Bats drop final road game of season, 5-2

INDIANAPOLIS - The Louisville Bats (60-75) dropped their final road game of the season to the Indianapolis Indians (72-66) Saturday night at Victory Field, losing by a 5-2 score. The Bats finish the 2018 season with a 29-38 record on the road with the loss.

On a day filled with transactions due to Major League roster expanding, the Bats went with left-hander Juan Martinez as their starting pitcher, his second Louisville appearance and first start. The southpaw went 2.0 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits, walking one and striking out five on 52 pitches, 35 strikes.
The Bats actually scored first in this one, with Josh VanMeter beginning the game with a leadoff triple, which was immediately followed up by a Steve Selsky sacrifice fly to give Louisville a 1-0 lead two batters into the game. Indianapolis countered with a four-run bottom of the second, scoring all of its runs off Martinez.
Right-hander Rob Wooten pitched in relief, making his first Louisville appearance since May 11, 2017. Wooten, who is coming back from his second Tommy John surgery, allowed a run in 3.0 innings of work, striking out two batters in his triumphant return. Domingo Tapia and Kyle Crockett combined for 3.0 scoreless innings out of the back end of Louisville's bullpen.
Gabriel Guerrero went 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the top of the eighth, while second baseman John Sansone went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks in his Triple-A debut for the Bats.
The Bats finish out the 2018 season with two games at Louisville Slugger Field against the Indians. Tomorrow night, the Bats will rebrand as the "Mashers" one more time, with left-hander Justin Nicolino (5-6, 4.77) set to start. Indianapolis will counter with right-hander J.T. Brubaker (8-3, 2.95) in the penultimate game of the regular season for both clubs. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m.