Bases Loaded: Birds complete best week of 2011

June 21, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  During the last week, the Redbirds went 6-1 to finish their homestand of 8 games with only one loss (7-1) following a series sweep of New Orleans in four games then taking three from four against Nashville.  At 37-33 Memphis is now a half game out of first place the the PCL American North division behind the still division leaders, Omaha Cubs.

On Deck-  It’s time to see if the Birds are for real as they head to Iowa for a pivotal five game stretch on the road.

Single- With a team ERA of 3.81, the Redbirds are first in the PCL for the second week running.  The Redbirds have given up 296 runs, a league leading total with every other team having given up more than 300.

Double- Memphis still struggles to find anything offensively in terms of extra base hits, the Birds rank in the bottom five of the categories of doubles, triples, homeruns, and RBI.

Triple- The Redbirds could be in first place by the time the big 4th of July weekend rolls around.

Homerun-  52… Rebirds continue to go deep each day of the week.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

Filed Under: Redbirds, The Big Features, Web Exclusives

Bases Loaded: Rebirds come home

June 13, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  The Redbirds are 7-4 during the month of June, helping guide them up the American North Standings.  Memphis has been led by good pitching so far this summer and with some consistent run support being added since Memorial Day weekend, the next few weeks hold a stretch of divisional games that could help take the Redbirds into first place.

On Deck-  Home sweet home; at least for the next 8 games as the Birds begin a homestand vs New Orleans and Nashville.

Single- With a team ERA of 3.94, the Redbirds are first in the PCL.  They are the only team yet to give up 300 runs for the season.

Double- The Redbirds are in 2nd place for the first time this season coming into the current homestand.  Now boasting a record of 30-32, the Birds are 4.5 games out of first place.

Triple- This Friday, be sure to check the Redbirds out at Autozone Park as they welcome the San Diego Chicken to the ballpark.. if you haven’t seen him, look him up.

Homerun-  46… Redbirds got four deep shots during the roadtrip.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

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Bases Loaded: Third for the Birds

June 6, 2011 by
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Bases Loaded: Memorial Day Special

May 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  Memorial Day weekend is truly one of the great spectacles in all of baseball.  This past weekend was no disappointment for those who saw the Birds build a homestand at Autozone Park.  The Redbirds are 6-4 in their last 10 games and beat the Omaha Cubs in front of a near capacity crowd Sunday night.

On Deck-  The Redbirds are in town all week vs Omaha and Albuquerque before they head to OKC for a road test.

Single- Don’t look now but the Redbirds are in 2nd place in the American North division.  At 22-27, the Birds are 4.5 games behind leaders Omaha in the division.

Double- Memphis has a .449 winning percentage heading into the week, they are in second place, but in any other Pacific Coast Leaue division it wouldn’t be good enough to trail first behind division leaders.

Triple- Now 11-16 on the season road travels, the Redbirds have begun to build some confidence in their travels.  If the road victories begin to balance out with the victories, the Redbirds can make a serious push for the division title as we reach the halfway mark.

Homerun-  35… second from bottom in the homerun category when you look at the rest of the division.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

Filed Under: Redbirds, The Big Features, Web Exclusives

Bases Loaded: Win some, lose some

May 22, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  The Redbirds are 5-5 in their last 10 games including a current Bases Loaded record of 3-3 last week.  Memphis began the week defeating the Fresno Grizzlies in dramatic fashion by escaping a no hitter and beating the Grizzlies in extra innings.  Their past five games have alternated between wins and losses as the Birds struggle to find any type of consistency to gain ground on the American North Division field.

On Deck-  Memphis plays four games in Salt Lake this week before returning to a homestand vs Omaha, the Cubs are leaders in the division and hold a 5.5 game lead of Memphis.

Single- Corey Rauschenberger is undefeated in his four appearances, he carries a 1.19 ERA in 22 innings pitched this season, leading the rest of the staff.

Double- Memphis is 17-25, tied for third in their division.  In the three other PCL divisions, Memphis would be in last place at least a whole game out of third position.

Triple- Matt Carpenter and Nick Stavinoha have played in 41 games this season, leading the rest of the squad.  Combined they have 82 hits between them both, which also leads the rest of the boys in red and white.

Homerun-  We are now at 30 on the season, up 5 from last Sunday.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

Filed Under: Redbirds, The Big Features, Web Exclusives

Bases Loaded: Birds’ Bats Light Up

May 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  The Redbirds are 4-4 since our last update, due much in part to added run support.  Memphis scored a combined 42 runs in their last eight contests, including one goose egg posted midweek vs NOLA.  Memphis heads into Monday’s match-up vs Fresno having taken the first two games of the four game match-up this weekend.  Memphis will play two more home games vs Fresno before heading back on the road.

