IL1 Louisville Bats

Louisville Bats Notes: July 1

Published on July 1, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


TONIGHT'S GAME: The Bats and Mud Hens meet in the series finale Sunday, with Louisville looking to salvage a series tie with left-hander Justin Nicolino on the mound. Last night, the Bats avoided dropping their third straight game by winning 6-4, with a solid pitching performance by right-hander Robert Stephenson and a four-run top of the first inning. With Saturday night's victory, LOU secured its first winning month since May 2016.

AGAINST TOLEDO: Louisville and Toledo meet for the fifth of eight total series this season, and the third of four at Fifth Third Field. The Bats won their last series against the Mud Hens about a week and a half ago at Toledo, their first road series win of the season. Through 15 matchups, the Hens are 9-6 against the Bats, outscoring them 75-63 and outhomering them 22-8. The clubs will meet again next weekend at Louisville Slugger Field for the final series leading into the All-Star Break.

MASON-HITS'EM LINE: Leadoff hitter Mason Williams started Saturday's game with a single, his seventh straight game out of the top spot in the batting order in which he's led off the game with a hit. Louisville leadoff hitters combined to bat .446 (50-for-112) with 28 runs scored, 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 23 RBI, 13 walks and 4 stolen bases in the month of June, hitting safely in 26 of 27 games and reaching base safely in all 27.

GET YOUR KICKS FOR MONTH #6: With Saturday night's 6-4 win, the Bats finished the month of June with a 14-13 record, their first winning calendar month since May 2016, when they went 16-14.

-LOU batted .280 as a club in June, their highest batting average in a full calendar month since June 2015, when the Bats batted .286 as a team and went 14-15.

-LOU hit 27 home runs as a team in June, over twice as many as they hit in April (13). The 27 homers were the most they've hit in a month since May 2013, when the Bats hit 31 home runs and went 15-14.

FOUR-RUN FIRST: The Bats scored 4 runs in the top of the first, ambushing Toledo starter Tyler Alexander in the 6-4 defeat. It was second time in the Bats' last four games that they scored 4+ runs in the top of the first, scoring 5 runs in the first on June 27 at Columbus in an 11-10 win. The first inning has been the offense's second-best inning in terms of run output (48) this season, trailing only the fourth inning (53). The fourth has also been the inning in which Louisville's allowed the most runs (60).

HUDSON-TURNER OVERDRIVE: The Bats added catcher Stuart Turner to their roster on Saturday, activated off the disabled list. Turner had been on the disabled list since early May, and made 8 rehab apps with the AZL Reds, batting .269 (7-for-26) in those games. In a corresponding move, the Bats lost catcher Joe Hudson , who was traded by the Reds to the Los Angeles Angels. Hudson appeared in 16 games for Louisville this season, batting .235 (12-for-51) with 5 runs, 3 doubles, 3 RBI and 8 walks, starting at catcher in 15 games. He also has an active 8-game hit streak.

LUCKY NUMBER SLEVIN: RHP Robert Stephenson won his seventh game of the season last night, already matching the team-high in individual wins from last season for the Bats, when RHP Jackson Stephens led the team with 7 wins. In 2016, Stephenson himself led the club with 8 wins.

TOUGH SCHEDULE: Tonight marks the 45th time the Bats will face a team that is above the .500 mark, accounting for 58% of the team's games. LOU is also guaranteed to play an above .500 team (TOL-IND-TOL) in each of its 8 games leading into the All-Star Break.

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