleans, Cuevas has yet to allow a run over 10.2 IP. During that time he has struck out 12 and walked only 4.

SCHEDULE WITH NEW ORLEANS: The Chicks and Baby Cakes meet for their third series of the season, but for the first time at AutoZone Park. Memphis is 6–3 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 nine match-ups thus far have been decided by three runs or less, including three in the last at-bat.

THIS DATE IN CHICKS HISTORY (June 30, 2011): 1B Nick Stavinoha hit his 58th home run as a Redbird, a solo shot in the 8th inning off of Oklahoma City RHP Fernando Rodriguez, to become the team’s career home run leader. Stavinoha completed his career in Memphis with a total of 74 home runs from 2007–11.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Chicks are one game behind the best record through 79 games in franchise history (49–30, 2000)
- The Chicks enjoy their largest division lead since winning the division by 13.5 games on September 4, 2000
- A win tonight would tie a season-high 18 games over .500… The Redbirds have not been this far over .500 since September 6, 2010 (20 games, 82–62)
- Memphis is one of 9 teams in MiLB with 48+ wins

NOTHING FOR YOU: The Chicks pitching staff has turned the corner in the last 31 games, holding the opponent to four runs or less in 22 of those contests. Memphis held Oklahoma City to three runs or fewer in all four games of the recent series. The Chicks have yielded only 92 ER in the last 268.0 innings pitched (3.09 ERA) and have moved into second in the PCL in ERA (3.87).

CHANGE IN CULTURE: Memphis finds itself with the third-best record in the league, a half-game out of first place, thanks to winning in a variety of ways. After leading the league in homers in April (29), the ‘Birds now sit t-8th in blasts in June (30). Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which ranked 10th in the league in ERA in April (4.54), rose to second in May (3.84) and is the league’s best in June (3.24).

IT’S NOT JUST ERA: After a slow month of April relatively, Memphis’ pitching staff has been one of the more dominant units in the league. The Chicks sit second in the circuit in strikeouts (664, 8.5 K/9), and have allowed the second fewest runs (329, 4.2 per game) and earned runs (299, 3.8 per game).

Additionally, Memphis pitchers have walked the third-fewest batters (221, 2.8 BB/9) and allowed the third-fewest hits (662, 8.4 per game) in the loop.

SALVAGING THE SPLIT: Yesterday’s victory continued an incredible trend for Memphis when it comes to series records. The Chicks have now won or split 16 consecutive series (8–0–8) since losing three of four at Colorado Springs from April 18–21.

Outside of that series and dropping two of three in the previous set to Oklahoma City from April 15–17, Memphis is 9–0–9 in series this year. For reference, last year’s team won eight series the entire season, finishing with an 8–13–14 series record.

TWO (OR THREE) OLIVES: Nick Martini collected another multi-hit game last night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Martini has now posted five multi-hit games in his last eight games overall (14-for-33, .424, 3B, HR, 5 R, 8 RBI).

After suffering through a 2-for-24 skid from June 7–16, Martini has reached base safely in nine of 10 games, driving in 11 runs in the process. Since joining the Chicks on May 6, 15 of his 28 RBI have come with two outs, seven have given Memphis the lead, and three have proved to be the game-winning RBI.

CRACKING WISE: Patrick Wisdom connected on his second multi-homer game of the season yesterday, becoming the second Chick to accomplish that feat this year (Luke Voit). Overall, Memphis players now have nine multi-homer games this season.

Wisdom now leads the team and the Cardinals organization with 15 home runs this season. The blasts also helped snap an 0-for-14 skid Wisdom faced entering yesterday’s game.

Game Preview: June 30 vs. New Orleans was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

New Orleans, meanwhile, continues to dwell near the bottom of the league, having dropped three of four to Iowa. The Baby Cakes are tied for the most losses in the league (50, Las Vegas), but have played one fewer game. New Orleans has tied its low water mark, sitting 21 games under .500.

The teams split a four-game series in New Orleans this month with the Baby Cakes giving Memphis fits all series. Of the nine games thus far between the two teams, six have been decided by three runs or less.

