Bats win fourth straight, defeat Iron Pigs 4-2
ALLENTOWN, Pa. - The Louisville Bats picked up their fourth consecutive win Wednesday in Lehigh Valley as they defeated the Iron Pigs 4-2 at Coca-Cola Park.
Mat Latos made his third start in his rehab stint with Louisville and earned the win but made an early exit a pitch into the sixth inning with an inconclusive injury. He went five innings, allowing two runs on six hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Through three starts with the Bats, Latos has pitched 13.2 innings and allowed four earned runs on 13 hits with four walks and nine strikeouts.
Lehigh Valley left-handed pitcher Greg Smith suffered the loss after going six innings and allowing three runs on nine hits with two walks and a strikeout.
The Iron Pigs took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second, but a three-run top of the third gave the Bats the upper hand that they would keep for the remainder of the game.
Latos doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a Jason Bourgeois single. Both scored when Ruben Gotay scorched a pitch to the wall to give the Bats the 3-1 lead.
Bourgeois, who has held the highest batting average amongst qualifying Louisville hitters during the month of May with a mark of .324 (36-for-111), extended his team-leading 20th multi-hit game going 2-for-5 on the night.
Lehigh Valley scored another run in the bottom of the third, but the Bats extended their lead to 4-2 in the top of the ninth inning when Chris Nelson singled and scored Ruben Gotay. Gotay was 2-for-4 on the night with a walk and two RBI. His 18 multi-hit games is second on the team behind Bourgeois.
Right-hander Curtis Partch came on in the eighth and shut the door on Lehigh Valley, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing a hit and striking out three. Partch earned his second save on the season.
The Bats look to continue their winning streak tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. at Coca-Cola Park where right-hander Tim Crabbe (3-5, 4.60) will face Lehigh Valley right-handed pitcher Barry Enright (3-3, 4.36).