On Deck-  Memphis is 4-6 in their last ten games.  Now 14-22 on the year, the Redbirds will look to build some road success having won only three times away from downtown Memphis.

Single- For the second week running, the Redbirds have a stronghold on the 3rd place of the division.  The PCL American North ranks from 1st-4th: Omaha, Iowa, Memphis, Nashville.  Memphis is 6.5 games behind the leading Cubs.

Double- Second from bottom, even with the added run support this week the Redbirds are still batting under .300 as a team this year.  Now hitting .255, only Nashville sits below them in the standings.

Triple- Memphis is third from top in team ERA.  The pitching has been good for the Birds this season, and now with an ERA of 4.24, the Redbirds will be hoping the bats continue to produce runs for a second week in a row.

Homerun-  Seven homeruns in seven days, not a great stat, but it moves the total from 18 to 25 for the 2011 campaign.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

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Bases Loaded: Redbirds carry 4 game loss into weekend

May 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  In the midst of the Grizz mania and Beale Street Music Fest Patrons crowding downtown last weekend, the Redbirds had their Sunday series finale with Round Rock postponed due to rain.  The Birds headed out for an eight game road trip.  First stop was New Orleans, Memphis got off to a good start winning the first game 4-1.  But the celebration was short lived as the Birds dropped the remaining three vs the Zephyrs.  Memphis traveled to Albuquerque to wrap up four more games on the road trip.  The Birds losing streak stretched to four as they lost the first game Friday 7-8.

On Deck-  Redbirds are in Albuquerque this weekend, after they will return home to Memphis for an eight game homestand vs California foes Sacramento and Fresno.

Single- Memphis is alone in third place of the PCL American North Division.  Now 10-17 for the season, the Birds sit 5.5 games behind the leaders Omaha who are 16-12.

Double- Two wins… that’s right the Redbirds are an abysmal 2-10 on the road this season.  Last place in their division Nashville are 3-10 on their travels.

Triple- Memphis is third from bottom in the PCL team batting average category.  The Redbirds are hitting .249 as a team this year.

Homerun-  The Redbirds have hit six homeruns in the past week.  Their season total is now up to 18.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

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5 ON 5: Grizz/Thunder Preview

April 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Memphis advanced to the Western Conference Semis for the first time in franchise history, their opponent will be the up and coming Oklahoma City Thunder following OKC’s 4-1 series win over the Denver Nuggets.

This series will feature two of the younger and more entertaining teams to watch in the NBA…

How does the match-up look?

Defense irritate Zbo. Zbo score.

IN THE BACKCOURT:

GRIZZLIES will feature Mike Conley Jr. and Sam Young as the starting guards for Memphis.  Conley proved his worth in the San Antonio series as he matched up vs veteran point man Tony Parker.  The 4-2 series victory over the Spurs saw numerous contributions from just about everyone in a Grizz uniform.  Due mostly in part to the play of Conley at the helm.  He averaged more than six assists per game in the series while also pitching in 14.3 ppg.  Sam Young became an unsung hero in the final two games in the series as his numbers grew in his contributions in games five and six.  Combined in those two games in chipped in 27 points and 7 rebounds.

THUNDER will put their trust in the recently “trigger happy” Russell Westbrook.  I don’t say trigger happy as a knock to Westbrook, because make no doubt about it… he can put up numbers in a hurry.  In a series where OKC blew out Denver in all but game 4 of the series, he was a major contributor.  He scored a combined 67 points in the final three games of the series while also averaging just over 6 rebounds in each game.  During the season, he played quarterback for the Thunder dishing out 8.2 assists per game.  If there is a weak point in the Thunder’s starting five, it lies in Thabo Sefolosha.  His career numbers include averaging less than 6 PPG, 1.5 APG, and 3.8 RB.

IN THE FRONT COURT:

GRIZZLIES rely heavily on the production out of Tony Allen, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph.  The “Big 3″ of the Grizz contribute not only on the scoresheet, but they are a mainstay in the eyes of the fans and in the locker room as the heart and soul of this team, as was evident in the SAS series.  In every game in the first-round series, Allen snagged at least one rebound, steal, and field goal.  Gasol got off to a fast start in the 2011 Playoffs grabbing 24 points and 9 rebounds in game one followed by 17 rebounds and 12 points in game two.  He nearly averaged a double-double in the final four games.  Randolph posted 20+ points in four out of the six games vs the Spurs.  He controlled the paint as the series progressed averaging just over 9 rebounds while also sharing the wealth sending out over 3 assists per contest.