Season Series (Games 10–13 of 17; Redbirds lead 6–3):
Memphis won four out of five April 6–10 in New Orleans|Teams split four games June 5–8 in New Orleans|June 30–July 3 in Memphis|August 19–22 in Memphis

Pitching Probables:
Friday (7:05 p.m.): Memphis RHP Josh Zeid (4–2, 5.94) vs. New Orleans RHP William Cuevas (1–0, 0.00)
Saturday (6:35 p.m.): Memphis RHP Zac Gallen (0–1, 5.40) vs. New Orleans LHP Chris O’Grady (3–4, 3.14)
Sunday (2:05 p.m.): Memphis RHP John Gant (1–3, 3.19) vs. New Orleans LHP Adam Conley (1–3, 6.70)
Monday (6:35 p.m.): Memphis RHP Luke Weaver (7–1, 1.93) vs. New Orleans RHP Scott Copeland (5–7, 5.53)

New Orleans Prospect Watch (Baseball America MIA Rankings):

The Baby Cakes still have the following prospect on their roster:

#24 Drew Steckenrider, RHP

Click here for a look back at what we had to say about them earlier in the season.

Since the last series, New Orleans has not added any prospects.

Redbird to Watch: OF Nick Martini
After his first true slump of the year, Martini has been on an absolute tear, reaching base in nine of his last 10 games. During that stretch, he has five multi-hit games, all coming in the last eight contests. His prior series against New Orleans came during the slump, though, as he was 2-for-11 in three games.

Baby Cake to Watch: INF Mike Aviles
The 36-year-old utility man is still going strong in his 15th professional season. He first played in pro ball in 2003 with Royals rookie-level club after being a seventh-round draft pick for Kansas City. This year with New Orleans, he’s hitting .303 with 33 hits in 34 games and has also appeared in three games with Miami.

Series Preview: vs New Orleans June 30–July 3 was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Wednesday, June 28 • 7:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis LHP Marco Gonzales (3–3, 2.70) vs Oklahoma City RHP Wilmer Font (6–4, 3.70)

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: A trio of two-run homers and a strong start from Luke Weaver led Memphis to a 7–2 win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday, snapping a three-game skid. Weaver threw six scoreless innings to improve to 7–1.

Chad Huffman went deep in the first inning to give the Redbirds a 2–0 lead. Harrison Bader and Wilfredo Tovar cranked two-run homers in the eighth to provide insurance.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with pitcher Zac Gallen earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Zac Gallen Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: Memphis continues its eight-game homestand with the finale four-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Redbirds completed a 5–3 road trip and sit nine games up in the American Southern division. Oklahoma City has won six of seven and possesses the fourth-best 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: Marco Gonzales toes the rubber for the Redbirds tonight in the series finale. The southpaw is coming off one of his most dominant start of the year, firing seven quality innings at Omaha. Gonzales struck out eight and allowed only one run while scattering seven hits. Since returning from a spot start with St. Louis on June 13, Gonzales has yielded just two earned runs in 13 innings (1.38 ERA), striking out 12 in the process.

All-Star starter Wilmer Font gets the ball for Oklahoma City. Font has enjoyed a tremendous year, leading the league with 112 strikeouts, 19 more than the next-highest total. He also enters tonight second in the league in average against (.212) and WHIP (1.08) and seventh in ERA (3.70). Font, though, has not had the best success against Memphis, allowing seven runs on 12 hits in nine innings in back-to-back starts in April. He did strike out 10 combined hitters in the outings.

SCHEDULE WITH OKLAHOMA CITY: The Redbirds and Dodgers meet for their third series of the season, and second and final at AutoZone Park. Memphis is just 4–6 against Oklahoma City this year, the only team that the ‘Birds do not have at least a .500 winning percentage against. The two teams met seven times over 11 days in April, and after today, will not meet again until July 17–20.

