Memphis Falls In El Paso, Ends Nine-Game Winning Streak
EL PASO, Tex. - Former Redbird Tyler Greene homered and drove in four to lead the El Paso Chihuahuas to a 6-2 win over the Memphis Redbirds in the finale of a four-game series on Tuesday night at Southwest University Park.
The Redbirds' loss ends a nine-game winning streak that tied a franchise record from 2000, and moves the club into a first-place tie in the PCL American Southern Division with the cross-state rival Nashville Sounds. The defeat also concludes a season-best eight-game road winning streak by the club since August 4.
Outfielder Tommy Pham (2-for-4, RBI, R, SB) and shortstop Pete Kozma (2-for-4) both had two-hit games. Memphis wasn't able to capitalize on El Paso's four errors and four walks, going 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and stranding 11 on base, which included two innings with the bases loaded.
Redbirds starter Tyler Lyons (8-2) surrendered five runs on eight hits in six innings for the loss, snapping a streak of six wins in his last six starts.
Greene gave El Paso a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, his eighth of the season.
The Redbirds scored their first run in the second to tie the game as Pham worked a two-out, bases loaded walk for his 39th RBI of the season. It was also the club's 14th walk with the bases loaded this season.
The Chihuahuas broke the game wide open in the fifth with a 5-1 lead. Lyons allowed the first four batters of the inning to reach, which culminated with a base-loaded walk by the left-hander. Two batters later, Greene lined a three-run double off the center field fence.
Memphis plated its other run in the seventh after Pham reached on a one-out single and came home to score on a costly El Paso fielding error. Scott Moore hit a routine grounder to second that rolled all the way to the wall.
El Paso added an insurance run in the eighth on a Taylor Lindsey.
Memphis returns to the Bluff City on Wednesday for its final homestand of the season, an eight-gamer against the first-place Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A Athletics) and Fresno Grizzlies (Triple-A Giants) of the Pacific Conference. The Redbirds will send left-hander John Gast (3-2, 4.85) to the mound in Wednesday's 7:05 pm homestand opener against Sacramento righty Matt Buschmann (7-6, 4.59).