Finnegan homers in 3-2 loss

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Louisville Bats (13-27) dropped the opening game of a four-game series against the Indianapolis Indians (22-19) Monday night by a 3-2 score at Victory Field. Bats starting pitcher Brandon Finnegan supplied all of Louisville's offense on the night, hitting a two-run home run.

Finnegan's fifth inning blast off Indians starting pitcher, right-hander J.T. Brubaker (2-0, 2.65) was the first home run hit by a Bats pitcher since Daryl Thompson hit a home run on June 11, 2011 at Lehigh Valley. For Finnegan, it is his first career professional home run.
Finnegan (0-3, 4.50) did not disappoint on the mound either, going 6.0 innings and giving up three runs, one earned, on eight hits, walking two and striking out five on 94 pitches, 62 strikes. Although Finnegan lost his third straight start with Louisville, he did record his first quality start of 2018.
Besides the left-handed pitcher helping his own cause in the fifth, the Bats' offense was shut down for the most part, with the Indians bullpen shutting them down for three scoreless innings in relief of Brubaker. The Bats did threaten in the ninth, putting two runners on with a hit by pitch and walk, but ultimately lost the game on a wild, 4-6-3-2 double play that cut down Gabriel Guerrero at the plate trying to score the game's tying run. A wild throw to first base by Indians shortstop Kevin Newman hit off the first-base dugout, with a perfect carom to first baseman Wyatt Mathisen, who then threw a strike to catcher Jacob Stallings, tagging out Guerrero to end the game.
The Bats fall to 3-15 on the road this season, with Louisville and Indianapolis scheduled to play tomorrow at 11:05 a.m. Left-hander Cody Reed (0-2, 4.24) will pick up the ball for Louisville, while right-hander Clay Holmes (2-2, 4.31) will pitch for Indianapolis.