Mud Hens silence the Bats, win 5-0
TOLEDO, Oh. - The Louisville Bats struggled early and often at the plate on Monday night in Toledo, falling 5-0 to the Mud Hens after only managing three hits on the night. With the loss, Louisville was eliminated from postseason contention and failed to complete their first three-game sweep of the season.
A night after scoring ten runs, Louisville was shut out for the ninth time in 2014. Their three hits were the fewest since July 30th when they were no-hit by the Columbus Clippers.
Toledo jumped out to an early lead they would only extend in the first behind a leadoff double by Daniel Fields. After Hernan Perez' single pushed Fields to third, Jordan Lennerton drove him in. Louisville starter Scott Diamond worked around a jam to come out of the inning down just one run.
Both offenses went quiet until the sixth, when the Mud Hens exploded for four runs. Lennerton led the inning off with a single, and after Hessman and Gaynor reached base, Ben Guez opened up a 4-0 lead with a bases-clearing double. Marcus Lemon doubled in the inning to score Guez and make the lead 5-0.
Diamond (5-12) was chased from the game in the sixth, and received the loss. He completed 5.1 innings of work, allowing all five Toledo runs on eight hits and a pair of walks while striking out three.
Mud Hens starter Kyle Ryan (3-0) earned the win after six innings of work. He only allowed one hit, walked three and struck out four. Toledo relievers Kenny Faulk and Justin Miller combined to throw three innings of scoreless relief to close out the Bats.
Both Tucker Barnhart and Rey Navarro saw their hit streaks end on Monday. Barnhart took a season-high 11-game streak into the game before going 0-for-3, while Navarro's five-game streak was snapped with an 0-for-3 night at the plate.
Tomorrow night, Louisville will head to Indianapolis for a brief two-game series in what will be their final stop on the road in the 2014 season. RHP A.J. Morris (1-4, 4.50) will take the mound for the Indians against Bats RHP Josh Smith (10-6, 4.68). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.