LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (27-41) were defeated in game two of the three-game series with the Buffalo Bisons (31-35) by a score of 11-8 at Louisville Slugger Field on Saturday night. With a two-run home run in the first inning, and a 471 foot two-run blast in the
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (27-41) were defeated in game two of the three-game series with the Buffalo Bisons (31-35) by a score of 11-8 at Louisville Slugger Field on Saturday night. With a two-run home run in the first inning, and a 471 foot two-run blast in the seventh, Aristides Aquino recorded his second multi-homer game and number 16 for a Bats player this season.
After Buffalo starter Conor Fisk (1-3, 5.12) retired the first two Bats hitters in the bottom of the first, Louisville would go on to work a little two-out magic. Following a Brian O'Grady single, Aquino would not wait for a late-inning, dramatic at-bat to decide whether or not he would keep his 18-game hit streak alive, instead opting to launch a homerun to left-center field, landing on the grassy berm. The long-ball extended his streak to 19 games, tying with Juan Francisco for the third-longest hit streak in Louisville history.
Though the Bats would jump out to an early lead and the Louisville starter Brad Markey (2-4, 6.70) would hold the Bisons scoreless for the first two innings, Buffalo would go on to score at least one run over in each of the next six innings. Louisville, on the other hand would be held scoreless for the next four innings as the Bisons offense heated up.
Buffalo recorded multi-hit games from five different players, with three of those having three-hit games. Arguably the biggest offensive production for Buffalo came from the eight-hole in the lineup. Although he only recorded a single hit, he certainly made it count. Bisons' second baseman Alen Hanson came through with a big three-run homerun in the fifth inning to give Buffalo some breathing room and finished the night with four RBIs in total.
The Bats would get one run back in the sixth, but would go on to bat around and have a monstrous five-run seventh inning. After the Aquino two-run shot, Nick Longhi would keep the action going with a double to center-field. He would not stay at second base long, as Rob Refsnyder would trade spots with him, sending a double of his own soaring over Sócrates Brito's head in right-field. Sherman Johnson and Alberti Chavez would also join the seventh-inning hit parade, and once it was all said and done, the Bats' had scored five runs in the inning to make it a one-run game. Unfortunately, the Bats would go quietly in the eighth and ninth to drop game two of the series.
The Bats and the Bisons, Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, will play the final game of the three-game series in Louisville tomorrow afternoon, with first pitch set for 2:00 p.m. Right-hander David Paulino (0-1, 3.80 will be on the bump for the Bisons, while the righty, Keury Mella (4-5, 4.74), will get the ball for the Bats.
