Redbirds Dropped 6-5 On Walk Off

ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Memphis Redbirds lost 6-5 to the Round Rock Express on Saturday night at the Dell Diamond. Memphis was defeated on a Leury Garcia 9th-inning walk-off homer in the second game of the four-game series.

The Redbirds (52-56) stay in first place in the PCL American Northern Division. The Express (60-48) are a 1/2 game behind in second in the American Southern Division. Round Rock leads the season series 8-6.

Travis Tartamella homered while Jamie Romak and Chris Swauger each doubled and had two hits. Luis Mateo collected two hits and his first RBI as a Redbird. Jermaine Curtis was hit twice by pitches and scored once.

Round Rock spotted the Redbirds a four run lead. Memphis plated four runs in the second inning, highlighted by Swauger's 2-run single. The Memphis left fielder had just been promoted from Double-A Springfield earlier in the day.

Tartamella capped off the inning with a solo homer, his third of the season with Memphis, but his fourth overall. The four homers are a career high.

The Express pulled within 4-3 in the fifth inning on a Jim Adduci RBI single, Yangervis Solarte sacrifice fly and a Redbirds error.

Memphis extended the lead to 5-3 in the sixth when Mateo's single scored Romak from second. Romak had led off the inning with a double.

Round Rock drew even in the eighth as Sam Freeman struggled. After striking out Adduci to begin the inning, the left-hander gave up three consecutive hits. Joey Butler's single pulled the Express within 5-4.

After recording the second out, Freeman was lifted in favor of Michael Blazek. Robinson Chirinos greeted Blazek with a game-tying single to right field.

That set the stage for Garcia's ninth-inning heroics. With one out, Garcia lifted a fly ball over the right field fence for just his third home run of the season.

The Redbirds had beaten Round Rock three in a row prior to Saturday's loss.

Joseph Ortiz (2-1) picked up the win by working a scoreless ninth while Blazek fell to (0-1).

In game three of the series on Sunday from Round Rock, the Redbirds have right-hander Carlos Martinez (3-2, 1.98 ERA) on the mound to face Express righty Josh Lindblom (8-1, 2.27 ERA) for the 7:05 p.m. CT first pitch.