Memphis displays overall dominance

Anyone curious about the large distance in the stand- ings between the Round Rock Express and Memphis Redbirds could have found some answers at Dell Diamond the last four nights.

Simply, Memphis hits better and pitches better, and there aren’t any ways around that. The Redbirds drilled the Express 8-3 Tuesday night, taking three of four in the series and running their season record to 7-2 against Round Rock.

At the halfway point of the Pacific Coast League season, Memphis (44-27) is running away with the American Southern Division with an eight-game lead on Nash- ville. Round Rock (34-38) is 10½ games behind.

The Redbirds, St. Louis’ top farm club, have outscored the Express 57-36 this year.

Memphis gets on base more than Round Rock (.348 to .336) and slugs at a higher percentage (.439 to .423), but its greatest advantage is in pitch- ing. The Redbirds’ 3.88 ERA is second in the league; the Express’ 5.25 is 13th.

It was all on display Tuesday as Memphis starter Mike Mayers retired the first 13 batters he faced, not touched until Ryan Rua’s one-out double in the fifth inning. Mayers pitched seven innings of two-hit shutout ball, walking nobody and striking out seven.

Round Rock’s Jimmy Reyes, making his first start of the year, turned in a credible four innings, allowing one run, but relievers Jaye Chapman and Wesley Wright were torched for a total of seven runs in one-inning stints.

Trailing 8-0 into the bottom of the eighth, the Express broke up the shutout, but it was too little and too late. Ronald Guzman had two hits and an RBI for Round Rock, pushing his average to .318.

The Express were off Wednesday and start a fourgame series with the Iowa Cubs on Thursday night at Dell Diamond.