NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana – Wilfredo Tovar had a two-run double in the sixth inning and a home run in the ninth inning, powering a 3-2 Memphis Redbirds (34-20) win over the New Orleans Baby Cakes (Marlins) Wednesdaynight in New Orleans, La.
To go along with Tovar’s game, Patrick Wisdom extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 contests, and Daniel Poncedeleon tossed the 11th-straight quality start by a Redbirds pitcher. After starting the month of May with a 6-10 record, the Redbirds have won 11 of their last 13 games and sit atop the division with a 34-20 overall mark.
Poncedeleon worked 6.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits to go along with eight strikeouts. The last 11 Memphis starters have now worked at least 6.0 innings and allowed three runs or fewer in their outings. Andrew Morales came on and tossed 2.0 innings after Poncedeleon, striking out three, and he stranded two Baby Cakes on base in the seventh after allowing a run. Edward Mujica finished the game after giving up a lead-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Wisdom singled in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, a career-long stretch, and he finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. He is hitting .418 during the stretch (23-55).
With the game scoreless through five innings, Tovar opened the scoring with a double in the top of the sixth after a 10-pitch at-bat. The ‘Cakes got a run in the bottom of the seventh, and the game remained 2-1 headed into the ninth. Tovar provided some breathing room in the top of the ninth with his fourth home run of the season, which proved crucial as New Orleans hit a home run of their own leading off the home-half of the ninth.
But Mujica got two pop-outs and a strikeout after the long ball to seal the victory.
On its current five-game winning streak, Memphis has given up a total of five runs.
The Redbirds are in New Orleans for four more games before returning home for seven contests against Tacoma and Reno starting Tuesday. For more information on single-game tickets and ticket mini-memberships, visit www.memphisredbirds.com.