THIS DATE IN REDBIRDS HISTORY (June 29, 2012): 1B Matt Adams posted his 3rd multi-homer game of the season, blasting two-run shots in the 1st and 6th innings to lead the Redbirds to a 9–5 win over Albuquerque.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds are one game behind the best record through 48 games in franchise history (48–30, 2000)
- A win today would be the second-earliest 48th win by games in franchise history (78, 2000)
- Memphis is one of 9 teams in MiLB with 47+ wins

NOTHING FOR YOU: The Redbirds pitching staff has turned the corner in the last 30 games, holding the opponent to four runs or less in 21 of those contests. The Redbirds have yielded only 90 ER in the last 259.0 innings pitched (3.13 ERA) and have moved into second in the PCL in ERA (3.87).

CHANGE IN CULTURE: Memphis finds itself with the third-best record in the league, a half-game out of first place, thanks to winning in a variety of ways. After leading the league in homers in April (29), the ‘Birds now sit t-10th in blasts in June (28). Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which ranked 10th in the league in ERA in April (4.54), rose to second in May (3.84) and is the league’s best in June (3.29).

IT’S NOT JUST ERA: After a slow month of April relatively, Memphis’ pitching staff has been one of the more dominant units in the league. The Redbirds sit second in the circuit in strikeouts (655, 8.5 K/9), and have allowed the second fewest runs (378, 4.2 per game) and earned runs (297, 3.8 per game).

Additionally, Memphis pitchers have walked the third-fewest batters (218, 2.8 BB/9) and allowed the fourth-fewest hits (656, 8.4 per game) in the loop.

Game Preview: June 29 vs. Oklahoma City was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Wednesday, June 28 • 7:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP Luke Weaver (6–1, 2.16) vs Oklahoma City RHP Trevor Oaks (4–2, 3.69)

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: The Memphis offense was held in check for a second straight night, falling to Oklahoma City 3–2. John Gant gave up three runs on five hits in eight frames, tying the season-long outing for a Redbird starter.

Nick Martini and Adolis Garcia each collected a pair of hits while Carson Kelly and Breyvic Valera drove in the runs.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with manager Stubby Clapp earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Stubby Clapp Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: Memphis continues its eight-game homestand with game three of a four-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Redbirds completed a 5–3 road trip and sit nine games up in the American Southern division. Oklahoma City has won six straight and possesses the fourth-best 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: Memphis hands the ball to All-Star righthander Luke Weaver in his 11th start of the year. Weaver is coming off back-to-back truncated outings, one due to injury and another due to high pitch count. He last pitched on Friday, shutting out Omaha over 3.2 innings and limiting the Storm Chasers to a hit and two walks while striking out three. Weaver does not have enough innings to qualify for the league lead, but would pace the PCL in ERA and WHIP.

Trevor Oaks makes his 14th start (15th appearance) of the season and third against the Redbirds. In his two previous outings against Memphis, Oaks yielded two earned runs on nine hits with 12 strikeouts in 10.0 innings. He did not factor in either decision. Oaks enters today with the lowest walk rate among qualifying starting pitchers in the league (14 BB/74.0 IP, 1.70 BB/9). He is also fifth in the league in ERA and tied for the fourth fewest baserunners allowed per 9 IP.

SCHEDULE WITH OKLAHOMA CITY: The Redbirds and Dodgers meet for their third series of the season, and second and final at AutoZone Park. Memphis is just 3–6 against Oklahoma City this year, the only team that the ‘Birds do not have at least a .500 winning percentage against. The two teams met seven times over 11 days in April, and after this series, will not meet again until July 17–20.

THIS DATE IN REDBIRDS HISTORY (June 28, 2011): Maikel Cleto made his Redbirds debut and allowed a home run to Omaha’s Mike Aviles on the second pitch of the game. Cleto recovered to throw 7.1 innings, surrendering four hits and striking out 9 in the Redbirds’ 3–1 win. Cleto’s fastball was clocked at 100 mph as late as the 7th inning.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds are one game behind the best record through 77 games in franchise history (47–30, 2000)
- A win today would be the second-earliest 47th win by games in franchise history (77, 2000)
- Memphis is one of 9 teams in MiLB with 46+ wins

STREAK RESISTANT: Memphis enters tonight having dropped three straight games for the first time since April 24–27. This is just the third streak of three-plus losses in a row this season for the Redbirds, with the season-long being a four-game winless streak from April 13–16. All three losing streaks have involved multiple setbacks against OKC.

