The Louisville Bats’ road trip got off to a rough start.Host Toledo bombed the Bats 13-8 in their first of six straight games away from Louisville Slugger Field on Tuesday night.
Toledo, which totaled 17 hits, tallied seven runs in the bottom of the first frame and led 10-2 after three innings before Louisville rallied. The Bats cut the Mud Hens’ lead to 10-8 in the top of the fifth before Toledo put the visitors away by scoring three times in the bottom of the inning.
The Mud Hens (7-4) mauled Bats starter David Holmberg for 10 runs and 12 hits in 2 and 1/3 innings. Dixon Machado, the Detroit Tigers’ No. 11 prospect, had two of Toledo’s seven hits and two RBIs in the Mud Hens’ seven-run first.
Irving Falu’s two-out, two-run triple in the top of the second trimmed Toledo’s lead to 7-2, but the Mud Hens added to their advantage in the third thanks to Bryan Holaday’s RBI-double, Daniel Fields’ RBI-triple and Machado’s RBI-single.
Louisville (5-6) tallied three runs in the top of the fourth to get back into the game. Donald Lutz led off with a soft single to left field, then moved to third on Chris Dominguez’s double, before both scored on Yorman Rodriguez’s double to center field. Rodriguez advanced to third on a fielding error by Fields, Toledo’s center fielder, then scored on Falu’s sacrifice fly.
The Bats trimmed Toledo’s lead to 10-8 in the top of the fifth. Dan Johnson walked with one out before Josh Satin was hit by a pitch. Lutz followed with a sharp line drive single to right field, where Tyler Collins’ error allowed all three to score.
In the bottom of the inning, however, Collins had an RBI-single, then Jefry Matre’s two-RBI double against Louisville reliever Pedro Villarreal. In addition to the dozen hits and 10 runs he allowed, Holmberg (0-3) walked two and struck out one to absorb another loss. Buck Farmer (2-0) picked up the win (his second of the season against the Bats) on the mound, giving up eight runs (six earned) on five hits while walking four and striking out seven in five innings. Lutz, Rodriguez and Falu had two hits apiece to lead Louisville at the plate. Falu finished with three RBIs while Rodriguez tallied two. Lutz and Rodriguez also scored two runs apiece.
The same two teams will meet up against at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Bats right-hander Dylan Axelrod (1-0, 1.38 ERA) will take on lefty Kyle Ryan (0-1, 2.53).
Photo courtesy Louisville Bats Facebook Page
