IL1 Louisville Bats

Stepehnson Strikes out Season-Best 13 in 4-0 Win over Clippers

Published on August 3, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio. - Robert Stephenson (11-6, 2.87) struck out a season-best 13 batters and gave up just one hit over six innings to help pace the Louisville Bats (50-58) to a 4-0 win over the Columbus Clippers (56-54) on Friday night at Huntington Park. Stephenson's 13 strikeouts are the most for a Louisville pitcher since Tony Cingrani struck out 14 in six innings of work against Toledo on April 13, 2013.

Stephenson easily retired the Clippers' lineup the first time through setting down the first nine batters before giving up a walk to Oscar Mercado in the fourth. Columbus' Yandy Diaz singled in the next at-bat but Stephenson managed to work around having two-runners on base by forcing a double play and retiring a batter on strikes to end the frame. The single by Diaz was all six-foot-three right-handed pitcher gave up in his six-inning start. Stephenson threw 88 pitches (57 strikes) on his was to improving his club-best win total to 11.

Stephenson's strong start was also assisted by shutout innings from relievers Domingo Tapia (3-4, 3.93), Kyle Crockett (1-0, 3.86), and Jimmy Herget (1-2, 2.83). Tapia and Crockett tossed hitless frames while Herget gave up the Clippers' second and final hit in the ninth.

The Bats' lineup gave Stephenson the lead before he could throw his first pitch after hitting two first-inning home runs. C.J. McElroy opened the game by blasting his first homer of season into the left-field seats, giving Louisville the 1-0 lead. Blake Trahan followed the McElroy bomb with a single before Gabriel Guerrero stepped to the plate and got ahold of an 0-2 pitch that left the yard and extended the Bats' lead to 3-0. Guerrero has now hit 13 home runs for Bats during the 2018 campaign

In the fourth inning Louisville added another run on an RBI-single by Chadwick Tromp that drove home Brian O'Grady. Tromp finished the game 2-for-4 and was joined by Trahan and Nick Longhi in the multi-hit category as both went 2-for-4 from the plate. The Bats' offense collected 10 hits in the game.

Louisville will continue its' four-game series with Columbus on Saturday. Right-hander Lucas Sims (4-3, 2.84) will get the starting nod for the Bats while Mitch Talbot (3-4, 2.97) is scheduled to start for the Clippers. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.

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