After the Louisville Bats’ 5-3 victory Sunday in which they scored four runs in the sixth, Todd Frazier wasn’t satisfied and was looking forward to getting a streak going.
“We’re still not there yet,” Frazier said after the game Sunday. “We need to multiply it from there and build on it.”
Frazier led the way in the building process Monday night, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in as the Bats beat the Columbus Clippers 7-4, earning their first series victory on the young season.
After Denis Phipps’ bases loaded walk made it 4-2, Frazier came up and lined a two-run single to left field making it 6-2. That single would ultimately turn out to be the game-winning hit. Danny Dorn followed up with another run scoring single to make it 7-2 after six innings.
Frazier now has seven RBI on the season, good for the team lead.
Louisville, who has struggled early with runners in scoring position, went 4-for-12 in Monday’s game. Catcher Dioner Navarro, who was 0-for-12 at the plate coming into the series with Columbus, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. It was the first three-hit performance by any Bats player this season.
The Bats also made good use of another quality start from Jeff Francis. Francis went six innings giving up two runs on nine hits, walking one and striking out ten. It was the first Bats starter to make it through six innings since Andrew Brackman on April 9. Francis has gone at least five innings and given up two runs in each of his three starts this season.
Travis Webb pitched 2/3 of an inning and picked up his second hold of the season. JJ Hoover, who appears to have been slotted as the Bats’ closer, pitched for the second consecutive night and picked up his fourth save.
The Bats got on the board in first inning when Kristopher Negron, who led the inning off with a double, scored on a sacrifice fly from Frazier.
Louisville then extended their lead in the fourth when Negron hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Paul Janish to make it 2-0. The next batter, Chris Valaika, launched a triple to right center field that scored Navarro, putting the Bats up 3-0.
Columbus came right back in the fifth with Lonnie Chisenhall’s two-run home run. Francis managed to get out of the inning without any more damage.
Columbus scored two more in the eighth on an RBI triple from Trevor Crowe and an RBI double from Justin Toole for the final margin.
The Bats (5-7), who have won consecutive games for the first time this season, host the first of four games against the Toledo Mud Hens (7-5) Tuesday night at 6:35. Louisville will send Sean Gallagher (0-2, 19.80 ERA) to the mound against Fu-Te Ni (1-0, 1.29 ERA).
