Bats Survive to Beat Redbirds 6-5 in 11
Published on June 2, 2026 under International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
Rhett Lowder was strong in a rehab start, but the Louisville Bats needed extra innings to win a thriller over the Memphis Redbirds 6-5 in 11 innings in the opener of a six-game series on Tuesday night.
Louisville began the game with an attack in the first. Following a couple walks to start the game, Michael Toglia crushed a double off the wall in left-center to score Ivan Johnson with the opening run.
The Redbirds quickly responded against rehabbing Reds starter Rhett Lowder as an RBI double from Joshua Baez tied the game and a two-out single to center from Leo Bernal put the home team up 2-1.
Hector Rodriguez walked and Noelvi Marte singled to put two on with one out in the third. Toglia was the one to cash in again, this time with a double that bounced off the wall in right center to score both runners and put Louisville up 3-2. A Will Banfield sacrifice fly doubled the Bats' lead to 4-2 in the fourth.
Lowder surrendered a run in the fifth and left after giving up three runs on six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts over 5.0 innings. The eight strikeouts are the most Lowder has recorded in a regular season game at any level since an eight-strikeout game for Double-A Chattanooga on August 14, 2024 vs. Rocket City.
Jose Franco was called on for long relief out of the Bats bullpen and held the lead until the bottom of the eighth, when a two-out game-tying triple from Blaze Jordan evened the score at 4-4.
Noelvi Marte gave the Bats the lead in the 10th with a sacrifice fly to score Garrett Hampson, who began the inning on second base as the designated runner. The Redbirds were down to their last strike in the bottom half before Baez just barely hustled out an infield single, allowing the designated runner to score and even the score at five after 10.
Louisville again got the designated runner home on a sacrifice fly, this time from Francisco Urbaez, in the 11th. Hunter Parks was called on for the bottom half and struck out the first two hitters he faced before a ground out ended the game and wrapped up his first Triple-A save.
Next Game: Wednesday, June 3, 1:05 p.m. E.T. at Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals)
Probable Pitchers: Bats RHP Darren McCaughan (5-2, 8.18) vs. Redbirds LHP Pete Hansen (1-1, 3.94)
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