Bats Powered by Three Homers in First Win of Season, 8-4
April 7, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Louisville Bats (1-3) defeated the Toledo Mud Hens (3-1) by an 8-4 score in the series finale at Fifth Third Field. For the Bats, it is their first win of the season, avoiding the series sweep.
It was a game of firsts for the Bats, with the team not only grabbing its first win of the season, but also hitting its first home run. Bats first baseman Brian O'Grady sent a moonshot beyond the right field fence to give Louisville a 1-0 lead and its first homer of the season in the top of the second inning. Bats starting pitcher Vladimir Gutierrez (1-0, 3.38) got the win in his Triple-A debut, lasting 5.1 innings and giving up two earned runs on four hits, walking one and striking out three on 82 pitches, 57 strikes.
There was another pair of firsts in the middle innings, when Aristides Aquino and Nick Longhi both hit their first career Triple-A home runs in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively. Longhi's was a two-run shot, giving the Bats a 7-1 lead. Louisville catcher Chris Okey also got in on the "day for firsts",notching his first career Triple-A hit on a double in the third and finishing 2-for-4.
Louisville totaled 15 hits as an offense in Sunday's win after combining for just 11 in its previous two games, with all nine batters in the Bats' lineup getting into the hit column. O'Grady led the pack with a 3-for-5 day, with Aquino, Okey and Josh VanMeter also registering multi-hit days.
The Mud Hens scored a couple of runs off Louisville reliever Jackson Stephens, snapping the bullpen's modest seven-inning streak of not allowing an earned run. Right-hander Sal Romano came in and threw two fantastic innings out of the bullpen, keeping the Hens off the board in the seventh and eighth before right-hander Anthony Bass got the job done with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth to give Louisville its first win of 2019.
The Bats stay in the Buckeye State to visit another divisional foe in the Columbus Clippers, Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, for a three-game set. First pitch on Monday night is scheduled for 6:05 p.m., with right-hander Jose Lopez set to make his 2019 debut for the Bats. He is expected to oppose Columbus right-hander and former Bat, Asher Wojciechowski.
International League Stories from April 7, 2019
- Wings Blanked Sunday in Lehigh Valley - Rochester Red Wings
- Four-Run Ninth Leads Tribe to Victory - Indianapolis Indians
- Knights Power Past Bulls 12-10 on Sunday - Charlotte Knights
- Pigs Earn Third Victory in Less Than 24 Hours - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Mets Beat Red Sox, 6-5, on Sunday Afternoon for Series Win - Syracuse Mets
- Hens Fall to Bats for First Loss of Season - Toledo Mud Hens
- IronPigs three-game win streak clinches series over Red Wings - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Ford, RailRiders Homer Past Herd, 10-2 - Buffalo Bisons
- Demeritte's Big Day Leads Stripers to 4-3 Victory - Gwinnett Stripers
- PawSox Storm Back in Seventh, Fall 6-5 - Pawtucket Red Sox
- Bats Powered by Three Homers in First Win of Season, 8-4 - Louisville Bats
- RailRiders Ensure Lead Endures - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Wings Homestand Highlights: April 11-17 - Rochester Red Wings
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (0-3) at Columbus Clippers (3-0) - Indianapolis Indians
- Durham Bulls Game Notes - Durham Bulls
- Game Notes: Louisville Bats (0-3) at Toledo Mud Hens (3-0) - Louisville Bats
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (1:05 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
