Game Notes: Indianapolis Indians (31-22) at Louisville Bats (23-33)
June 3, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
Game 57, Home 28
Indianapolis Indians (31-22) at Louisville Bats (23-33)
RHP Lucas Sims (3-0, 4.06) vs. RHP Eduardo Vera (3-4, 4.61)
7:00 PM | Monday, June 3, 2019 | Louisville Slugger Field
LISTEN: Nick Curran & Jim Kelch, 790 KRD; iHeartRadio.com; iHeart app
TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT: The Bats return home to face the Indianapolis Indians in a three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats are coming off a six-game road trip in which they split 3-3, taking 2 of 3 from the Durham Bulls before the Norfolk Tides took 2 of 3 from the Bats. Tonight, right-hander Lucas Sims makes his return to the Louisville rotation after shining in his start with the Reds, getting a win over the Indians' parent club, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
AGAINST INDIANAPOLIS: Louisville and Indianapolis met at Louisville Slugger Field during the Bats' last homestand, with Indy sweeping a three-game series from May 21-23. The Pirates' Triple-A affiliate is the only NL-affiliated opponent that Louisville faces in a 23-game stretch, sandwiched between Toledo, Durham, Norfolk and Charlotte, Pawtucket, Buffalo series.
TRANSACTIONS: Louisville welcomes its first Major League rehabber to the roster today, infielder Alex Blandino. The 26-year-old suffered a torn ACL in his right knee last July, and returns to the field today batting leadoff for the Bats. LOU also added RHP R.J. Alaniz and RHP Brad Markey, as well as familiar faces RHP Wendolyn Bautista and OF Narciso Crook.
- Alaniz, who is occupying a 40-man spot, was claimed off waivers by the Reds from the Mariners on May 31. Markey was signed as a minor league FA after being released by the Cubs.
- In corresponding moves, RHPs Alex Powers (right oblique strain) and Rob Wooten (right rotator cuff strain) were both placed on the 7-day IL, while Aristides Aquino was placed on the Temporary Inactive List and RHP Jose Lopez, who was recently outrighted to LOU, was transferred to Rookie Billings.
IL BATTER OF THE WEEK: Outfielder Phillip Ervin was awarded the International League's Batter of the Week Award for May 27-June 2, the first Louisville player to win the weekly honors this season. He batted .423 (11-for-26) with 10 R, 2 2B, 5 HR and 10 RBI, with a .516 OBP and 1.593 OPS in 7 games during the week. He hit 2 homers in back-to-back games on May 29-30 at DUR, becoming the first Louisville Bat with consecutive multi-HR games since Mike Hessman on April 4-5, 2013. Ervin became the first Bat to win IL Batter of the Week since infielder Juan Perez (4/17-4/23/2017).
EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE: Right fielder Aristides Aquino hit 2 home runs in the Bats' 11-5 loss to the Tides on Sunday, his first multi-homer game of the season. He's the seventh different Bat with multiple homers in a game this season, and his stellar game was the 14th time this year that LOU had an individual multi-homer game, easily most in the IL and just one shy of their team total (15) from the previous 6 seasons (2013-18) combined.
8 HOME RUN GAME: There were a combined 8 home runs in yesterday's game, 4 hit by each side. In addition to Aquino's 2, Ervin and Scott Schebler each hit one for the Bats, while Ryan Mountcastle hit 3 homers on Sunday a day after hitting a walk-off blast on Saturday night, with former Bat Zach Vincej also chipping in a home run. The 8 homers were the most in a Bats game since May 27, 2013 vs. Columbus. In that game, LOU hit 3 and COL hit 5 in a 13-11 Clippers victory in 12 innings at Louisville Slugger Field.
WOW: Louisville comes into play on Monday with 66 home runs as a club, which already matches their total from the 2015 season, the fewest homers Louisville's recorded in a season since being affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds (2000). During that season, LOU also did not have a player record a multi-homer game.
International League Stories from June 3, 2019
- Stripers out Slug Charlotte, 7-5 - Gwinnett Stripers
- Mets Grab 5-4 Walk-Off Win over Red Wings in Ten Innings on Monday - Syracuse Mets
- Peterson Grand Slam Carries Hens - Toledo Mud Hens
- Explosive offense in Game 2 earns RailRiders a doubleheader split - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Bisons, RailRiders Split Series Opening Doubleheader - Buffalo Bisons
- Knights Drop 7-5 Slugfest to Stripers - Charlotte Knights
- PawSox Take First of Four-Game Home-And-Home Series - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Bulls Edge Tides in Series Opener - Durham Bulls
- Ballpark Brewer Series Brings Exciting New Craft Beers to Sahlen Field - Buffalo Bisons
- Three Runs in 8th doom IronPigs - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- De La Guerra Carries PawSox to Series-Opening Win - Pawtucket Red Sox
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (31-22) at Louisville Bats (23-33) - Indianapolis Indians
- Game Notes: Indianapolis Indians (31-22) at Louisville Bats (23-33) - Louisville Bats
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, DH (5:35 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
- Homestand Highlights: Stripers Set for Homestand - Gwinnett Stripers
- Louisville Bats Homestand Notes: June 3-5 - Louisville Bats
- Phillip Ervin Named International League Batter of the Week - Louisville Bats
- International League Players of the Week Named - IL1
- SWB Game Notes - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
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