Game Notes: Louisville Bats (47-66) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (53-58)
August 6, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
Game 114, Away 57
Louisville Bats (47-66) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (53-58)
RHP Keury Mella (7-10, 4.81) vs. LHP Cole Irvin (4-0, 4.08)
7:05 PM | Tuesday, August 6, 2019 | Coca-Cola Park
LISTEN: Nick Curran, 790 KRD; iHeartRadio.com; iHeart app
TONIGHT'S GAME: The Bats travel to Allentown, Pennsylvania to take on the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies for the first time this season. Despite dropping its last 2 games, Louisville is 7-3 over its last 10 games and 14-10 since the All-Star break. Tonight, right-hander Keury Mella makes his team-leading 23rd start of the season as the Bats look to get back to their winning ways, winning 7 of 8 from July 26-August 2.
AGAINST LEHIGH VALLEY: Louisville and Lehigh Valley will meet for the first time this season, last playing a three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field from August 10-12 last season. LOU is just 1-7 at Coca-Cola Park over the past 2 seasons, but swept a three-game series at Lehigh Valley in 2016. It's the first time that LOU hasn't met a team for the first time until August since 2012, when the Bats and Charlotte Knights met for the first time on August 2.
BIG LEAGUE BRIAN: On Monday, the Cincinnati Reds selected the contract of 1B/OF Brian O'Grady. When he makes his first appearance for the Reds, it will be his Major League debut.
- The 27-year-old has been one of the International League's best hitters this season for Louisville, batting .277 (107-for-386) with 66 runs, 27 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 70 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 100 games. He's gotten on-base at a .351 clip with an OPS of .913.
- He's the only minor leaguer with 27+ doubles and 27+ homers this season, and one of just 5 in pro baseball with those numbers, along with Minnesota's Max Kepler (27 2B/31 HR) and Pittsburgh's Josh Bell (34 2B/27 HR), Chicago's Javier Baez (30 2B/28 HR) and Atlanta's Freddie Freeman (28 2B/27 HR).
- O'Grady has recorded 6 multi-homer games (4/11, 5/19, 5/22, 5/27, 7/1, 7/13) this season, which are a franchise record. He hit 3 HR on 5/19 at Buffalo, tying a franchise record. On 7/13 vs. Toledo, his 8 RBI tied a franchise record. On 7/18 at Pawtucket, he hit his 26th homer of the season, which set a new RiverBats/Bats record (since 1999), which has since been matched by OF Aristides Aquino.
- O'Grady will become the fourth Bat to make his MLB debut for the Reds this season (CF Nick Senzel, IF/OF Josh VanMeter, RHP Jimmy Herget).
TRANSACTIONS: In a corresponding move, the Reds designated for assignment IF Blake Trahan. In 83 games for Louisville this season, Trahan is batting .230 (68-for-296) with 32 runs, 9 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs and 24 RBI. The 2018 Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove winner at shortstop homered in 3 straight games from July 20-23.
- LHP Wandy Peralta was optioned to Class AAA Louisville on Tuesday afternoon. In 37 apps for the Reds this season, he's 1-1 with a 5.06 ERA (18er/32.0ip) with 14 walks and 26 strikeouts. He made one relief app with LOU on July 7 at Columbus (1.0ip, 0r, 1k) and was optioned to LOU before that on May 28, but did not appear in a game. Peralta is expected to join the Bats later in the week.
SHUTOUT LOSS: The Bats dropped Sunday's contest to the Toledo Mud Hens by a 12-0 score, just Louisville's third shutout loss of the season. Two-thirds of the shutout losses have come against the Mud Hens. LOU still owns a 5-3 record in shutouts this season, tied for the fourth-best win percentage (.625) in the IL.
ON PACE TO SET TEAM HR RECORD: Louisville has hit 148 home runs through 113 games, on pace for 183 home runs, which would easily surpass the current club record of 166 homers hit by the 1999 RiverBats. Last season, LOU finished with 113 homers in 137 games.
THEY GROW UP SO FAST: Current Reds teammates Aristides Aquino and Brian O'Grady still have the most combined home runs among all International League pairings, with 55 homers between the two. Aquino has 28 HR with the Bats this season, and O'Grady has 27 HR.
HR Players Club
55 Aquino/O'Grady LOU
53 Duvall/Jackson GWN
53 Bradley/Haase COL
LATE MOVES: The Bats activated RHP Alex Powers off the injured list, placing LHP Eric Stout on it. Louisville also added a pair of new players: RHP Brad Boxberger and IF Alfredo Rodriguez. Boxberger was a first round pick of the Reds in 2009, and led the American League in saves for the 2015 Rays. Rodriguez, who's made 104 apps for Chattanooga this season, will make his Triple-A debut when first appearing in a Bats uniform.
International League Stories from August 6, 2019
- Waters, Pache Combine for Five Hits in Gwinnett's Loss to Rochester - Gwinnett Stripers
- Knights Top RailRiders 5-3 in Extras - Charlotte Knights
- Bisons Drop Opener in Toledo, 7-5 - Buffalo Bisons
- Walks Haunt Tribe as Norfolk Takes Road Opener - Indianapolis Indians
- Pair of runs in top of 10th inning dooms RailRiders against Knights - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Wynns and Bostick Aid Tides in Win over Indy - Norfolk Tides
- Mud Hens Beat Bisons for Third Straight Win - Toledo Mud Hens
- Lin Homers Twice, Powers PawSox Past Columbus - Pawtucket Red Sox
- De Aza, Flores Power Wings' Win over Stripers - Rochester Red Wings
- Bats Drop Opener to IronPigs, 5-4 - Louisville Bats
- Bulls Blank Mets in Series Opener - Durham Bulls
- Mets Drop Series Opener to Bulls, 5-0 - Syracuse Mets
- Morrison three-run home run charges Pigs to win - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- IronPigs Announce Scholarship Winners - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Game Notes: Louisville Bats (47-66) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (53-58) - Louisville Bats
- Wings of Hope Event August 10 - Rochester Red Wings
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo at Toledo (7:05 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
- Six Honorary Starters at Tonight's Mud Hens Game - Toledo Mud Hens
- Minor League Baseball & Uncle Ray's Players of the Month Named for July - IL1
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (56-56) at Norfolk Tides (44-68) - Indianapolis Indians
- SWB Game Notes - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Red Wings Homestand Highlights - Rochester Red Wings
- SWB RailRiders Homestand Highlights- August 6-11 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Jaylin Davis Honored as International League Player of the Month - IL1
- Davis Named International League Player of the Month for July - Rochester Red Wings
- Gwinnett Stripers Award Monthly Grant to Spectrum Autism Support Group - Gwinnett Stripers
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