Slow Break Dooms Bats in 9-6 Loss
On the day of the 150th Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Bats (15-17) broke slowly and could never make up all the ground in a 9-6 loss to the St. Paul Saints (13-17) at CHS Field in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon. Unlike Derby winner, Mystik Dan, the Bats were unable
On the day of the 150th Kentucky Derby, the Louisville Bats (15-17) broke slowly and could never make up all the ground in a 9-6 loss to the St. Paul Saints (13-17) at CHS Field in St. Paul on Saturday afternoon.
Unlike Derby winner, Mystik Dan, the Bats were unable to make up ground after falling behind in the first inning. DaShawn Keirsey Jr. worked an 11-pitch at-bat before grounding a single into right field to lead off the bottom of the first against Bats starter Christian Roa (L, 0-2). Anthony Prato then reached on a fielder’s choice to Bats second baseman Levi Jordan. Jordan appeared to have the ball slip out of his hands as he tried to flip it to second base and start a double play, leading to an error. With Keirsey Jr. going go to third base, Mall Wallner opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left.
After a Prato steal, Michael Helman singled to left and Tony Kemp walked after challenging a 3-2 pitch that was initially ruled a strike. Likewise, Yunior Severino challenged a pitch to earn a bases loaded walk, scoring Prato. Roa left after 0.1 inning and 37 pitches. Lefty Tyler Gilbert came on and, after striking out Patrick Winkel, allowed back-to-back bases loaded walks to Chris Williams and Diego A. Castillo. A Gilbert wild pitch scored Severino and Keirsey, batting for the second time in the inning, plated two with a single to left. In all, the Charismatic Saints took a 7-0 lead in the first, sending 12 batters to the plate and seeing 74 pitches from Louisville pitchers.
Catcher Michael Trautwein got the Bats on the board, hammering the Orb to center field for a solo home run in the second inning off Saints righty Randy Dobnak (W, 2-3). Dobnak worked five innings following opener Ryan Jensen.
After the Saints made their lead 8-1 following a run-scoring double by Helman in the fourth inning, the Bats started to Pondera comeback.
In the fifth, Bats right fielder Peyton Burdick singled to start the frame, went to second on a Dobnak wild pitch and then to third when Helman committed a two-out throwing error, allowing Erik Gozalez to reach base. Rehabbing Reds center fielder TJ Friedl doubled on a sharp ground ball to right, scoring Burdick. Blake Dunn then reached on an Authentic infield hit to short, scoring Gonzalez. Another Helman error allowed Friedl to score to cut the lead to 8-4 and the CHS Field crowd became Real Quiet. Evan Kravetz kept the crowd quiet with 2.2 dominant relief innings, striking out five Saints.
Louisville cut the lead to 8-5 in the seventh inning when shortstop Livan Soto grounded a single to left, scoring Dunn. Then, a pinch-hit single to right by Conner Capel in the eighth scored Burdick to trim the St. Paul lead to 8-6.
But, Matt Wallner likely thought, “I’ll Have Another,” as he clubbed a home run to left in the bottom of the eighth, his third straight game with a home run, providing the final margin and turning back the Bats’ Spectacular Bid.
The Bats and Saints close out the series tomorrow afternoon at 3:07 p.m. with Louisville needing a win to split the six-game set and avoid a deafening Sunday Silence. The game can be heard on 1450/96.1 WXVW. It’s free to listen, so fans will not need to Spend A Buck.