IL Louisville Bats

Gilliam and Santana Fuel Bats to 5-4 Win

Published on August 25, 2022 under International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release


TOLEDO, OH- The Louisville Bats (51-69) won their second of the first three games against the Toledo Mud Hens (62-56) on Thursday night at Fifth Third Field.

Louisville turned their first triple play since 2005 and Isiah Gilliam nearly hit for the cycle in a tight contest on Thursday night.

Toledo struck first in the game, scratching a run in the home half of the first inning when first baseman Josh Lester laced a double into right field, bringing home Ryan Kreidler from first base.

Louisville starter Deck McGuire (3-3, 6.54) bounced back from the RBI-double by striking out Spencer Torkelson. Though he hit Brendon Davis in the next at-bat, he was able to pitch out of the first-and-third jam by sitting down John Valente on strikes to end the inning.

Louisville evened the score in the top of the second inning in quite an unusual way. After Cristian Santana and Juniel Querecuto hit back-to-back singles, a wild pitch advanced them to second and third. Ronnie Dawson grounded out on the following play, but Querecuto wandered a bit far from second base, inducing a throw that was too late to make an out. In the defensive panic, Santana was able to sneak down the third base line and plate the tying run.

The see-saw scoring continued in the third inning when Ryan Kreidler scored his second run of the ball game with a controversial inside-the-park home run, giving Toledo a 2-1 lead. The round-tripper marked just the third inside-the-park home run against the Louisville franchise since Reds' affiliation began in 2000.

Louisville designated hitter Isiah Gilliam knotted the score again in the top of the fifth inning, driving a low and inside pitch well over the left center field wall, landing on the shade canopies on the concourse past the seats, for his fourth home run as a Bat this season.

The Bats then claimed their first lead of the game in the following inning, jumping out 3-2 when Ronnie Dawson drove home Cristian Santana, who had reached base with a one-out double. The two-bagger from Santana was his third hit of the ball game.

Isaiah Gilliam kept the inning going with a two-out, 2-RBI triple, pushing the Louisville lead to 5-2 and leaving him just a double shy of hitting for the cycle.

The 3-run frame set Deck McGuire as the winner for the evening as he tossed five innings, surrendering two runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts.

McGuire's reliever Julio Pinto ran into trouble in the bottom of the sixth. After allowing two runs on a pair of walks and a base hit, he was pulled in favor of Eddy Demurias who was able to mitigate the damage and get out of the inning with Louisville in front, 5-4.

After getting into immediate trouble in the seventh by allowing the first two hitters he faced, Louisville reliever found a way to face the minimum for the inning, inducing a line-out to first base that turned into three outs. With both runners moving as a double steal, first baseman Colin Moran was able to snag the line out, return to the bag to double-off his runner, and make the relay to second baseman Spencer Steer who "tripled-off" his runner to end the threat before it began.

The triple play was just the fourth turned by the Louisville franchise over its 40 year history and was the first since Edwin Encarnacion, current Louisville hitting coach Alex Pelaez, and Ricky Bell went around the horn on July 20, 2005.

Louisville closer Fernando Cruz made short work of the Mud Hens in the ninth, retiring the side in order for his Triple-A best 23rd save of the season.

Game four of the six game set is scheduled for tomorrow night at Fifth Third Field with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. Righty Raynel Espinal (5-6, 5.72) will get the nod for the Bats as southpaw Ricardo Sanchez (6-5, 4.82) will be on the bump for the Mud Hens.

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International League Stories from August 25, 2022


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