THUNDER added former Celtic Kendrick Perkins as their big man paired alongside Serge Ibaka in the heart of their paint.  Perkins struggled to get going in the series vs Denver following a MCL sprain at the end of February.  The 6’10″ big man averaged a small 5.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.  Ibaka leads the Thunder in rebounds and blocks.  He averages 11 rebounds along with almost five blocks each time out, thats more than double the blocks Grizz leader Gasol averages.  Last but not least we focus on Kevin Durant or a.k.a. “Durantula”.  He scored 162 points in five games vs Denver including two 41 point performances.  Durant is an out and out scorer and it will be interesting to see if the Grizz try to shut him down or if they will allow him to get his points while limiting others.

Brennan Somers is a regular contributor to Memphisport. You can follow him on Twitter @brennansomers. For more live tweets during Grizzlies games follow @memphisport, @douggillon, @cerrito, and @chasingphoto.

Story photo by Chase Gustafson.

 

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BASES LOADED: REDBIRDS TURN THINGS AROUND

April 30, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off-  The Redbirds began a strong run of form last weekend winning three out of a four game series vs divisional foe Iowa.  The Birds scored 22 runs in the series moving above their season average as the bats finally began to make some noise.  Following the torrential rain and storms this week, Memphis welcomed Round Rock to Autozone Park where the first two games of the series were split, Memphis won 6-5 Thursday and Round Rock won 5-4 in the second game Friday.

On Deck-  The Redbirds wrap up their current home-stand vs Round Rock the same time the Grizzlies play the Thunder Sunday.  Then Memphis will take to the road for an eight game stretch of road tests vs New Orleans and Albuquerque.  New Orleans swept the Redbirds in April 4-0.

Single- Memphis is now tied for 3rd place in the PCL American North Division with a 8-13 record.  The Redbirds are five games behind leaders Omaha.

Double- Brandon Dickson is the 3rd best pitcher currently in the PCL.  With a record of 1-2, he has a 1.73 ERA in four starts.  He has given up seven runs on 19 hits while also striking out 24 batters in 26 innings of work.

Triple- CF Shane Robinson continues to thrive in the early part of the season.  He leads the Redbirds with a batting average of .400, his On Base + Slugging Percentage is 1.035.

Homerun-  With 12 homeruns registered this year, the Redbirds remain in last place for another week of PCL rankings.  Leaders Reno have hit 32.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

 

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Bases Loaded: Redbirds slump continues

April 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Leading Off- Since the last Bases Loaded recap, the Redbirds have fallen to 4-11 overall and cemented a hold on the last spot in the PCL American North division.  Memphis went 1-6 since last Saturday, dropping games to divisional opponents Omaha and Iowa.  Most worrisome, the Redbirds have lost five in a row.

On Deck- The Redbirds return to the friendly confines of Autozone park to begin a pivotal early season home-stand where the club can look to reverse their early season misfortunes.  Memphis will play 8 games during this home stretch that runs through May 1st.  First four games vs Iowa, who the Redbirds went 1-2 in last weekend’s series, and Round Rock.

Single- In the lone win on the road trip vs the Iowa Cubs, Memphis won 7-5 following a monstrous day at the plate tallying 11 hits including two in the 11th inning to give the birds the victory.  The hero of the night was Freddie Bynum.  In his 6 at bats, he had 3 hits including two runs, a solo homerun and 3 RBI.

Double- Memphis remains in the bottom five in both team batting and team hitting in the Pacific Coast League.  Memphis has a 3.41 ERA heading into this weekend but a combination of bad bullpen performances and a lack of run support have contributed to the staff’s 4-11 record.  Memphis has given up the fewest hits of the PCL with 114, while also giving up 56 runs, a second best in the league… now if Memphis could only get some hits.  Memphis’ batting average is .238, third from bottom.  Memphis ranks last in runs scored, doubles, homeruns, total bases, and stolen bases.  Basically, Memphis has just not gotten any production from the line-up at the plate.

Triple- Although the bats have been quiet for the birds, three pitchers have performed well on the mound but without run support, they have yet to record the wins Memphis needs, here they are…

Lance Lynn- (1-2) 2.66 ERA in 20.1 innings pitched, given up 6 runs on 18 hits, 14 strikeouts, opponents are batting .257 against him.

Brandon Dickson- (0-2) 1.89 ERA in 19 innings pitched, given up 6 runs on 16 hits, 18 strikeouts, opponents are batting .235 against him.

Adam Ottavino- (0-1) 2.08 ERA in 17.1 innings pitched, given up 5 runs on 11 hits, 19 strikeouts, opponents are batting .172 against him.

Homerun- After recording zero homeruns in the first week of the season, Memphis has gone yard 7 times in the last week.  Team leading Freddie Bynum has two.

Bases Loaded is a weekly recap of the past week’s story-lines and news from the Memphis Redbirds.

Brennan Somers covers the Redbirds for MemphiSport. You can follow him via Twitter @brennansomers.

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