Bats Drop Wild Slugfest in Toledo 11-10
July 23, 2024 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - In a crazy, back-and-forth game that saw a combined 10 home runs and 30 hits, the Louisville Bats ultimately couldn't hang on to four separate leads, falling to the Toledo Mud Hens 11-10 in 10 innings in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field.
The Bats' bats began the game in attack mode. TJ Friedl got it started with a double off the wall on Ty Madden's second pitch of the game. Three hitters later, Levi Jordan got the Bats on the board first with a 354-foot two-run blast to left, his seventh homer of the season.
Toledo would immediately respond in the bottom of the frame against Randy Wynne. Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler each connected on solo home runs, bringing the score even at 2-2.
Hernan Perez got the Bats back in front quickly, launching a 402-foot solo homer to deep left-center, his 10th of the season. Again, Toledo responded, this time on Ryan Kreidler's solo big fly to tie it at three.
The first runs without the big fly came in the third. Blake Dunn got the inning started with a double, and was promptly replaced at second base by Livan Soto, who's RBI double made it 4-3. A couple hitters later, Michael Trautwein laced a single to left to score Soto from third. A walk to Perez kept the inning alive. Erik Gonzalez capitalized with a double off the wall in left, scoring Perez and Trautwein for a 7-3 Louisville advantage and chasing Madden from the game.
Dingler's second home run of the night made it 7-4 after four. In the fifth, the game unraveled for Wynne. Back-to-back homers from Riley Unroe and Andrew Navigato made it 7-6 before a single from Akil Badoo ended Wynne's start. Brooks Kriske was first out of the Louisville bullpen and couldn't get through the inning with the lead. Following a two-out single by Dingler to put two on, Ryan Vilade put Toledo in front for the first time with a triple to center, scoring both runners.
Over four innings plus, Wynne allowed seven runs on eight hits with four strikeouts. However, he wouldn't factor in the decision. Kriske held the Mud Hens off the board in the sixth.
Jordan drew the Bats even on the first pitch in the top of the eighth, a 380-foot solo homer to left for his second homer of the night and eighth of the season. Vilade put the Mud Hens back in the lead off Alan Busenitz in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single against Bats reliever Alan Busenitz. Toledo had a chance to break the game open with the bases loaded and one out. But Busenitz retired the next two hitters he faced to hold the Mud Hens to one run.
In the eighth, the Bats' first two hitters went down quietly. Dunn took a walk to keep the inning going. Soto then delivered with one of his biggest hits of the season, a 364-foot two-run home run to right, his third with the Bats, to turn the 9-8 deficit into a 10-9 lead.
Zach Maxwell was unable to hold the lead in the bottom of the eighth. Navigato got it started with a double. With one out, Torkelson grounded a single back through the middle, bringing Navigato home with the tying run.
Louisville couldn't produce against Miguel Diaz in the ninth, and Evan Kravetz (L, 4-1) worked around a pair of walks in the bottom of the inning to send the game to extra innings.
Mud Hens reliever Devin Sweet (W, 6-5) stranded the go-ahead run at third in the top of the 10th, giving the home team a chance to win it in the bottom of the inning. A couple walks loaded the bases with one out for Toledo. Vilade capped the wild game with a walk-off sacrifice fly to left, giving Toledo the victory.
All nine Louisville starters and pinch-hitter Tony Kemp recorded a hit in the loss. Jordan led the way with his two home runs and three RBI. Soto also was 2-for-4 with the home run, a double, and three RBI. Dingler homered twice for Toledo and Navigato finished a single shy of the cycle.
The Bats (49-46, 11-10 second half) and Mud Hens (43-53, 8-14 second half) continue the series on Wednesday night. First pitch at Fifth Third Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.
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