Bats' Stellar Defense Finishes Comeback Win

The Louisville Bats are over .500 for the first time since April 5 with a 4-3 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Wednesday afternoon in front of an energetic crowd of 6,336 at Louisville Slugger Field.

Making his seventh start of the season, Bats righty Connor Phillips worked around a one-out walk, striking out a batter as Austin Wynns threw out Nick Gonzales attempting to steal second in an inning-ending double play.

Louisville broke the scoreless tie in the home half of the third with a solo home run by Hernán Pérez, his fourth of the year.

The Indians responded in the following frame. Ji Hwan Bae led the inning off with a first pitch single to right and was forced out on a fielder’s choice ground ball. With Gonzales now at first, Henry Davis drew a walk to put two on. Jake Lamb doubled to right field on a tough play that fell in and out of the right fielder’s glove, scoring Gonzales from first and putting Davis on third. Liover Peguero’s sacrifice fly to deep left field brought Davis home, giving Indianapolis a 2-1 lead.

Indianapolis added a run to their lead in the top of the fifth inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases, ending Phillips’ day after 4.1 innings. He allowed three earned runs on three hits and five walks, while striking out three. Casey Legumina came into relief and hit the first batter he faced, forcing a run home and extending the Indian’s lead to 3-1.

Levi Jordan led the bottom of the fifth inning off with a single and moved to second on a balk. Austin Wynns reached on a throwing error by the third baseman. After the next batter struck out, Erik González singled on a line drive to left, loading the bases. Jordan crossed home plate on a fielder’s choice ground ball. The Bats were unable to get any more runs with the bases loaded, making the score 3-2.

Indians Starter Cam Alldred was taken out of the game after five innings. He allowed one earned run on four hits and struck out five. In the following inning, González reached second base on a throwing error and then moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Dunn. With one man on and one out, Livan Soto hit an RBI single, tying the game at 3-3. Soto has now reached base in every game he has played in for the Louisville Bats.

Evan Kravetz (W, 3-0) came into the game in the top of the eighth with two outs and the bases loaded and struck out the only batter he faced to keep the game tied. Still tied with two outs in the bottom of the inning, Jordan drew a six-pitch walk. He scored on Wynns’ go-ahead double to give the Bats a 4-3 lead.

The Indians threatened to rally in the top of the ninth inning. Tony Santillan (S, 7) came in to close the game out. He gave up two singles to put runners on the corners with one out, but a diving unassisted double play by Edwin Rios at first base ended the game with the tying run stuck at third.

Santillan recorded his league-leading seventh save of the season in the win. Soto and Wynns each went 2-for-4 at the plate as the Bats tied their longest winning streak of the year at three.

Louisville (18-17) will continue the series against the Indians (16-16) on Thursday, May 9. First pitch at Louisville Slugger Field is set for 6:35 p.m., with Nick Curran and Jim Kelch on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.