Bats Clobber Cubs In Crazy Slugfest 17-10

In their final road game of the 2024 season, the Louisville Bats brought the thunder at the plate, earning a wild 17-10 win over the Iowa Cubs in the finale of a six-game series at Principal Park on Sunday afternoon.

Seven of the nine Louisville starters recorded a multi-hit game as the Bats produced 17 runs on 18 hits, both season-highs, while tying their season-high comeback by erasing a five-run deficit. The Louisville offense was led by a career day from Francisco Urbaez, who went 4-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored, and six RBI while rehabbing Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Martini homered twice and drove in four in the triumph.

In his second start with Louisville, David Buchanan struggled from the outset. Two hitters in, Kevin Alcantara connected on a two-run homer to give the Cubs the early lead. Overall, the first six Cubs hitters all reached base to give the home team a 3-0 advantage in the first.

Louisville got a run back in the top of the second as Edwin Rios began the inning with a double and came home to score on a single from Urbaez. The Cubs would respond with three more runs in the second off Buchanan, capped by Matt Shaw’s two-run homer for a 6-1 score after two. Buchanan lasted just two innings, giving up six earned runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

The Bats would begin to get their starter off the hook in the third. Urbaez got it started with a walk, Erik Gonzalez doubled, and Eric Yang singled to center to bring both runners home and make it 6-3. Two hitters later, Martini got the Bats within a run by launching a towering two-run homer to dead center.

Iowa got the lead back to two at 7-5 of Sam Benschoter in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double from Moises Ballesteros. That would be the last time the Cubs held the lead.

The Bats quickly loaded the bases in the sixth on a pair of walks and a single. Urbaez cashed in to the tie the game with a double down the left field line. Gonzalez then put the Bats ahead for the first time at 8-7 with an RBI ground out to short. Pitching with the lead for the first time, Benschoter wrapped up his outing with a clean fifth. Over three relief innings, he gave up one run on four hits with four strikeouts.

Rehabbing Reds reliever Ian Gibaut took the mound for Louisville in the sixth for in his first appearance since April. He was rudely greeted by Owen Caissie, who hit a solo home run to left center to tie the game at eight. Gibaut then got the next three outs, keeping the tie intact after six.

Relievers Cam Sanders and Yosver Zulueta (W, 4-2) each fired a clean seventh, before the Bats took advantage of an opportunity in the eighth to grab the lead again.

Jacob Hurtubise got the eighth started with a walk and stole second. An infield single from Levi Jordan moved the runners to first and third. Rios put the Bats back in front with a single to left, plating Hurtubise. Higgins followed with a ground ball back to pitcher Riley Martin (L, 3-4). The pitcher’s throw to first was well off the mark for an error, allowing Higgins to reach and Jordan to score and make it 10-8. Another RBI single from Urbaez gave the Bats a 11-8 lead in the eighth.

Zach Maxwell earned a hold out of the Louisville bullpen in the bottom of the eighth, giving up a run but departing with the lead intact at 11-9.

The Bats put the game out of reach for good in the top of the ninth with one of their biggest innings of the season. Following a single from Hurtubise, Martini connected on his second home run of the game and sixth with the Bats, making it 13-9 off reliever Jorge Lopez. A passed ball brought Jordan home for the 14^th Louisville run. Urbaez continued his career day with another two-run double to left, and Gonzalez capped the inning’s scoring with an RBI double off the right field wall to give the Bats their highest run total of the season at 17. Alan Busenitz allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth but mercifully brough the game to an end at 17-10.

In addition to the career-highs in hits and RBI from Urbaez and the dingers from Martini, the bottom of the Bats lineup was stellar. Gonzalez and Yang each went 2-for-6 with two RBI. Rios scored four times while going 3-for-4 with a double. From the leadoff spot, Hurtubise went 1-for-4 with three runs scored and two walks.

The Bats (64-79, 26-43 second half) return home for the final series of the regular season, a six-game set with the Omaha Storm Chasers starting on Tuesday night. First pitch at Louisville Slugger Field is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.