Bullpen lets late lead slip away
The Memphis Redbirds erased a 5-0 deficit by scoring 10 times over the final four innings on Sunday afternoon in defeating the New Orleans Baby Cakes, 10-6.Jon Berti and Lewis Brinson led off the game with back-to-back home runs to give New Orleans a quick lead, and the advantage grew
The Memphis Redbirds erased a 5-0 deficit by scoring 10 times over the final four innings on Sunday afternoon in defeating the New Orleans Baby Cakes, 10-6.
Jon Berti and Lewis Brinson led off the game with back-to-back home runs to give New Orleans a quick lead, and the advantage grew to 5-0 after Peter O'Brien's two-run blast in the fifth.
But Memphis scored a pair of runs in the bottom half against Cody Poteet, who was making his Triple-A debut, forcing the 'Cakes to turn to the bullpen.
The teams traded runs, with the Redbirds answering Berti's second homer of the afternoon to make it 6-3, before a five-run seventh gave Memphis its first lead.
John Nogowski, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games, brought Memphis within one with a two-run double, and scored moments later on a two-run triple by Joe Hudson to put the Redbirds in front. Irving Lopez added a sacrifice fly to cap the rally against 'Cakes reliever Parker Bugg (0-3), who was charged with seven runs (six earned) in two innings and saw his ERA balloon to 10.26.
Randy Arozarena finished a 4-for-5 effort with a two-run blast off Bugg in the eighth to provide some insurance.
Chris Ellis (3-3) was handed the victory after allowing one hit - Berti's home run - in two innings of relief,
Poteet, whose 2.25 ERA in 13 starts with Jacksonville ranked fourth in the Southern League, scattered eight hits and two runs in 4 2/3 innings.
The five-game series resumes at AutoZone Park on Monday at 6:35 p.m.