DeShields, Bats Drop Opening Night Game to Toledo, 13-0
April 9, 2015 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, KY - The Toledo Mud Hens (1-0) spoiled Opening Night at Louisville Slugger Field by beating the Louisville Bats (0-1) 13-0 in the first game of the 2015 campaign. The Opening Night shutout was the first time Louisville has been shut out on Opening Night since April 3, 2008 when Syracuse beat the Bats 2-0 on Opening Night. This was also the worst Opening Night loss in franchise history, which dates back to 1982.
Right-hander Buck Farmer started on the mound for the Mud Hens and went right to work, striking out the first five Louisville batters he faced. Farmer was perfect until walking Louisvillethird baseman Josh Satin with one out in the fifth, and had faced the minimum number of batters before second baseman Irving Falu broke up Farmer's no-hit bid with one out in the sixth. Farmer allowed the only two Bats hits on the night, while walking one and striking out eight in five and one-third innings.
Louisville starting pitcher, left-hander David Holmberg, gave up leadoff doubles in three of the first four innings -two to Mud Hens' leadoff man, right fielder Xavier Avery- but stranded three Toledo base runners in the first three innings to keep the Hens off the board.
Toledo would break through in the top of the fourth inning, pushing across five runs on four hits. Josh Wilson opened the scoring with an RBI single to center, Avery followed up with an RBI single to right and Toledo third basemanJefryMarte capped the inning with a three-run home run to left-center to make it 5-0 Toledo.
Sam LeCure relieved Holmberg with one out in the top of the fifth and surrendered one earned run in the top of the sixth in his return to Louisville. Holmberg allowed five runs, all earned, on seven hits, four walks and two strikeouts.LeCure surrendered one earned run on two hits, with one walk and one strikeout in one inning of work.
Irving Falu, who made two spectacular defensive plays at second to end the second and third innings, broke up Farmer's no-hit bid with a line-drive single to center with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Tucker Barnhart then doubled to the right-center field gap knocking Farmer out of the game.
Alberto Cabrera came on in relief and walked Bryson Smith to load the bases, but struck out shortstop Eugenio Suárez and center fielder YormanRodriguéz to end the Louisville threat in the sixth.
That was the closest any Bat would come to crossing the plate as the Mud Hens pitching staff silenced the Louisville offense. Hens pitchers combined to shutout the Bats, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out 15.
After Toledo's five run fourth they pushed across one run in both the sixth and seventh innings, and three more runs in both the eighth and ninth to reach the final score of 13-0.
Avery and Marte led the way offensively for Toledo, as Avery was 5-for-5 with a walk and two RBI and three runs scored, whileMarte was 3-for-5 with six RBI, two runs scored and a walk.
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