LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (26-39) defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox (27-37) by a score of 10-8 in game two of the three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats collected seven runs in the first two innings, including a long-ball from Narciso Crook; the first Triple-A homerun of
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (26-39) defeated the Pawtucket Red Sox (27-37) by a score of 10-8 in game two of the three-game series at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats collected seven runs in the first two innings, including a long-ball from Narciso Crook; the first Triple-A homerun of his young career.
After Vladimir Gutierrez (2-5, 8.01) and the Bats' defense made quick work of the PawSox offense in the top half of the first inning, they would waste no time getting off to a hot start in the bottom half. Immediately following Christian Colón single and Brian O'Grady double, Philip Ervin would put a ball in play to induce a fielding error and drive in the first two Bats' runs of the game. The error would prove to not matter in the grand scheme of things as Aristides Aquino would send the second pitch of his at-bat 461 feet over the left field fence for his tenth homerun of the season, giving the Bats a 4-0 lead. However, the PawSox would prove to bounce back quickly.
After retiring the first hitter of the second inning, Gutierrez would quickly find himself in hot water. After a couple of walks and timely hits, Pawtucket's shortstop, Chad De La Guerra would capitalize on a bases-loaded jam by hitting a grand-slam to center field, to give the PawSox a 6-4 lead. The grand-slam was the fifth against Louisville pitching so far this season.
After losing the fresh lead in the top of the second, the Bats would respond in a big way. Following a one-out walk to Alberti Chavez, Narciso Crook would send a two-run blast to left, collecting his first Triple-A homerun of his career and tying the game, 6-6. From there, Pawtucket starter Ryan Weber's (1-1, 5.04) trouble would continue as he would be pulled after loading the bases with just one out. Nick Longhi would ultimately draw a walk from Red Sox reliever, Dan Runzler, to give Louisville a 7-6 advantage that would hold until the seventh inning.
Following the action-packed first two innings, each teams' bullpens would shut down the opposing offense for the next four innings, with the Bats relievers only allowing two hits over that stretch. The PawSox relievers were also dialed in, until the Bats offense would add on to their lead after the seventh inning stretch, tacking on three runs in the bottom of the inning, led by a two-out, two-run single to widen the gap to 10-6. The Red Sox would get two of those runs back in the top of the eighth thanks to a two-run double from Gorkys Hernández, but Jimmy Herget (1-3, 3.26) would sit down the PawSox in order in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.
The Bats and the PawSox, Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, will play the rubber game of the three-game series in Louisville tomorrow night, with first pitch set for 7:00 p.m. Right-hander Erasmo Ramírez (2-3, 4.84) will get the ball for the PawSox, while the south-paw, Eric Stout (0-1, 7.45), will be on the hill for the Bats.