ALL-STAR SELECTIONS: The PCL announced today that Carson Kelly, Ryan Sherriff, and Luke Weaver have been selected to represent the Redbirds in the Triple-A All-Star Game.

For Kelly, it his third All-Star appearance, joining Peoria (Midwest League, ’14) and Springfield (‘16). Sherriff pitched the Triple-A All-Star Game a year ago while Weaver was named a mid-season All-Star for the first time in his career.

Game Preview: June 28 vs. Oklahoma City was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Tuesday, June 27 • 7:05 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 (1–2, 3.14) vs Oklahoma City RHP David Hale (0–0, — )

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Memphis’ offense was quieted for most of the night, falling 3–2 in the series opener to Oklahoma City. Nick Martini provided three of the Redbirds’ five hits, also driving in the only two runs in the seventh.

Zac Gallen struck out eight in his Triple-A debut while three relievers combined for four scoreless innings out of the ‘pen.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with infielder Alex Mejia earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | Alex Mejia Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: Memphis continues its eight-game homestand with game two of a four-game series against the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Redbirds completed a 5–3 road trip and sit nine games up in the American Southern division. Oklahoma City has won five straight and possesses the fourth-best 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: John Gant toes the rubber for the Redbirds this evening. Gant is coming off his shortest start of the year, lasting just 3.1 frames against on Thursday. The righthander allowed a season-high six runs (four earned) on nine hits while taking the loss. In his last home start, though, Gant tossed eight scoreless frames against Colorado Springs en route to being named PCL Pitcher of the Week. He holds a 2.53 ERA (6 ER/21.1 IP) in four home starts.

David Hale becomes the second straight Dodger to take the hill in his 2017 Triple-A debut. Hale has appeared in Triple-A each of the last four years, made three appearances (two starts) with Double-A Tulsa, encompassing 9.1 innings. He last pitched on Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits in two innings of relief. Hale was signed by the Dodgers on April 10 after spending Spring Training with Atlanta. He split last year between the Colorado and Baltimore systems.

SCHEDULE WITH OKLAHOMA CITY: The Redbirds and Dodgers meet for their third series of the season, and second and final at AutoZone Park. Memphis is just 3–5 against Oklahoma City this year, the only team that the ‘Birds do not have at least a .500 winning percentage against. The two teams met seven times over 11 days in April, and after this series, will not meet again until July 17–20.

THIS DATE IN REDBIRDS HISTORY (June 27, 2005): John Rodriguez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, and knocked in 6 runs in the Redbirds’ 7–5 win at New Orleans.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds are one game behind the best record through 76 games in franchise history (47–29, 2000)
- A win today would tie the earliest 47th win by games in franchise history (77, 2000)
- Memphis is one of 8 teams in MiLB with 46+ wins

CHANGE IN CULTURE: Memphis finds itself with the second-best record in the league, 1.5 games behind Reno (48–28), thanks to an ever-changing approach to winning games. After leading the league in homers in April (29), the ‘Birds now sit 10th in blasts in June (25). Meanwhile, the pitching staff, which ranked 10th in the league in ERA in April (4.54), rose to second in May (3.84) and is tied for the league’s best in June (3.41).

STREAK RESISTANT: Memphis enters tonight having dropped back-to-back games for the first time since June 6–7 at New Orleans and for only the third time in the last 55 games since April 28. The Redbirds have not lost three straight games since April 24–27, which included back-to-back shutout losses to Oklahoma City.

TWO (OR THREE) OLIVES: Nick Martini collected another multi-hit game last night, going 3-for-4 with a two-run single. It marked the third multi-hit game for the Memphis outfielder in his last five games (9-for-20, .450, HR, 4 R, 6 RBI).

