Redbirds rally late to top 'Topes

ALBUQUERQUE, NM - An unbelievable two-out, ninth inning rally pushed Memphis past Albuquerque Thursday night at Isotopes Park and sent the Redbirds back home with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

The 'Birds erased a three-run deficit in the ninth with Donovan Solano's pinch-hit single starting the rally. Mark Hamilton's two-run double brought the Redbirds within a run before Allen Craig's pinch-hit, RBI-single tied the game at 6-6. Brandon Yarbrough played the hero belting a two-run double into the right-center field gap to put Memphis on top for the first time since the fifth inning. Hamilton finished the night 3-for-4 with two runs scored to lead the Redbirds. Blake DeWitt went 3-for-5 with two runs scored to lead Albuquerque.

Memphis reliever Tyler Norrick picked up the win tossing one scoreless inning of relief. Albuquerque closer Scott Strickland, who led the PCL in the regular season with 32 saves, was pinned with the loss allowing five runs on four hits while recording only two outs. Redbirds starter P.J. Walters allowed three runs, one earned, on nine hits over 4.2 innings.

The 'Birds return home tomorrow night to host their first playoff game since 2000 with game time scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Lefty Evan MacLane gets the ball for the Redbirds against Albuquerque's Tim Corcoran. For ticket information call 901.721.6000 or visit memphisredbirds.com.