Redbirds Take the Series Opener in Gwinnett

Lights out pitching and timely hitting pushes the Birds to victory over the Stripers in their first meeting.

The Memphis Redbirds improve 5-5 after winning 4-1 in the series opener against the Gwinnett Stripers Tuesday afternoon. Top pitching prospect for the Cardinals, Gordon Graceffo started his second game of the young season. The young righty showed why he is so highly regarded by striking out four, walking only two, and giving up no hits in his four innings of work.

Andrew Suárez and JoJo Romero pitched in relief of Graceffo and did their job well, giving up only one run, three hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts. The clinic put on by the Redbirds’ pitching was capped off with Guillermo Zuñiga closing the game out in the ninth in only eight pitches for his second save of the year. Memphis drew first blood in the first inning with catcher Ivan Herrera scoring Kramer Robertson on a groundout.

The Stripers had kept the Redbirds quiet for the game after giving up the one run in the first inning. That is until the seventh inning, after Gwinnett had tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth. The Redbirds plated three runs in the inning, one on a walk to Kramer Robertson with the bases loaded, and then top shortstop prospect Masyn Winn drove in two with sharp single to centerfield.

Left-hander Matthew Liberatore will have a chance to make three wins in a row for the Redbirds on Wednesday evening at 6:05 CDT at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia.