Báez’s four-hit night not enough as Redbirds fall in 11 innings

Memphis had a loss worth filing away and a performance worth circling. The Redbirds fell 6-5 to Louisville in 11 innings at AutoZone Park, but Joshua Báez was the loudest development signal on the field, going 4-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored in front of 1,534 fans.

That kind of line changes the conversation. Báez did not just pad a box score in a blowout or cash in late against tired arms. He helped shape the game from the start, driving in Memphis’ first run with a double after Michael Toglia put Louisville on the board. Leo Bernal then followed with a two-out single to push Memphis ahead 2-1, a lead that did not last but showed the Redbirds could answer early. For a hitter trying to force his way into a more serious promotion discussion, that matters more than a routine multihit night.

The Redbirds kept chasing. Blaze Jordan tied the game in the eighth with a triple down the right-field line that scored Lars Nootbaar, who had been in the lineup on rehab and finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Memphis again needed extra innings to sort it out, and Báez delivered one more time in the 10th, dropping a two-out infield single after falling behind 0-2 to tie the game at 5-5. That was the kind of at-bat that can tilt an evaluation. It also underscored how often Memphis was leaning on Báez when the game tightened.

Brandt Thompson made his Triple-A debut and gave Memphis 6.0 innings of three-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out three. He settled in after a rough start and retired 11 of 12 batters in one stretch, which turned his first Triple-A outing into something worth remembering even in defeat. Tink Hence also worked a scoreless-looking step in the rotation picture, allowing one run in his inning in his first Triple-A appearance since April 26. On the other side, Louisville starter Rhett Lowder struck out eight over 5.0 innings in his first rehab start.

Memphis still could not finish the job. Louisville finally made the fourth lead stick when Noelvi Marte lifted a sacrifice fly in the 11th, handing the Redbirds their loss after they had answered three separate deficits. Memphis finished with eight hits, stranded six runners and went 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position. The defeat also left the Redbirds tied for second in the International League with Nashville, a half-game behind Rochester in the first-half race. That is why Báez’s night matters: the standings are tight, but his bat is starting to look like the clearest reason Memphis should keep paying attention.