Express Popped in Series Opener with Redbirds 10-1

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Memphis Redbirds (52-32) put on their own Fourth of July fireworks show by pounding out 19 hits in a 10-1 thrashing of the Round Rock Express (39-46) on Tuesday. A solo home run off the bat of DH Travis Snider accounted for the only E-Train offense on the night.
Express starter RHP Clayton Blackburn (2-1, 5.72) suffered his first loss of the season after allowing eight runs on 13 hits over the course of 4.2 innings. Memphis reliever RHP Josh Zeid (5-2, 5.38) earned the win after blanking the Express on just four hits in 4.1 solid innings of relief.
Both teams traded runs in the second inning. In the top half of the frame, 3B Patrick Wisdom singled before moving to second base on a wild pitch. The speedy infielder scored on an ensuing Breyvic Valera single. Snider promptly responded with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to level the contest at 1-1.
After two scoreless frames, Blackburn hit a skid in the fifth as the Redbirds sent 13 men to the plate in a seven-run, 10-hit inning. RF Adolis Garcia and LF Nick Martini started things with a pair of singles. DH Chad Huffman then singled home Garcia before SS Aledmys Díaz doubled home a pair of runs. Three straight singles courtesy of 1B Rangel Ravelo , C Carson Kelly and CF Harrison Bader scored another run.
After Wisdom grounded into a double play that also allowed Ravelo to score from third, Valera, Garcia and Martini each singled to force another run in. With RHP Tanner Scheppers on in relief, Huffman worked a walk to force in Memphis' seventh and final run of the inning.
In the eighth, Ravelo worked a leadoff walk before Bader demolished his first pitch seen from LHP Adam Loewen , sending the helpless baseball crashing into the Home Run Porch in left field, upping the Memphis lead to 10-1. The E-Train offense managed just four baserunners in the final five innings to seal their fate.
Round Rock looks to rebound in game two on Wednesday night. Express RHP Tyler Wagner (1-6, 7.51) is set to take the mound against Redbirds LHP Marco Gonzales (4-3, 2.68). First pitch at Dell Diamond is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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