Louisville Bats Notes: 8-29-19

Game 136, Home 68
Columbus Clippers (76-59) at Louisville Bats (57-78)
RHP Keury Mella (8-13, 4.90) vs. LHP Logan Allen (0-1, 9.92)
7:00 PM | Thursday, August 29, 2019 | Louisville Slugger Field
LISTEN: Nick Curran & Jim Kelch, 790 KRD; iHeartRadio.com; iHeart app

TONIGHT'S GAME: Louisville goes for the series sweep tonight against Columbus, with just 5 games left to play in the 2019 International League regular season. Louisville is 24-22 and 14-9 at home since the All-Star break, with 3 home and 2 away games left to play. Already securing their 13th series win of the season last night, the Bats will go for their third series sweep of the season with Keury Mella on the mound.
AGAINST COLUMBUS: The Bats won their fifth consecutive home game against the Clippers, improving to 6-4 this season at Louisville Slugger Field against the Clip Show after starting off 1-4. LOU secured its first winning season at home against Columbus since 2011, when they went 9-2. With a win in the season series finale tonight, Louisville would finish off 2019 with a .500 record (12-12) against the Clippers.
CONNECT FOUR: The Bats have matched their season-high winning streak of 4 games this season, previously achieving the feat from July 26-29 vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (7/26-7/28) and at Toledo (7/29). With a win tonight, LOU would have its first 5+ game win streak since winning 9 consecutive games from July 17-25, 2018, their longest winning streak since the 2012 season.
- Louisville goes for its first four-game series sweep since July 19-22, 2018 at Syracuse, in the midst of the aforementioned 9-game winning streak.
- LOU is 4-0 in its first 4 games of the homestand, and will go for its first undefeated homestand since winning back-to-back games on September 4-5, 2016 to finish the season. LOU goes for its first undefeated homestand involving multiple opponents since July 27-August 1, 2010, going 6-0 against Charlotte and Columbus.
20/20 SEASON: On Wednesday night, Brian O'Grady became the first player in Louisville franchise history (since 1982) with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases in a season. He is one of just 8 minor leaguers this season to reach both of those feats, with only 5 MLB players toting those numbers.
FEELING GREAT AFTER 28: Louisville pitching had its scoreless innings streak snapped at 28 innings last night, when the Clippers scored in the third. It was the longest streak without allowing a run for Louisville since a 28-inning streak achieved from May 9-12, 2009 vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (5/9-5/11) and at Durham (5/12), with LOU also going 4-0 in those games.
STRIKEOUT RECORD WITHIN REACH: Louisville pitchers have tallied 1,094 strikeouts this season, 35 shy of the franchise record 1,129 strikeouts recorded in 2017. With 5 games left to play, Louisville will need to average 7 strikeouts per game to match the franchise record. Currently, LOU is averaging 8.1 strikeouts per game.
TRANSACTIONS: Catcher Ryan Lavarnway was released on Thursday. In 13 apps for Louisville this season, he batted .225 (9-for-40) with 2 doubles, 3 home runs and 7 RBI, recording the Bats' most recent multi-homer game on August 1 at Columbus in his first career game in a Louisville uniform. This came after doing the same for the Reds, when he homered twice on July 19 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
HOME RUN WATCH: The 2019 Bats broke a record Wednesday night with their 161st homer of the season, now owning the most ever for Louisville since being affiliated with the Reds since 2000.