IL1 Louisville Bats

Soto's Grand Slam Lifts Bats Past Durham

Published on June 11, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky.-Tuesday evening was Dog Day at Louisville Slugger Field, and Louisville (31-35) came out swinging after a lackluster game on Monday. Durham (41-25) jumped out to an early four run lead, but a six-run fourth inning enabled the Bats to overcome their largest deficit of the season. Neftali Soto belted a grand slam to cap off the inning for the Bats.

Chad Reineke (5-3, 3.76 ERA) was on the mound for Louisville facing a Bulls team that was forced to adjust to a bullpen-by-committee game after scheduled starter Jake Ordozzi was recalled by Tampa Bay. Cory Wade (1-0, 2.87) who played his college ball at Kentucky Wesleyan, made his first start ever above High-Class-A today.

Tim Beckham got things started for the Bulls in the first, reaching base on a single up the middle. Brandon Guyer then followed with a double down the third base line, scoring Beckham from first. Reineke was able to settle down to get the hot-hitting Wil Myers and Leslie Anderson to each fly out to end the inning.

Louisville threatened to no avail in the second inning, loading the bases and forcing a pitching change. Mike Hessman and Jason Donald each singled in the inning, followed by a two-out walk by Kristopher Negron to end the appearance by Wade. Durham brought in southpaw Adam Liberatore to face Billy Hamilton, getting him to fly out to right field, as the Bats stranded their fourth runner through the first two innings.

Durham would make the Bats pay in the third inning, tacking on three runs off of back-to-back homeruns. Reineke plunked Guyer, giving the Bulls a runner on base with the meat of their lineup on stand-by. Myers belted a 425-foot homerun to straightaway centerfield, his 13th homerun this season and third in the series. Myers, the number one prospect in the Rays organization and fourth in all of baseball, now leads the International League with 54 RBI. Anderson followed with a solo blast to left on the next pitch, his second in as many nights, extending the Durham lead to 4-0.

Louisville's bats awakened in the fourth inning, recording six runs on three hits. Hessman led of the inning with a single, his second hit of the game. Donald drew a walk and Ashley singled to load the bases once again for the Bats. Negron was walked to force a run in, and subsequently ended Liberatore's night. Steve Geltz came in to face Hamilton, who grounded into a fielder's choice, but beat out the double play to score a run. On the first pitch to Josh Fellhauer, Hamilton stole second base, marking his fourth straight game with a steal. Fellhauer was later hit by a pitch in the at bat, loading the bases for Neftali Soto. Soto blasted the Grand Slam to deep leftfield to cap off a six-run fourth inning. The homerun marked Soto's seventh on the season, and it was the second grand slam hit by Louisville batters this season.

Reineke retired seven straight batters before allowing a two-out double to Juan Apodaca in the sixth inning. Louisville turned to their lone lefthander Lee Hyde out of the bullpen, who got Cole Figueroa to fly out to end the inning. Reineke finished with 5.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, BB and 4 K's.

With one out in the home half of the sixth, Negron ripped a solo homerun onto the berm in left-centerfield, his third this year. Hamilton followed with a single to left, and would go on to steal both second and third for his league-leading 40th stolen base this season. Fellhauer hit a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Hamilton, giving the Bats an 8-4 lead.

Hamilton is now 40-for-47 on the base paths in 2013, logging his third three-steal game of the season. Hamilton has now stolen multiple bases in three-straight games, including eight stolen bases in the four-game series with Durham.

Jose "Jumbo" Diaz came in for Louisville to pitch two scoreless innings. Diaz didn't allow a hit while striking out three batters. Yohan Pino pitched the ninth, allowing a solo homerun to Figueroa before closing out the Bulls.

8.984 humans and a believed-record of 710 dogs were in attendance for the series finale, as Louisville earned the series split with the Bulls. The Bats finished the home stand with a 3-5 record, and are now 4-7 in the month of June.

Louisville has an off day tomorrow before beginning an eight-game road trip with Norfolk and Durham. The Bats' Daniel Corcino (2-9, 7.69 ERA) takes the mound on Thursday against Norfolk's Josh Stinson (3-2, 4.60 ERA) at 7:05 p.m. The Bats will return to Louisville Slugger Field on June 21 against Rochester.

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International League Stories from June 11, 2013


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