After suffering through a 2-for-24 skid from June 7–16, Martini has reached base safely in six of seven games, driving in nine runs in the process. Since joining the Redbirds on May 6, 15 of his 26 RBI have come with two outs, six have given Memphis the lead, and three have proved to be the game-winning RBI.

Game Preview: June 27 vs. Oklahoma City was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Monday, June 26 • 7:05 p.m. (CT) • AutoZone Park (10,000) • Memphis, Tennessee

Broadcast Information: MiLB.tv | TuneIn Radio | Gameday Play-By-Play

Probable Pitchers: Memphis RHP Zac Gallen (0–0, — ) vs Oklahoma City RHP Scott Barlow (0–0, — )

Roster Moves: RHP Mike Mayers and OF Randal Grichuk transferred to St. Louis (6/25), INF Luke Voit purchased by St. Louis (6/25); 1B/OF Chad Huffman optioned to Memphis (6/25), OF Adolis Garcia and RHP Zac Gallen transferred from Double-A Springfield

Lineups:

ABOUT THE LAST ONE: Breyvic Valera hit his first home run since 2015 as part of a three-hit day, but Memphis’ offense was otherwise held in check in a 5–3 loss to Omaha. The Redbirds had the bases loaded in the ninth, but grounded into a game-ending double play.

Jack Flaherty struggled, allowing five runs in 3.1 innings, but four relievers combined for 4.2 scoreless innings.

A full recap is available here.

Pregame Listening: Voice of the Redbirds, Steve Selby, caught up with acting hitting coach George Greer earlier this week. You can hear the entire conversation below:

Video Highlights & Clips - MiLB | George Greer Pregame Radio Interview - Video | Memphis Redbirds Multimedia

Today’s Game Notes: Click here for full set of notes

TODAY’S GAME: Memphis returns home for an eight-game homestand, beginning with a four-game series with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. The Redbirds completed a 5–3 road trip and sit 10 games up in the American Southern division. Oklahoma City swept Nashville and possesses the fourth-best 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 on the call.

ON THE HILL: Zac Gallen makes his Triple-A debut, just 368 days after signing his first professional contract. Gallen began the year with nine starts in Advanced-A Palm Beach before a June 3 promotion to Double-A Springfield. He made four starts in Double-A, two of which came against Tulsa (Los Angeles AA) and tonight’s opposing starter, Scott Barlow. Gallen dropped both of those starts, allowing six runs on 13 hits in 11.1 innings with seven strikeouts.

Scott Barlow makes his second career Triple-A start, and first since 2015, tonight. He has made 14 starts with Double-A Tulsa this year, going 5–3 with a 2.02 ERA. He squared off with Gallen twice, winning both starts and allowing one run in 12 innings with 17 strikeouts and zero walks. Barlow was second in the Texas League in strikeouts (87), and third in ERA (2.02) at the time of his promotion.

SCHEDULE WITH OKLAHOMA CITY: The Redbirds and Dodgers meet for their third series of the season, and second and final at AutoZone Park. Memphis is just 3–4 against Oklahoma City this year, the only team that the ‘Birds do not have at least a .500 winning percentage against. The two teams met seven times over 11 days in April and have not met since the Dodgers posted back-to-back shutouts on April 24 and 25.

THIS DATE IN REDBIRDS HISTORY (June 26, 2008): Bryan Anderson’s three-run home run capped a six-run 1st inning, and the Redbirds held on to beat New Orleans, 8–6. Jaime Garcia took advantage of the early lead to improve to 4–3.

FOR THE RECORD:
- The Redbirds have tied the best record through 75 games in franchise history (the 2000 team was also 46–29)
- A win today would tie the earliest 47th win by games in franchise history (77, 2000)
- The Redbirds enjoy their largest division lead since winning the division by 13.5 games on September 4, 2000
- A win tonight would tie a season-high 18 games over .500… The Redbirds have not been this far over .500 since September 6, 2010 (20 games, 82–62)
- Memphis is one of 8 teams in MiLB with 46+ wins

MAYERS MOVES UP: The Cardinals made a series of roster moves yesterday, plucking three players from the Redbirds roster. Mike Mayers was the lone pitcher recalled by St. Louis. Mayers appeared in four games last season for the Cardinals and had rounded into form recently with Memphis. At the time of his promotion, he was eighth in the league in ERA (3.74) and had pitched to a 0.87 ERA (3 ER/31.0 IP) over his last five starts.

