Homer-Happy Redbirds Deal 12-0 Shutout To New Orleans
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Memphis Redbirds homered five times in a 12-0 shutout of the division-rival New Orleans Zephyrs on Sunday night at AutoZone Park.
First baseman Xavier Scruggs (3-for-3, 3 R, 2 BB) and catcher Ed Easley (4-for-5, 2 R) each homered twice and drove in five runs, while third baseman Pete Kozma (2-for-4, R, BB) went yard for the second consecutive night.
It was the eighth multi-homer game of Scruggs' professional career and second occurrence for Easley.
Over the last two nights, Memphis has homered eight times, recorded 39 hits, and outscored New Orleans by a 33-3 margin. Outfielder Tommy Pham went 4-for-5 for the second straight night, raising his batting average to a team-leading .345. The outfielder has been retired twice in his previous 11 plate appearances over the last two games.
The win vaulted Memphis to a 64-58 record and six games above .500 for the first time in 2014.
In his second start since being optioned by St. Louis, right-hander Carlos Martinez (1-0) struck out three and walked none over six shutout innings of three-hit ball. Zach Petrick (2.0 IP) and Justin Wright (1.0 IP) followed with three scoreless innings to notch Memphis' 11th shutout of the season, tying Colorado Springs for the league lead.
Scruggs' first-inning blast off Elih Villanueva (10-8) gave Memphis a 3-0 lead, a line drive into the Redbirds bullpen in left center. Pham and Randal Grichuk each singled and scored on the long ball. The single by Grichuk extended his season-best hitting streak to 10 games.
Two innings later after a Stephen Piscotty (1-for-5) leadoff single, Scruggs hammered his second homer into the Fogelman YMCA parking lot across the street. Later in the frame, Easley's first homer of the evening was a line drive solo shot off the back wall of the Redbirds bullpen.
Memphis added back-to-back jacks for five more runs in the sixth inning. With the bases juiced, Easley belted a grand slam onto the TruGreen Bluff in left, marking the third grand slam of the season for the Redbirds. Two pitches later, Kozma hit his sixth homer of the season to left.
In between the five home runs was Luis Mateo's RBI groundout in the fifth.
Memphis and New Orleans conclude their five-game series on Monday night at AutoZone Park. Left-hander John Gast (3-2, 4.97) will toe the rubber in the 7:05 pm CT series finale against New Orleans.