BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Louisville Bats (17-24) dropped Friday night's series opener to the Buffalo Bisons (15-22) by a 7-6 score at Sahlen Field. Louisville lost on a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth, dropping them to a season-high seven games below .500.
BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Louisville Bats (17-24) dropped Friday night's series opener to the Buffalo Bisons (15-22) by a 7-6 score at Sahlen Field. Louisville lost on a passed ball in the bottom of the ninth, dropping them to a season-high seven games below .500.
The Bats took a 3-0 lead in the second inning without registering a hit, with Phillip Ervin scoring the game's first run on an error, Blake Trahan being hit with the bases loaded, and Narciso Crook driving in a run via groundout. Buffalo scored a run in the bottom of the third, but Louisville answered right back in the fourth with two runs of their own to take a 5-1 lead. The Bisons scored three runs on three RBI singles in the bottom of the inning, making it a 5-4 score, which would remain until the eighth inning.
Right-hander José López (2-2, 5.31) was solid for Louisville, giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.0 innings, walking and striking out three on 98 pitches, 60 strikes. It was the fifth start in a row for Lopez that lasted exactly five innings, as he left Friday's game with a 5-4 lead and in a position to win.
Scott Schebler, who has now reached base in nine of his last 13 plate appearances over his last four games, doubled off the wall to score Phillip Ervin and give the Bats a 6-4 lead in the eighth. The lead would not last long, however, as Bats left-hander Ian Krol gave up a game-tying two-run homer to Buffalo's Teoscar Hernández in the bottom of the eighth, making it a 6-6 game.
Anthony Bass came in and recorded the final out of the eighth for Louisville, but the ninth was a different story. Cavan Biggio hit a leadoff double down the right field line to begin the frame, and advanced to third base on a wild pickoff attempt, the Bats' second error of the night. Biggio then scored the game-winning run on a passed ball by Louisville catcher Juan Graterol, handing the Bats their fourth walk-off loss this season and their third straight loss overall.
Tomorrow, right-hander Rob Wooten will make his season debut for Louisville after making a handful of starts with Double-A Chattanooga to begin the 2019 campaign. Buffalo will counter with lefty Ryan Feierabend (2-0, 2.70) in the middle game, with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m.
