Bats Can't Keep Up In 9-4 Loss
The Louisville Bats fell 9-4 in the second game of the series against the Toledo Mud Hens on Wednesday night, tallying their third straight loss. Both Louisville starter Grant Gavin and Toledo starter Bryan Sammons faced the minimum through two frames, but the bats got going on both sides in
The Louisville Bats fell 9-4 in the second game of the series against the Toledo Mud Hens on Wednesday night, tallying their third straight loss.
Both Louisville starter Grant Gavin and Toledo starter Bryan Sammons faced the minimum through two frames, but the bats got going on both sides in the third. Hernán Pérez led the inning off with a solo shot, his 11th home run of the year and second consecutive game with one on his ledger, to put the Bats on the board first at 1-0.
In the bottom half, the Mud Hens found their stride against Gavin (L, 0-2). Justice Bigbie reached on an error and Stephen Scott followed with a double to set up Andrew Navigato with two on and no outs. Navigato came through, recording his own double to drive in both runners and put Toledo in front 2-1. Akil Baddoo was next in line, and he ripped the Mud Hens’ third straight double to drive in another run. Toledo wasn’t done yet, as Spencer Torkelson worked a walk and Jace Jung delivered a single to score Baddoo and increase their lead to 4-1.
Sammons (W, 6-5) bounced back in the fourth with a zero, and Pat Kelly called on Christian Roa to replace Gavin with the Mud Hens at the plate. After a Scott single and a wild pitch that allowed him to advance to second, Navigato singled to right field and Scott was sent home. Jacob Hurtubise gathered the batted ball in right and delivered a strike to P.J. Higgins at home plate, nabbing the runner to keep the 4-1 deficit intact.
Louisville went away quietly again in the top of the fifth, and the Mud Hens looked to extend their lead. The Mud Hens plated three more runs in the frame, continuing the doubles party with two more to bring their total to six as Toledo took a 7-1 lead into the sixth.
The Bats threatened against Mud Hens reliever Andrew Magno in the top half. T.J. Friedl was hit by a pitch and Blake Dunn singled, but Tony Kemp grounded into a fielder’s choice for the first out and Higgins followed by grounding into a double play to get Toledo out of the jam.
After John Murphy posted a zero in the bottom of the sixth, the Bats managed to cut the deficit in half in the seventh. Edwin Ríos earned a walk and Pérez and Hurtubise both singled to score Ríos. TJ Friedl then worked a walk, and the Mud Hens replaced Magno with Devin Sweet for the final two outs. Dunn greeted him with another single to score Pérez and Hurtubise and put Louisville within three at 7-4.
The Mud Hens responded quickly, as Torkelson singled and Dingler launched a two-run home run to give Toledo a comfortable lead once again at 9-4, which would be the final score as the Louisville offense failed to threaten the rest of the night.
Dunn recorded three hits and two RBI while Pérez had two hits and a home run to lead the way at the plate for Louisville.
Gavin could only complete three innings, allowing four runs and getting tabbed with the loss, and Roa, Murphy, and Casey Legumina combined for the final five frames and gave up five runs between the three.
The Bats (49-47, 11-11 second half) and Mud Hens (44-53, 9-14 second half) continue the series on Thursday night, with first pitch at Fifth Third Field scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.