Bats Lose Slugfest 15-9 Despite Toglia's Two-Homer Day
IL Louisville Bats

Bats Lose Slugfest 15-9 Despite Toglia's Two-Homer Day

Published on April 22, 2026 under International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release


The Bats came out of the wrong side of a slugfest, losing 15-9 against the Iowa Cubs at Principal Park on Wednesday afternoon. In total, the teams combined for 28 hits and six home runs, while Michael Toglia's two-homer day wasn't enough to take the second game of the six-game bid.

Darren McCaughan was named the starter for the third time this season and held Iowa scoreless through the first two innings. Noelvi Marte powered the first run in for the Bats in the second with a solo homer, his second in as many at-bats. After a JJ Bleday walk, Toglia continued off a 3-5 night against Iowa yesterday, knocking in Bleday with an RBI single to center field to take a 2-0 lead. As a switch-hitter, it was Toglia's first RBI from the right side this season.

Iowa got a run back in the third after BJ Murray hit an RBI double. An inning later, Dylan Carlson knotted things up with a solo home run over the right field wall. The tie didn't last long, as Toglia clobbered his own homer in the fifth to put the Bats back up 3-2.

Eric Yang made things square in the bottom of the fifth, flying a sacrifice fly against his former club to 3-3. Iowa took its first lead a few batters later, with Murray lining an RBI double to make it 4-3. Pedro Ramirez extended the margin with two outs, hitting a two-run home run to put the I-Cubs up 6-3. With Anthony Misiewicz relieving him in the sixth, McCaughan finished allowing six runs on six hits with four strikeouts through 5.0 innings.

Despite surrendering the lead, the Bats came right back in the sixth off the back of another home run from Toglia to make it 6-6. It marks the second time this season that a switch-hitter has hit a home run from both sides of the plate, joining Ivan Johnson, who hit a homer from each side on 4/15 against Toledo.

Bleday helped regain the lead in the seventh for the Bats after hitting a solo shot homer for his sixth home run of the year. Will Banfield widened the margin to 8-6 after blooping an RBI double to end the top half. However, Iowa came right back with a punch of their own, loading the bases on Misiewicz. Tejay Antone relieved him, but Ramirez lined a two-RBI single up the middle to make it even at 8-8.

Yet again, the teams traded punches in the eighth as Hector Rodriguez plated Dunn on an RBI sacrifice fly to reclaim a 9-8 lead. However, the Bats imploded in the bottom half. Yunior Marte relieved Antone in the inning and gave up an RBI single to Yang to tie the game, another RBI single from Murray to surrender the lead, and then allowed a grand slam to Ramirez to give Iowa the 15-9 lead. Ramirez finished with eight RBI for Iowa, making him responsible for over half of their runs. The I-Cubs retired three straight Louisville batters in the ninth to hand the Bats the loss.

Next Game: Thursday, April 23, 1:08 p.m. E.T. at Iowa Cubs (Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs)

Probable Pitchers: Bats Pitcher TBA vs. I-Cubs LHP Jordan Wicks (0-0, 0.00)

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International League Stories from April 22, 2026


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