Sunday, July 03, 2011

A City of Blues and A Series of Blues!

In my 1 1/2 years of broadcasting in the Pacific Coast League, I've had the pleasurable experience of visiting many new and great cities. One of them is Memphis, Tennessee. Of course, it is only a three-hour bus ride from Nashville to Memphis, but what I also like about it is the close proximity to a variety of restaurants, sights and of course, AutoZone Park, the home of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, which are not only a division-rival of the Sounds, but a cross-state rival as well.

Within walking distance, you have Beale Street, which kind of reminds me of Nashville's Broadway, with its many fine restaurants, barbecue joints and music venues as well. If you really want to take a long hike or better yet, a trolley, there is also the Civil Rights Museum, which is housed next to the former Lorraine Motel, where Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated back on April 4, 1968. It was a surreal experience when I got to visit that place last year and to see the sight of the shooting. MLK was in town to support Garbage Collector strikers, who were unhappy with the way they've been treated as well as being underpaid. Anyway, MLK was there to support them, but unfortunately, Memphis would be the last city where MLK would also experience his last breath of life.

Anyway, let's turn the clock forward to 2011. After taking 3 out of 4 from the Round Rock Express at Greer Stadium, the Sounds hit the road and bussed it down I-40 West to the Blues City for a vital 4-game set against the Redbirds. It was a pleasant day for the trip, even though it was cloudy. We got to our downtown hotel and got to relax a bit. Around 4PM that afternoon, I headed for the ballpark and exchanged pleasantries with people whom I met last year. Melissa Rhinehart, who is the press steward, greeted me warmly and was happy to see me back. She was already getting the press food prepared for that night's event. I was also happy to see former Sounds' radio announcer and current Memphis Redbirds' play-by-play man, Steve Selby as well as his broadcast partner, former big league pitcher Charlie Lea. We immediately got to talking baseball, which, of course, is among our favorite subjects.

The first game was a pitching classic. Frankie De La Cruz, who had won his first game of the season 11 days earlier, was getting the nod for the Sounds and he was up against Brandon Dickson of the Redbirds. both pitchers threw gems and each went seven innings and both did not allow a single run and each scattered 3 hits. Earlier in the game, the Sounds had a couple of chances to score, but to no avail. In the first inning, Eric Farris led off with a single to left, but Jordan Brown immediately hit into a double play. Brett Carroll then followed with another single, but was caught stealing as he tried to go to second base and that ended the inning. The following inning, Sounds' Catcher Mike Rivera led off with another single and went to second when Redbirds' left fielder Daryl Jones misplayed his base hit. But the next three batters were retired and Rivera was left stranded at second base.

The game would stay scoreless until the ninth inning when Sounds' lefty reliever Daniel Meadows came on to pitch. He hasn't been with the club that long after he got called up from Class AA Huntsville. After Daryl Jones grounded out to start the inning, Memphis Third Baseman Matt Carpenter singled to center field. Pinch batter Aaron Luna struck out, but while he swung and missed for strike three, Carpenter took off for second and was able to steal his third base of the year. The next batter, First Baseman, Freddie Bynum, put out the lights when he singled over the head of the Sounds' First Baseman Mat Gamel as Carpenter raced home with the winning run as the Redbirds took the opener of the series, 1-0.

After the game, I strolled back to the hotel, both frustrated and excited since it was a well-pitched game. It was a Friday Night and I walked down Main Street and the streets were lively with people hanging out at the restaurants as well as on the street corners. I also passed by the Peabody Hotel, which is right across the street from the ballpark. No, we don't stay there, but I heard a lot of things about what is inside the lobby and it is kind of a touristy hotel. Perhaps the next time we visit Memphis, I will check out the hotel.

I feel for Frankie De La Cruz because he's been a victimized by the lack of run support. However, he realizes that he has no control over it, so all he can do is pitch and do whatever he can to keep the team in the ballgame. Having said that, De La Cruz still deserves a better fate.

