Being new to Louisville (and a huge Reds fan), I had to see what the Bats are all about. Just in this last week, I’ve enjoyed a wonderful home stand filled with great baseball and a nice family atmosphere. Whether you’re lounging on a blanket in the grassy “Homerun Terrace” in left, waiting in line at the carousel in the “KidZone” in right, or sitting at a picnic table in front of the Overlook Grill in centerfield, there truly is not a bad seat in the house.
Edinson Volquez had a very solid outing against the Syracuse Chiefs allowing five hits and only one run through 7 full innings on Thursday night.
Solid defensive plays supported Volquez throughout the evening, but the game-deciding support really came from three Bats sluggers. Kristopher Negron tied the game at 1 in the 3rd inning with a homer to left field. Another long ball in the 6th inning from third baseman Juan Francisco gave the bats the 2-1 lead.
Volquez made the home crowd a little nervous in the 6th inning, giving up a couple of hits and a walk – loading the bases. Volquez, seemingly not fazed by the high-pressure situation, was able to get the final out with a fly ball to center field. There has been no definite timeline as to when we could see Volquez return to Cincinnati to rejoin the Reds, but for now we are certainly enjoying his tour with the Bats.
The offense from both teams appeared to come to a complete standstill for a lot of the game, but a big three-run homerun from Yonder Alonso in the 7th inning resurrected the crowd of over 8,000 fans in attendance.
Steven Jackson came in and pitched a solid final two innings to seal the victory for the Bats.
There were no postgame fireworks, but there was a pregame happy hour offering $1 draft beers. A little something last weekend for the kiddos and a little something for mom and dad Thursday night at Slugger Field.
You will continue to hear more about the Louisville Bats through the end of the home stand June 4, but also for the remainder of the season – right here at Louisville.com.
Head out to Louisville Slugger Field this weekend and watch the Bats as they continue to try and climb to the top of the division standings.
