MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson Fans Eight for Memphis
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Brandt Thompson gave Memphis the kind of start that deserved a better finish.
Thompson is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working five strong innings in the Redbirds’ 4-1 loss to Durham on Saturday night.
His final line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
That is a strong Triple-A line.
Thompson allowed only one earned run, walked just one batter and struck out eight. He threw 75 pitches, 50 for strikes, and kept Memphis in the game on a night when the Redbirds’ offense could not find much traction.
The only damage against Thompson came in the fifth inning. Other than that, he gave Memphis exactly what it needed — length, swing-and-miss and a chance to win.
The strikeouts were the headline.
Eight strikeouts in five innings is the kind of swing-and-miss line that jumps off the page, especially at Triple-A. Thompson did not have to be perfect, but he was sharp enough to keep Durham from building anything big while he was on the mound.
Memphis gave him an early lead in the first inning. Victor Scott II doubled, scored the lone Redbirds run, and Leo Bernal drove him in for his 72nd RBI of the season.
But that was all Memphis would get.
The Redbirds finished with only three hits and struck out 14 times. Colton Ledbetter doubled and stole his 20th base, but the offense never found the big inning.
That left Thompson with little margin for error.
He did his part.
Five innings.
Four hits.
One earned run.
One walk.
Eight strikeouts.
That is a pitcher giving his club a chance.
After Thompson left, Ryan Fernandez struck out two in a scoreless sixth, but Durham broke the tie with two runs in the seventh and added another in the eighth. Memphis could not answer.
The loss should not take away from Thompson’s outing.
On a night when the system was short on wins, Thompson delivered one of the best pitching performances on the farm. He missed bats, limited damage and kept Memphis close against Durham.
Sometimes the final score does not tell the story of the start.
This was one of those nights.
Brandt Thompson did enough to earn the spotlight.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Brandt Thompson, RHP, Memphis Redbirds
Final Line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds | MLB