It was another rough Knight for the Louisville Bats in Charlotte, N.C.
A six-run sixth inning and three pitchers, who held the visitors to three hits, led the Charlotte Knights to a 7-2 triumph over the Bats on Monday night. Louisville hasn’t won a series in North Carolina’s largest city since July 2010.
Charlotte (17-13) won its third straight game in beating the Bats (13-18), who are third (five games out of first place) in the International League West Division.
Louisville, which was coming off a 3-3 homestand at Louisville Slugger Field, led 2-1 before the Knights made their rally.
Bats starter Dylan Axelrod (1-3) allowed just two hits in the first three innings before giving up back-to-back-to-back singles to start the fourth. The last one was an RBI base knock by Matt Davidson.
The Bats’ bats struggled against Knights starter Kyle Drabek, who gave up one hit and walked one while striking out five in five innings. Charlotte reliever Shawn Haviland walked the first two hitters, Eugenio Suarez and Hernan Iribarren, he faced in the top of the sixth before Irving Falu’s sacrifice bunt advanced both. Ivan De Jesus Jr. followed with a two-run single to score Suarez and Iribarren.
Louisville’s lead was short-lived, though. Axelrod gave up a leadoff single before back-to-back fielding errors by the Bats allowed the Knights to tie the game. Newcomer Ben Klimesh was then brought in to replace Axelrod. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander walked the first hitter he faced to load the bases before Drew Garcia’s soft line drive single, coupled with right fielder Yorman Rodriguez’s fielding error, gave Charlotte the lead for good. The Knights added three more runs in the inning, chasing Klimesh in the process, on their way to victory.
Haviland (1-2), who gave up two earned runs on two hits while walking two and striking out two in only two innings, picked up the win in relief.
Six Knights tallied two hits apiece to lead Charlotte’s 12-hit attack.
The two teams continue their four-game series at 7:05 p.m. Tuesday night. That’s when Louisville right-hander Josh Smith (0-0, 8.31 earned-run average) is scheduled to face off against Knights righty Junior Guerra (0-1, 1.80 ERA).
Photo courtesy Louisville Bats Facebook Page
