Six Homers Power Omaha Past Memphis In Homestand Finale, 8-2

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Redbirds matched a franchise record with six home runs allowed during an 8-2 defeat to the visiting Omaha Storm Chasers in Sunday afternoon's homestand finale at AutoZone Park.

The Redbirds yielded six home runs in a game on four previous occasions in their 15-year history: July 30, 1999 vs. Nashville, May 29, 2003 vs. Omaha, August 3, 2006 at Fresno, and May 20, 2011 at Tacoma.

With the loss, the Redbirds (21-22) split their four-game series with Omaha and finished their eight-game homestand with a 5-3 record.

Designated hitter Tommy Pham homered and tripled while driving in two runs. The 26-year-old Pham is now hitting .500 (9-for-18) with three home runs and six RBIs in the month of May. Outfielder Shane Robinson (2-for-4) extended his hitting streak to six games, producing his fifth multi-hit effort over that span.

Matt Fields hit a leadoff home run in the top of the second for a 1-0 lead. It was his fourth homer of the season.

With a runner aboard in the second, Pham crushed a go-ahead two-run shot into the Redbirds bullpen for a 2-1 lead, which accounted for the club's only two runs of the game. The homer was Pham's third in his last five games.

Omaha went ahead for good in the third on back-to-back-jacks from Paulo Orlando and Fields. After a pair of walks, Orlando's three-run homer with two outs initially put Omaha in front by two runs. Field's second homer of the game was the second of the consecutive blasts. The last time Memphis gave up back-to-back home runs was the sixth inning on April 9 at Omaha to Eibner and Christian Colon.

Francisco Pena hit his team-leading ninth home run of the season in the fourth for a 6-2 lead, a towering solo shot that barely cleared the left field wall.

Jason Donald and Jimmy Paredes each went deep in the ninth for the final 8-2 score.

Storm Chasers Aaron Brooks (3-1) surrendered two runs on four hits with a pair of strikeouts in six innings for the victory.

Redbirds starter Tim Cooney (4-3) gave up a career-high four home runs for six runs while issuing a career-high five walks in four innings.

Reliever Heath Wyatt followed with four strikeouts over three hitless innings. Dean Kiekhefer finished the afternoon with two solo homers in two innings.

The Redbirds travel to Colorado Springs for a four-game series at Security Service Field beginning on Monday. Right-hander Zach Petrick (2-1, 4.45) will start the 7:35 pm CT road trip opener against Sky Sox righty Christian Bergman (3-2, 3.75). Baseball returns to AutoZone Park on Friday, May 23.