GRICHUK GONE: Randal Grichuk was recalled as well after appearing in 14 games with Memphis. He made his presence known, hitting six homers, five of which came in the last six games. He rejoined St. Louis having hit safely in eight straight games overall (11-for-37, .297, 2 2B, 5 HR, 8 R, 7 RBI).

AND VOIT GETS THE CALL: Additionally, the Cardinals purchased the contract of Luke Voit, who grew up just outside of St. Louis and made his Major League debut with an HBP in his first plate appearance last night. Voit was an All-Star caliber performer for Memphis, hitting .322 with 12 HR and 48 RBI in his first taste of Triple-A. He had already established a new career-high in doubles (23) and ranked among league leaders in 2B (t-1), OBP (.406, 4th), and average (10th).

SO IN THEIR PLACE: Memphis added three players to the roster today with Chad Huffman returning from St. Louis and Zac Gallen and Adolis Garcia joining from Double-A Springfield. Huffman played in 12 games for the Cardinals, hitting .286 (4-for-14) in his first MLB appearance since 2010.

Gallen and Garcia will each be making their Triple-A debuts. Gallen was St. Louis’ third-round pick last year out of the University of North Carolina and started the year in High-A. Garcia is in his first year with the Cardinals after playing the last five years in Cuba with a brief stint in Japan.

Game Preview: June 26 vs. Oklahoma City was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The team that has caused the most trouble is Oklahoma City, who is the lone team this year that Memphis has a losing record against. The Dodgers just completed a sweep of Nashville and enter the set with the fourth-best record in the PCL at 42–32.

These two teams have not met since seven encounters in 11 days in April. This will be OKC’s final scheduled trip to Memphis this year with the season series wrapping up in Oklahoma next month.

Season Series (Games 8–11 of 15; Dodgers lead 4–3):
Oklahoma City took 2 of 3 April 15–17 in Memphis | Teams split four games April 22–25 in Oklahoma City | June 26–29 in Memphis | July 17–20 in Oklahoma City

Pitching Probables:
Monday (7:05 p.m.): Memphis RHP Zac Gallen (0–0, — ) vs. Oklahoma City RHP Scott Barlow (0–0, — )
Tuesday (7:05 p.m.): Memphis RHP Luke Weaver (6–1, 2.16) vs. Oklahoma City RHP Brock Stewart (0–0, 3.24)
Wednesday (7:05 p.m.): Memphis RHP John Gant (1–2, 3.14) vs. Oklahoma City RHP Trevor Oaks (4–2, 3.69)
Thursday (7:05 p.m.): Memphis LHP Marco Gonzales (3–3, 2.70) vs Oklahoma City RHP Wilmer Font (6–4, 3.70)

Oklahoma City Prospect Watch (Baseball America LAD Rankings):

The Dodgers still have the following prospects on their roster:

#4 Alex Verdugo, OF
#5 Willie Calhoun, INF
#14 Trevor Oaks, RHP

Click here for a look back at what we had to say about them earlier in the season.

Since the last series, Oklahoma City has not added any prospects.

Redbird to Watch: OF Adolis Garcia
Garcia was signed by the Cardinals in February after spending five years playing professionally in Cuba with an additional cup of coffee in Japan. Garcia showcased his size and speed with Double-A Springfield, hitting .284 with 6 homers and 36 RBI in 34 RBI in 66 games. He also stole nine bases, fifth-most in the organization before his promotion on Monday.

Dodger to Watch: OF Alex Verdugo
Verdugo is top prospect remaining on the roster after Cody Bellinger was promoted and has since terrorized MLB. Verdugo, though, has held his own, ranking fifth in the league in average (.344) and second in OBP (.413).

Series Preview: vs Oklahoma City Dodgers June 26–29 was originally published in Blogging in Memphis on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.