DURHAM, NC - The Louisville Bats (45-68) took game one of a three-game series against the Durham Bulls (70-44) by a score of 5-2 on Monday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The Bats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when newcomers Adam Brett Walker
DURHAM, NC - The Louisville Bats (45-68) took game one of a three-game series against the Durham Bulls (70-44) by a score of 5-2 on Monday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The Bats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when newcomers Adam Brett Walker and Scott Van Slyke hit back-to-back home runs. It was the second time a pair of Bats hitters went back-to-back this season, as Dilson Herrera and Rob Brantly accomplished that feat on June 5 against Columbus.
An inning later, Alex Blandino put on a power display of his own, launching a solo homer to straightaway center field for his third long ball in a Louisville uniform. Darnell Sweeney added another run with an RBI triple that brought in Chad Wallach, making it 4-0 in favor of the Bats.
After a 30-minute rain delay, Barrett Astin replaced Amir Garrett (1-3, 6.25) on the mound in the third. The left-hander allowed just one hit in two innings off work.
The Bulls got a run back that same inning after stringing together four straight hits with no outs, but were unable to do any further damage against Astin, who retired the next three hitters on a pop out, line out and groundout.
Another rain delay in the fourth inning forced left-hander Michael Roth (2-4, 4.99) out of the ball game. Roth tossed three and one-third innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out two.
Durham scored one more run on the night courtesy of a Taylor Featherston solo home run in the seventh inning that cut the Bulls' deficit to 5-2, which proved to be the final score.
Jimmy Herget notched his sixth save of the season and helped snap the Bats' six-game losing streak.
The Bats and Bulls will be back in action again tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Tyler Mahle (2-3, 2.76) will start for Louisville while right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. (11-7, 3.95) will toe the rubber for Durham.
