Louisville Bats Notes: August 21

TONIGHT'S GAME: The Louisville Bats and Toledo Mud Hens start a three-game series tonight at Louisville Slugger Field, their final series of the 2018 season. The Bats are coming off a 4-game series split at Charlotte, off the heels of being swept in 3 games at Gwinnett. Right-hander Lucas Sims will get the ball for Louisville tonight, set to make his fourth start in a Bats uniform since coming over in a July 30 trade from the Atlanta Braves.

AGAINST TOLEDO: The Bats and Mud Hens meet for the final time of the 2018 season, a three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field. At 10-12 against the Mud Hens this season, the Bats will need a sweep to capture their first season series win since the 2013 season, when Louisville finished 12-11 in 23 matchups against Toledo. The clubs' 25 matchups this season are the most since 2016, when the Bats finished just 6-19 against the Hens. This season, TOL has outscored LOU by a 99-93 advantage.
JVM! JVM!: Bats second baseman and leadoff hitter Josh VanMeter had an impressive day at the plate in Sunday's 3-1 win over the Charlotte Knights, going 3-for-4. His 3 hits came in the form of 2 doubles and a triple, the first Louisville player with 2 doubles and a triple in a game since Dave Sappelt did it on August 21, 2010 at Indianapolis. In his last 9 games, it's been feast or famine for VanMeter, notching 4 three-hit games and 5 games with no hits.
LONG DIVISION: The Bats head into their final 14 games of the 2018 season, with 7 at Louisville Slugger Field and 7 on the road. Each of the final 14 games on the Bats' schedule will come against fellow International League West opponents, recently finishing up their slate of games against the IL South division. LOU finishes with a 13-20 record against the IL South, 10-6 at home and 3-14 on the road. The Bats started off 1-13 on the road against South teams, before winning 2 of their last 3 at Charlotte in their most recent series.
NOT MAHLE-ING IT IN: Louisville starting pitcher Tyler Mahle was masterful in his third start since being optioned, earning his first win for the Bats this season. The right-hander went 6.0 scoreless innings, giving up 2 hits, walking 3 and striking out 6 on 106 pitches (63 strikes). It was the Bats' first win from a starting pitcher since Robert Stephenson got the win on August 3 at Columbus, snapping a season-long 14 games that Louisville went without their starting pitcher getting a win.
OFF THE OFF DAY: The Bats had their final team off day of the 2018 season yesterday. Coming off scheduled off days this season, excluding the All-Star break, LOU owns a 4-4 record. In the 7 days directly after an off day, LOU has played 8 games since their July 24 doubleheader sweep over the Buffalo Bisons.
BOMBS AWAY: Both D.J. Peterson (15) and Taylor Sparks (3) hit home runs in the Bats' latest game, a 3-1 road win over the Charlotte Knights on Sunday at BB&T Ballpark. Louisville's 103 home runs as a club this season makes 2018 the first time they have eclipsed 100 as a team since 2012, when they hit 116 home runs as a team.
LOOKING TO TURN THE CORNER: After going on a blistering 15-3 run from July 17 to August 3 that included a 9-game winning streak, the Bats are 4-11 in their last 15 games, and 2-4 in their last 6 home games.