Louisville Bats Notes: June 19

OPENER AGAINST BULLS: Louisville and Durham begin a three-game series Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats are coming off their first road series win of the season, taking the opener and finale by 5-2 and 8-3 scores at Toledo. On Sunday, LHP Cody Reed had his best start of the season, giving up just one run in 7.0 innings, while the offense backed him up with 8 runs on 12 hits. Tonight, LOU turns to its ace, RHP Robert Stephenson , set to make his fourth career start against the Durham Bulls.

AGAINST DURHAM: Louisville and Durham meet for the third and final time this season, and for the second time at Louisville Slugger Field. In seven matchups this season, the Bulls are 5-2, sweeping the Bats at DBAP from May 15-17. Durham has outscored Louisville 29-18 so far this season, outhomering the Bats 8-4. The two clubs are meeting 10+ times in the regular season for the first time since 2007, when the Bats went 4-8 against the Bulls.
TRANSACTIONS: Today the Cincinnati Reds optioned to Class AAA Louisville right-handed pitcher Austin Brice , who will become the 49th player to appear for the 2018 Bats when he makes his first appearance. Brice went 1-2 with a 3.80 ERA in 15 games out of the Bats' bullpen last season. In a corresponding move, the Reds recalled RHP Jackson Stephens , who made 4 appearances out of LOU's bullpen since being optioned on June 5.
TOP PROSPECT RAKING: Infielder Nick Senzel has had an excellent run since moving into the leadoff spot, batting .447 (17-for-38) with 6 runs, 5 doubles, one home run, 9 RBI and 2 stolen bases in 8 games batting leadoff. His batting average before the run started on June 9 was .256, with his season average now sitting at .302, ranking 7th in the International League.
SEVENZEL: Senzel's 7-game streak with 2 or more hits from June 9-16 was the first of its kind for Louisville since Adam Rosales recorded 2+ hits in 8 straight games from August 4-19, 2008. Rosales batted .564 (22-for-39) with 6 doubles, one triple, 3 home runs and 9 RBI in those 8 games.
TAKE ME HOME, COUNTRY ROAD: With the 8-3 win over Toledo on Sunday, the Bats successfully captured their first road series win of the season and their first since taking two of three from the Durham Bulls from August 7-9 last season. LOU has gotten off to a franchise-worst start of 8-21 away from Louisville Slugger Field in 2018.
HOLY TOLEDO: The Bats scored 6 runs in the second inning in Sunday's 8-3 win, started off by a Gabriel Guerrero home run to lead off the inning. The 6 runs tied a season-high for most runs in an inning, with LOU also scoring 6 runs in the sixth inning of its April 27 game, also at Toledo.
OFF AN OFF DAY: The Bats are 2-2 during games following a scheduled off day this season, last winning at Pawtucket by a 7-4 score on June 5. The Bats' fifth scheduled off day of the season on June 18 is one of eight in-season off days in the schedule, excluding the All-Star Break. Last season, LOU owned a 5-3 record the day following a scheduled off day, excluding the AS Break.
TRIPLE H: In an interesting statistical anomaly, the Bats and Mud Hens had equal hit totals in each of their three games last series. In Friday night's opener, each team got 8 hits, on Saturday 9 hits, and in the finale on Sunday, 12 hits.