RedHawks End Losing Streak With Walk-Off Homer

Originally Published: Jun 3, 2010 11:20 PM CDT

Corey DeMoss
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY – Esteban German launched a walk-off three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Oklahoma City RedHawks a 10-9 victory over the Memphis Redbirds Thursday.

The Redbirds (29-24) led 9-6 going into the final inning, but their pitchers immediately got into trouble. Andrew Brown walked the first two batters of the inning, and Hernan Iribarren drove one of them in with a single to cut the lead to two.

Brown was then pulled in favor of Josh Kinney, who threw only one pitch. That pitched was crushed over the left-field wall by German – just his second homer of the season – to end Oklahoma City’s three-game losing streak.

German’s heroics capped a furious comeback by the RedHawks (29-24) in the final innings. They trailed 9-0 going into the bottom of the sixth, when Memphis errors helped them start clawing back into the game.

Chad Tracy hit a two-run homer to start OKC’s scoring, but the rest of the inning was filled with Redbird mistakes. Andy Jenkins reached base on a throwing error, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Gregorio Petit later reached on a second error, which allowed Jenkins to score.

Petit advanced to second on yet another error, and finally scored after the Redbirds’ fourth throwing error of the inning. The RedHawks were able to add two unearned runs thanks to the slew of mistakes, cutting the lead to 9-4.

Brandon Boggs hit a two-run home run in the eighth to pull Oklahoma City within three runs, setting up the explosive finish.

Kinney (2-3) was credited with both a blown save – his fourth of the season – and loss after throwing just one pitch. Brandon McCarthy (2-0) earned the win after holding Memphis scoreless in the ninth.

The RedHawks have won two of their three games against Memphis and can earn a split in the final game of the series at 7:05 p.m. Friday.