Game Notes: Louisville Bats (9-15) at Toledo Mud Hens (8-14)

April 29, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release

Game 25, Away 11

Louisville Bats (9-15) at Toledo Mud Hens (8-14)

RHP Jose Lopez (1-2, 5.21) vs. LHP Nick Ramirez (NR)

6:35 PM | Monday, April 29, 2019 | Fifth Third Field

LISTEN: Nick Curran, 790 KRD; iHeartRadio.com; iHeart app

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: Louisville begins a seven-game road trip against the Toledo Mud Hens and Indianapolis Indians, after wrapping up a six-game homestand and playing 14 of its last 17 games at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats have dropped 6 of their last 7 games, including a 5-game losing streak from April 21-26. Right-hander Jose Lopez will look to get the Bats back in the win column, set to square off against Toledo left-hander Nick Ramirez, who is making his season debut.

AGAINST TOLEDO: The Bats and Mud Hens have already met this season, in a 4-game series at Toledo to begin the 2019 season. Louisville dropped the first 3 games of that season-opening series, before winning the series finale to save itself from being swept. While the clubs will meet for the second time at Fifth Third Field in the season's opening month, it's the first time that the clubs do not meet in Louisville during April since 2000, when the RiverBats hosted the Mud Hens for the first time that year from May 1-3.

JOSH VANLEADER: Louisville's Josh VanMeter has been one of the best hitters in baseball this season, ranking favorably in several categories across the International League. He currently leads the IL in home runs (8), total bases (59) and OPS (1.110). VanMeter is tied for 2nd in hits (30), runs (19), RBI (20) and extra-base hits (13), and ranks third in slugging percentage (.678).

STREAKZEL: Center fielder Nick Senzel has hit safely in each of his 5 games with Louisville this season, with exactly one hit in each game and batting .238 (5-for-21). Dating back to last season, he owns a 16-game hitting streak, which is the second-highest active hit streak in the IL to only Toledo's Willi Castro (17). During the life of the streak, which started on June 9 last year, Senzel is batting .380 (27-for-71) with 12 runs, 6 doubles, 3 home runs, 12 RBI and a .413 on-base percentage.

RIGHT OFF THE BAT: Norfolk scored 6 runs in the top of the first inning in Sunday's series finale, coasting to a 7-1 and series victory. In 14 home games this season, Louisville has surrendered a first inning run in 10 of those contests. On the road, Louisville has only surrendered a first inning run twice in 10 contests.

POSITION PLAYER PITCHING: In Saturday's 7-1 loss to the Tides, outfielder Courtney Hawkins came in to pitch the ninth, tossing a scoreless inning after erasing a leadoff single with a groundout double play. Hawkins became the first Bats position player to make a pitching appearance since Hernan Iribarren on Sept. 3 last season vs. Indianapolis, when he appeared at all 9 positions. Hawkins was the first position player not named Iribarren to pitch for the Bats since outfielder Beau Amaral on April 19, 2017.

FREAKY FRIDAY: The Bats and Norfolk Tides combined for 30 runs on Friday night, the highest scoring game in Louisville Slugger Field's history, since the ballpark opened in 2000. The 30 runs surpassed LSF's previous-high of 28 combined runs, which had occurred twice, once in 2002 and again in 2014. The 30 runs also tied a franchise-record, previously occurring twice, both involving the 1987 Redbirds.

ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?: Despite losing yesterday, the Bats actually moved up a half-game in the standings, with IL West leading Columbus dropping both games of a doubleheader vs. Durham.

International League Stories from April 29, 2019

• Agrazal Dazzles into Seventh as Indians Drop Clippers - Indianapolis Indians
• Mets late run downs IronPigs - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
• VanMeter Has Historic Night in 15-4 Bats Win - Louisville Bats
• Six Unanswered Runs Lead Mets to 7-4 Victory over IronPigs in Monday's Series Opener - Syracuse Mets
• Durham Out-Slugs Norfolk in Series Opener - Durham Bulls
• Home Runs Prove Costly in Mud Hens Loss - Toledo Mud Hens
• Knights Downed by Stripers 9-2 - Charlotte Knights
• Duvall Homers Again as Stripers Beat Charlotte - Gwinnett Stripers
• Despite Trey Amburgey's Slam, RailRiders fall 10-6 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
• Wings Slug Way to 10-6 Win Monday - Rochester Red Wings
• Bisons Best PawSox, 10-5, in Rain-Shortened Doubleheader - Buffalo Bisons
• Second Game of Bisons/PawSox Twinbill Postponed Due to Rain - Buffalo Bisons
• PawSox Crack Three Homers, Fall to Buffalo - Pawtucket Red Sox
• 4.29.19 Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (12-10) vs. Columbus Clippers (14-9) - Indianapolis Indians
• Hens Are Home April 29 to May 5 - Toledo Mud Hens
• Blue Jays Sign Outfielder Revere to Minor League Deal - Buffalo Bisons
• Game Notes: Louisville Bats (9-15) at Toledo Mud Hens (8-14) - Louisville Bats
• Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo vs. Pawtucket, DH (5:05 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
• Wong Named International League Batter of the Week - Durham Bulls
• Thorpe Named International League and Twins Minor League Pitcher of the Week - Rochester Red Wings
• SWB Game Notes - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
• International League Players of the Week Named - IL1

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