Redbirds Snap Six-Game Losing Skid With 9-4 Win In Round Rock

ROUND ROCK, Tex. - The Memphis Redbirds snapped a six-game losing streak with a 9-4 victory over the Round Rock Express on Wednesday night at the Dell Diamond.

Combined with Iowa splitting a doubleheader with Nashville, Memphis's win moved the club back into first place in the PCL American Northern Division by a half game.

The first five players in the Redbirds lineup went a combined 9-for-17 with three home runs, nine RBIs, eight walks, and nine runs scored.

Third baseman Ryan Jackson went 2-for-3 with a pair of walks. Second baseman Kolten Wong singled and walked four times in five plate appearances. His four walks tied a Redbirds single-game record, matching Bryan Anderson's mark from July 19, 2011 vs. Omaha.

Center fielder Oscar Taveras homered and drove in four with a 2-for-5 effort on his 21st birthday. First baseman Brock Peterson homered and drove in two.Designated hitter Chad Huffman went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, and a pair of walks. Greg Garcia went 0-for-5 to snap his season-best seven-game hitting streak.

Things got out of hand in a hurry as Memphis scored all nine runs over the first two innings. Round Rock starter Scott Richmond began the game by walking Jackson and Wong. Taveras then gave himself a three-run home run for his birthday, which was the slugger's fifth of the season and snapped an 0-for-11 hitless drought. Three pitches later, Peterson followed with his team-leading 16th home run, bringing the slugger into a tie for the PCL lead for homers. It was also the fifth time that Memphis has hit back-to-back jacks this season, and second occurrence involving Peterson.

The Redbirds batted around again and scored five more runs in the next inning against Richmond, who failed to record an out before being removed from the game. With Jackson and Wong aboard for a second consecutive time, Taveras sent an RBI single up the middle for the first run. Peterson followed with another RBI single. Next batter Chad Huffman then crushed a three run home run to center to conclude the Redbirds' scoring. The blast was Huffman's seventh.

Round Rock scored single runs in the first two innings before Rangers prospect Mike Olt hit a tape-measure home run to center in the fourth. The two-run homer was Olt's seventh of the season.

In his first start since June 2, Nick Additon (5-2) gave up four runs on eight hits (one homer) in five innings for the victory. He didn't strikeout a batter and walked three.

In his first rehab appearance, Cardinals right-handed reliever Fernando Salas threw a scoreless inning with 20 pitches (14 for strikes). He struck out Jared Hoying looking, induced an infield groundout to shortstop, and struck out Leury Garcia swinging.

Sam Freeman worked around two hits for two shutout frames to extend his consecutive scoreless streak to 15.1 innings, the longest by a reliever this season. Mitchell Boggs worked a perfect ninth to end the game.

Richmond (2-2) was tattooed for nine runs on eight hits and three home runs in one-plus innings.

The Redbirds and Express continue their series at 7:05 pm CT on Thursday night. Memphis' scheduled starter has yet to be announced. Round Rock will start left-hander Ryan Feierabend (4-2, 4.31).