IL1 Louisville Bats

Bats Sweep Bisons in Doubleheader

Published on July 24, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In just their second doubleheader of the season, the Louisville Bats (42-55) used a strong third inning combined with seven shutout innings from right-handed starter Robert Stephenson (10-6, 3.06) to clinch the first game of the night against the Buffalo Bisons (45-49).

Stephenson blanked the Bisons winning his fifth consecutive start while extending the Bats current win streak to seven, their longest of the season. He threw seven innings allowing two hits while walking two and striking out three. With tonight's outing, Stephenson recorded the first seven-inning complete game shutout since Homer Bailey shutout Buffalo on May 2, 2009.

Buffalo's Marco Estrada (0-1, 8.10) took the loss in a Major League rehab start, going 3.1 innings and allowing three earned runs from three hits while walking two and striking out three.

The first two innings were extremely quiet as both teams were retired quickly and the starters continued to pound the strike zone but it was Louisville that was able to break the silence in the third inning. With his sixth home run of the season, Josh VanMeter extended his recent hitting streak to six games, which is now his longest with Louisville this year, to put the Bats on the board first.

A follow-up single from Mason Williams plated him at first when Gabriel Guerrero connected for a homer of his own, sending a no-doubter 409-feet over the wall for a two-run shot to put the Bats ahead 3-0 and secure the win.

The last time the Bats recorded two home runs in the same inning was on June 27th in the eighth inning against the Columbus Clippers. Louisville went on to win that game 11-10. The Bats earned their third shutout win in the past week after winning just one shutout game before the All-Star break.

LOU 4, BUF 3 | Game 2

The Louisville Bats exercised full use of the bullpen as the offense produced a late rally to clinch a 4-3 comeback win in extras over the Buffalo Bisons (45-50) in game two of the doubleheader on Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

Domingo Tapia started on the mound for the Bats and maintained complete control of his demand, striking out two through his opening two innings. In relief, Brandon Finnegan, Zach Weiss, Jesus Reyes, Jimmy Herget, Tanner Rainey and Kevin Quackenbush combined for six innings of work, allowing three earned runs from six hits while walking one and striking out five. Kevin Quackenbush recorded his 16th save for the season and secured the win in extra innings.

Buffalo also used their bullpen, with Justin Shafer (3-3, 1.37) taking the loss in relief going 1.2 innings, allowing one run and walking one.

Both teams were kept off the board for the first three innings, but this time it was the Bisons who would attack first. With Zack Weiss on the mound, Buffalo's Richard Urena smacked a homer into right field to score the first run of the game.

Unable to respond in the following frame, the Bison's struck again in the fifth with back-to-back doubles from Dalton Pompey and Jonathan Davis to put Buffalo ahead by two.

With no runs on the board and running out of time, the Bats hitters came alive in the park. Mason Williams started things off with a lead-off single in the top of the sixth when Blake Trahan followed suit with a sacrifice bunt to push him to second. The dominoes started falling when Gabriel Guerrero pumped his 12th double of the season to bring Williams home.

With the Bats down by one, Brian O'Grady turned up the heat. He blasted his first Triple-A bomb, a two-run homer, out of the park to push the Bats ahead 3-2.

Fighting back and with a runner at second, the Bisons answered with a double to center field to even the score and push the game into extras.

With Gabriel Guerrero starting at second base, followed by a Steve Selsky walk, Hernan Iribarren came in to save the day with a ground out to bring Guerrero across the plate and make it eight consecutive wins for the Louisville Bats.

The two teams return to Louisville Slugger Field on Wednesday night for game two of the three-game series. Southpaw Justin Nicolino (4-5, 4.44) will go for his fifth win against fellow lefty Thomas Pannone (0-1, 3.98).

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International League Stories from July 24, 2018


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