The next night didn't fare any better because even though the Sounds took an early 2-0 lead, they couldn't hang onto the lead because the Sounds' starting pitcher, Josh Butler, continued to be inconsistent. With him, it's either giving up the walks and/or the home runs. Memphis tied the game at 2-2 in the second inning when Memphis Right Fielder Aaron Luna lead off with a home run. It was the 11th homer that Butler would give up this year and two batters later, Catcher Bryan Anderson singled to left and went to third when Second Baseman Jose Garcia doubled to center. Anderson would eventually score the tying run when Butler uncorked a wild pitch. Memphis eventually scored single runs in the 4th and 5th innings to take a 4-2 lead. The Sounds wouldn't roll over and play dead when Jordan Brown pinch hit for Butler and belted a two-run homer right inside the right field foul pole and suddenly the game was tied at 4-4. Memphis Manager Chris Maloney vehemently argued with the first base umpire Chris Segal and with him getting so animated, he eventually got tossed from the game. The Sounds regained the lead in the 8th when Mat Gamel lead off with a home run over the right center field wall. It was Gamel's third hit of the night and the Sounds suddenly found themselves in front, 5-4. They would get an insurance run in the 9th inning when Third Baseman Zelous Wheeler lead off with a single to center field. Brandon Boggs walked and after Taylor Green moved Boggs to second with a sacrifice bunt, Brett Carroll was intentionally walked. The Sounds picked up an insurance run when Mike Rivera singled to right to score Wheeler to make it a 6-4 ballgame. Unfortunately, Gamel then hit into a 3-6-1 double play to end further threats.

Going into the 9th inning, the Sounds had the lead and a very talented reliever in Mike McClendon, who was asked to save the ballgame. Unfortunately, he gave up a leadoff double to Donovan Solano and then an RBI single to Daryl Jones and the Sounds lead was cut to 6-5. Matt Carpenter moved Jones to second on a sacrifice bunt and Aaron Luna drove in second run of the game with a single to center, scoring Jones as the game was tied again at 6-6. McClendon then got tough by striking out both Freddie Bynum and Bryan Anderson. Well, it's on to extra innings.

The Sounds failed to score in the 10th inning. So now, the Redbirds come to bat in the bottom of the frame with Zack Segovia coming on to pitch. Zack retired the first batter, Jose Garcia, on a fly to center. However, the Redbirds got a man on base on a base hit and after Jim Rapoport singled to right, Donovan Solano ended things on a walk off nature when he doubled to left and the Redbirds came back to defeat the Sounds again, 7-6, in 10 innings. Another frustrating walk off loss. You wonder how the Sounds can find a way to put teams away on the road.

Well, the Sounds finally won a game at AutoZone Park when Brett Carroll had his 2nd two-home run game the following night. However, he wasn't the only one who had a two-homer game. Brandon Boggs became the 6th Sounds player to have two homers in one game and not only that, he did it from both sides of the plate. The Sounds provided enough runs for Texas native Chase Wright, who started for the Sounds and pitched well, allowing just 2 runs on four hits and relievers Sean Green and Zach Braddock finished things off despite the fact that Braddock struggled in the ninth when he allowed a run to make it a 5-3 ballgame with the Sounds still leading. However, after allowing the first 3 batters to reach, Braddock got tough when he struck out the next 2 batters with his electric stuff and got pinch batter Bryan Anderson to fly out to right field. It was a nice way to end the night.

The Sounds are now looking for the split in the series, but Sounds' left hander Sam Narron got into trouble in the first inning when he gave up 4 runs in the inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing 3 run double by Matt Carpenter. Narron would eventually settle down after that and he would go the distance. He would become the first Sounds pitcher to complete a game, but unfortunately, Narron did not get the win. The Sounds would get to the starter Lance Lynn for a single run in the 2nd and two more runs in the 5th, but fell short and lost 5-4. The Sounds had two on and two out in the 9th, but Brett Carroll bounced into a force play to end it. Nashville would find themselves six games back of the 2nd place Redbirds and six and a half back of Omaha. The Sounds know they are in a critical part of their schedule playing teams in their own division, the American North. Now it's back home to take on another American North Foe, the Omaha Storm Chasers and after them, the New Orleans Zephyrs. The Sounds need to find that momentum. Now is the time. More to come on the next blog.