Trio of Solo Shots Downs Bats in Series Opener at Toledo 5-3

Seby Zavala’s go-ahead solo shot in the bottom of the seventh sealed the Louisville Bats' fate in game one of the season’s final series, falling 5-3 on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field against the Toledo Mud Hens.

Chase Petty (L, 3-7) entered in the seventh with a 3-1 lead and allowed back-to-back blasts to Corey Julks and James Outman, one out before Zavala’s homer. The seventh inning was the first time Petty allowed three homers since a five-inning start on July 11, 2025.

Prior to the bullpen's entrance, Carson Spiers dissected the Mud Hens lineup with ease. The veteran tied the Bats' season high with nine strikeouts through six innings of one-run baseball. His lone blip came in the first inning when Max Anderson roped an RBI single to give the Mud Hens an early lead.

Spiers allowed just four hits, walked one and allowed just one run in his fifth start of the season. The righty has now allowed just two runs over 16 innings in his last three starts. He’s also struck out 21 and walked just 3 in that timeframe.

Offensively, the Bats were lively early but couldn’t pull through late. Michael Chavis led off the second inning with a 416-foot blast onto the concourse in straightaway center field to tie the game at one. Louisville continued to get on base early and often when Dominic Pitelli singled to lead off the third, and Orlando Arcia later doubled him home, which gave the Bats a 2-1 lead.

The score stayed stagnant until Noelvi Marte’s sac fly boosted the lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Louisville laced 10 hits through the first five innings but failed to score more than three runs.

Another offensive opportunity arose in the eighth when Marte and catching newcomer Michael Trautwein singled with one out. Toledo’s Carl Edwards Jr. (W, 7-10) struck out Leo Balcazar and Will Benson consecutively to stall the threat.

In the bottom of the frame, the Mud Hens capitalized on Cam Cotter’s wavering command when Zavala singled home Jace Jung to boost the Mud Hens' lead to 5-3. Cotter has allowed at least one earned run in five of his last six appearances.

Tyler Mattison entered in the ninth and managed a relatively quiet inning to record his second save of the season and secure the Bats' 5-3 defeat.

Arcia collected three hits for the second consecutive game and has racked up a whopping 11 hits and six RBI through his last five appearances.

Spiers’ nine strikeouts were his most since July 12, 2024 for the Reds against the Miami Marlins. Trautwein’s eighth-inning single was his first hit with Louisville since July 2024.

Wednesday night will be a dual of southpaws at 6:35 at Fifth Third Field. Lefty Kent Emanuel (2-1, 4.23) will oppose Jackson Wolf (3-1, 1.63). Emanuel allowed two runs over five innings of work in his last start, while his eight strikeouts tied his season high. Nick Curran will have the call on Sports Talk 790.