The Louisville Bats began May with a bang.
The visiting Bats bested Buffalo, which came in boasting the best record in the International League, 9-7 Friday night at Coca-Cola Field.
It was the second straight triumph for Louisville (9-13), which hadn’t won back-to-back games since mid-April.
The Bats pounded out 13 hits - two apiece by Irving Falu, Hernan Iribarren, Ivan De Jesus Jr., Yorman Rodriguez, Ramon Cabrera and Bryson Smith - as they scored a single run in the first frame and tallied two in the fourth before taking command with a six-run sixth inning. Meanwhile starting pitcher Matt Magill won his first game (in only his second start) as part of the Cincinnati Reds organization and the 50th of his professional career. Three relievers helped Magill hold onto his historical triumph.
Falu got Louisville off to a great start by leading off the game with a solo home run to right field.
The Bisons (14-8) tied it in the bottom of the third before the Bats re-took the lead in the top of the fourth. DeJesus singled with one out, moved to second when Steve Selsky walked, then scored on Rodriguez's single to right field. Selsky later plated on Cabrera's two-out single to center.
Buffalo trimmed Louisville’s lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth before the Bats broke the game open in the sixth, when they scored six runs - all with two outs.
Rodriguez sandwiched a single around a Selsky strike out and Eugenio Suarez fly out before Cabrera singled. Chris Dominguez then doubled to left to score Rodriguez before Smith singled to center to bring home Cabrera and Dominguez. Falu followed with a single before Iribarren doubled to score Smith and move Falu to third. After Gregory Infante replaced Luis Perez on the mound De Jesus, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, greeted the new pitcher with a line-drive single to left to score Falu and Iribarren.
Magill (1-1), a 6-foot-3, 210-pound right-hander, gave up five earned runs on seven hits while walking four and striking out three in five innings of action. Pedro Villarreal gave up one earned run on three hits while striking out two in two innings of relief Magill before Jose De La Torre allowed one earned run on two hits in 1 and 1/3 innings. Nathan Adcock closed the door on the Bisons in the bottom of the ninth.
The same two teams are scheduled to meet at 1:05 p.m. Saturday. Louisville right-hander Raisel Iglesias (0-1, 3.86 earned-run average) is slated to face off against fellow righty Scott Copeland (2-1, 1.44 ERA).
Photo courtesy Louisville Bats Facebook Page
