IL1 Louisville Bats

Bats See Red and Overpower Bulls, 8-2

Published on May 29, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


DURHAM, North Carolina - The Louisville Bats (21-31) defeated the Durham Bulls (31-20) by an 8-2 score in the second game of the three-game series at finale at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The win was powered by a multi-homer game from Phillip Ervin, which was the 11th multi-homerun game from a Louisville Bat this season, tying the 1999 Louisville Redbirds for a franchise record. The win also snapped a five-game losing streak to Durham and is the first win against the Bulls this season.

Louisville's bats showed early flashes of power as Christian Colon and Blake Trahan both doubled in the first and second innings, respectively, but both would remain stranded at second base to end each inning. However, after an error, single, and wild pitch to start off the third inning, Rob Refsnyder would make starter Aaron Slegers (2-2, 6.26) and the Bulls pay, sending a three-run blast, his fifth homer of the season, into the seats beyond the right-centerfield wall.

Immediately following the three-run inning, North Carolina native and Bats' starter Rob Wooten (0-1, 13.50) would get into trouble after a pair of singles and back-to-back walks would plate the first Durham run of the game. However, Wooten would bounce back nicely by inducing a ground ball to the second baseman, Trahan, who would turn the double play on his own. Though another run was able to cross on the double play ball, Wooten would get former Louisville Cardinal, Nick Solak, to strike out swinging and escaping the inning with a 3-2 lead intact.

In top of the fourth, Aristides Aquino would waste no time getting one of those runs back as he would jump on the first pitch of the inning, sending it sailing over the left-center field wall, tallying his sixth big-fly of the year. The Bulls would look to strike back in the bottom half of the inning with two on and one out, but Bats' reliever Jackson Stephens (4-3, 4.86) and company were able to turn their third double play of the game to end the threat.

Louisville's power would continue to show in the sixth, as Phillip Ervin would conquer the 32-foot-high "Blue Monster" that towers in left field for his second homerun and RBIs number 12 and 13 of the season, giving the Bats a 6-2 advantage. The gap would increase further in the top of the seventh, when Ervin would duplicate his monster-topping feat with yet another two-run moonshot, giving the Bats a six-run lead. Louisville's bullpen would continue its excellence for the remainder of the game, allowing no runs on four hits in the final six innings to finish off the Bulls.

The Bats will wrap up the three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays' Triple-A affiliate Bulls tomorrow night with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. Durham will give the start to right-hander Arturo Reyes (3-1, 3.04). Louisville will plan to lean on the bullpen for the series finale and will likely not name the starter until tomorrow afternoon.

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International League Stories from May 29, 2019


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