Premium

Redbirds squander chances, drop Game 1 of playoffs

By , Daily Memphian Updated: September 22, 2026 10:43 PM CT | Published: September 22, 2026 10:42 PM CT

The Memphis Redbirds played their first home playoff game at AutoZone Park in eight seasons on Tuesday night, dropping Game 1 of its best-of-3 International League Championship Series to the Rochester Red Wings, 4-3.

The Redbirds stranded 10 men on base and went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Memphis started St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 12 prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje against the Red Wings. Cijntje was acquired in a trade with the Seattle Mariners in February 2026 that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle.

This is an excerpt of this story. To read more, please click here and subscribe.

Topics

Memphis Redbirds baseball Rochester Red Wings Subscriber Only

Thank you for reading The Daily Memphian. Your support is critical.

Did you know we are a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization? We rely on a mix of revenue from subscriptions (50%), advertising, events and other earned income (25%) and fundraising (25%).

Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation or other contribution to The Daily Memphian today. 

👉🏽 Your subscription pays for you to read all our journalism.

👉🏽 Your donation powers the work we do to reach everyone else with the news.

We believe an informed Memphis is a better Memphis. If you agree, join our growing list of donors now.

Ian Sparks

Ian Sparks

Ian Sparks is a 2026 graduate of the University of Mississippi, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. He is an avid sports fan and spends the majority of his time engaging with sports media in some form or fashion.


Comments

Want to comment on our stories? If you’re a subscriber, scroll down to the comments. If you’re not a subscriber, only paid subscribers can add their thoughts, so subscribe now. Our commenting policy can be viewed here