Colorado Springs shuts down Redbirds

Memphis shackled on three hits

SKY SOX 2, REDBIRDS 0

After being shut out by the Redbirds on Friday night, the Colorado Springs Sky Sox returned the favor Saturday night.

The Sky Sox defeated the Redbirds 2-0 at AutoZone Park in front of 7,092 fans, the Redbirds’ second-largest home crowd of the season.

The Redbirds’ offense didn’t look anything like the one that had 12 hits and scored nine runs Friday night. Redbirds left fielder Ty Kelly’s fourth triple of the season in the fifth broke up Sky Sox pitcher Hiram Burgos’ nohitter. However, that was one of only three hits on the night for the Redbirds (39-37).

“Sometimes when a guy’s got a no-hitter you have to break it up, and things start to fall after that,” Kelly said. “Unfortunately, Rafael Ortega hit a really hard ball and the ball goes right at the first baseman. It killed things.”

Burgos pitched seven shutout innings for the Sky Sox (30-43), and although Redbirds pitcher John Gast (4-5) only gave up two runs in seven innings, they were the difference.

Redbirds outfielder Tommy Pham, who went 1-for-4 Saturday, said the umpire used a very friendly pitch zone for both teams.

“We’re a very disciplined team,” Pham said. “We swing at what we feel like we can drive in the strike zone. You can’t change that approach, because that’s how you have to train yourself. It’s tough when you have games like this when the zone is a little bigger. It makes it tough on the hitters, because we’re constantly in those unfriendly pitch counts.”

First-year Redbirds manger Mike Shildt said he knows his team will bounce back.

“This is a good club,” Shildt said. “They are good guys that play the game the right way. I have full anticipation they’ll come out and give us the best effort that their capable of.”

The teams play again at 6:05 p.m. today as the Redbirds continue a season-long 11-game homestand.

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