Five Memphis Redbirds combined to four-hit the Colorado Springs Sky Sox Friday night at AutoZone Park, and the Redbirds earned their first win of the 2016 season with a 2-1 victory.
J.C. Sulbaran, making his first start as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals organization, went 5.0 innings and allowed just two hits, and Ryan Sherriff, Dean Kiekhefer, John Church and Juan Gonzalez followed with an inning apiece to secure the win. Jacob Wilson had two hits for the second-straight game to lead the Memphis offense, and Charlie Tilson got his first Triple-A hit and RBI in the victory.
The Redbirds got things going in the home half of the first after Sulbaran set the Sky Sox down in order, with Wilson singling and coming around to score on a Jonathan Rodriguez base knock. Rodriguez’ hit sent Anthony Garcia, who reached on a walk, to third, and Garcia scored on the next play via a Tilson single.
After the Tilson RBI single, Sky Sox starter Junior Guerra set down seven-straight Redbirds while his offense picked up a run on a wild pitch that scored Josmil Pinto from third base after he singled to lead off the top of the third.
Sulbaran stranded a runner on third in both the third and the fifth, and he set down nine of the last 11 hitters he faced and exited after 5.0 innings of two-hit baseball to go along with four strikeouts.
Memphis had two hits in its final three at-bats, an Alex Mejia double in the seventh and a Wilson single in the eighth, and Church and Gonzalez both worked around a pair of walks in their innings of work in the eighth and ninth, respectively, but did not surrender a run with Gonzalez earning the save.
With the series knotted at a game each, Memphis and Colorado Springs meet again Saturday night at 6:35 (CT) at AutoZone Park in the first fireworks Saturday of the 2016 season. The first 1,500 fans will also receive a free seat cushion. Memphis righty Jeremy Hefner is scheduled to go against Sky Sox left-hander Brent Suter. The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 2:05 (CT).
For tickets or for more information on the 2016 Redbirds season, contact the Redbirds front office at (901) 721-6000 or visit www.memphisredbirds.com.
