Memphis Cruises To 15-2 Rout Of Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The Memphis Redbirds exploded for a season-high 21 hits and 15 runs during a 15-2 rout of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox in the finale of a four-game series at Security Service Field on Monday night.

All eight position players and relief pitcher Heath Wyatt combined for 21 hits, led by three-hit efforts from second baseman Kolten Wong (3-for-6, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R), outfielder Oscar Taveras (3-for-6, 2 2B, 3 RBI), outfielder Tommy Pham (3-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, BB), shortstop Pete Kozma (3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 3 R), and catcher Audry Perez (3-for-5, 2 RBI, R).

A season-best nine of Memphis' 21 hits went for extra bases, which included six doubles and three home runs. The club's 15 runs marked the fourth double-digit output this season and first in the last 23 games since April 10.

The win gave Memphis (15-16) its second series split during the eight-game, home-and-home set with Colorado Springs.

Redbirds starter Angel Castro (3-2) yielded one solo home run over 5 2/3 innings for the victory. The right-hander scattered four hits, walked two, and struck out three with 102 pitches. Castro right-hander has allowed just two runs over his last three starts (17.0 IP).

Wyatt retired all seven batters he faced in relief, with a season-high three via the strikeout. David Aardsma surrendered one run on two hits in the ninth.

Memphis scored its first run in the second on an Xavier Scruggs (2-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 R) double and RBI single by Jermaine Curtis.

The Redbirds tacked on four runs (one earned) in the next frame, beginning with Pham leading off with a single and coming around to score on a pair of Sky Sox errors. Two batters later with the bases juiced, Taveras hammered a two-run double off the right field wall, followed by a Perez sacrifice fly to score Joey Butler (2-for-5, RBI, R, 2 BB).

The Redbirds got two more runs in the third for a 7-0 advantage. Kozma began the inning with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on a sacrifice, and came around to score on Wong's infield groundout. Later with two outs, Taveras drove in Pham, who reached on a walk.

Home runs by Scruggs and Pham sandwiched around a double increased with lead to 8-0 in the fifth. Butler did further damage with an RBI base hit after Wong's two-bagger.

Wong went deep in the seventh before back-to-back doubles from Taveras and Perez added another run in the eighth inning. Memphis concluded its scoring later in the inning on RBI singles Kozma and Wyatt.

Kyle Parker got the Sky Sox on the board with a solo home run to left in the bottom of the sixth, his fourth of the year. Colorado Springs plated its other run in the ninth on a Jackson Williams sacrifice fly.

Colorado Springs starter Tyler Matzek (1-2) was tagged for the loss with 11 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits in five innings.

The Redbirds travel to face the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Triple-A Astros) for a four-game set at Chicksaw Bricktown Ballpark beginning at 7:05 pm CT on Tuesday night. Left-hander Tim Cooney (3-1, 3.28) will start for Memphis against RedHawks right-hander Jake Buchanan (1-3, 4.88) in the series opener.