Bats Clinch Series Victory With 8-5 Triumph Over Indians

The Louisville Bats clinched a series win with their third-straight victory over the Indianapolis Indians, 8-5 at Victory Field on Saturday evening.

Thomas Harrington started the game for the Indians with two strikeouts, sandwiched by a walk to Héctor Rodríguez, extending his on-base streak to 14-games to begin the season. However, Rodriguez was caught stealing to end the inning.

For the Bats, Brandon Leibrandt made his third start of the season. His first two innings featured two strikeouts and the same number of walks to keep it scoreless.

Leadoff hitter Edwin Arroyo singled to begin the third, followed by Rodriguez’s second walk in as many plate appearances. Rece Hinds provided the game’s first run with a single up the middle, scoring Arroyo and allowing the base runners to advance to second and third on the throw. Michael Chavis plated the Bats’ second run on a sacrifice fly to left field.

The Bats’ 2-0 lead would be cut in half in the bottom of the third, after a leadoff walk issued by Leibrandt became a fielding error on the pitcher when the baserunner, caught in a rundown between first and second, returned safely to first on a failed tag. The Indians’ Mike Jarvis capitalized on the defensive miscue by stealing two bases before scoring on a ground out.

Leibrandt would conclude his day with his fifth strikeout to end the fourth, stranding the potential tying and go-ahead runs on base.

The first pitch of the fifth would quickly become a Rece Hinds home run, his fifth of the season, extending the Bats’ lead to 3-1.

In relief of Leibrandt, Sam Benschoter would strike out three across two innings of scoreless work. He navigated danger with runners on in the fifth and sixth.

Michael Chavis would match Hinds with a team-leading fifth home run in the seventh, a towering two-run shot to left that made it 5-1 Bats.

Errors became a central part of the story in the home half of the seventh. With Yunior Marte on the mound, two Bats throwing errors let the Indians get back into it before a hit batsman placed runners on first and second with the potential tying run at the plate. Rafael Flores Jr. would single and initiate the third Bats’ error of the inning when center fielder Ivan Johnson threw waywardly into the infield, scoring two more runs and making it a 5-4 ballgame.

The Bats loaded the bases in the eighth with two singles and a two-out intentional walk of Hinds. It appeared, momentarily, that nothing would come of the traffic until the Indians’ shortstop dropped a JJ Bleday pop-up in shallow left field. Two runs scored as a result, and the Bats once again increased their lead to 7-4.

Davis Wendzel led off the next half inning with a solo shot off Bats reliever Trevor Kuncl, bringing the Indians a run closer.

It would be all for not, as the Bats recaptured their three-run lead to begin the ninth. Francisco Urbaez reached base on the Indians’ fifth fielding error of the game. Dayne Leonard capitalized on the mistake by driving in his first run of the season on a double, his first Triple-A extra-base hit.

The Indians would not go quietly. Protecting a three-run lead, Tejay Antone allowed his first base runner of the season by walking the leadoff hitter. Leonard successfully challenged a 1-2 ball, resulting in the first out of the ninth. Antone would walk the next batter, bringing the tying run to the plate for the Indians once more. In danger but still in control, Antone recorded a strikeout and a pop-out to slam the door on the comeback attempt.

Saturday’s victory marked the first Bats’ series win in Indianapolis since 2022. Benschoter (W 1-0) earned his first win of the season, while Harrington (L, 0-2) was charged with the loss. Antone (S, 1) recorded his first save for the Bats since 2021. At the plate, Arroyo went 3-for-6 from the leadoff spot while Leonard and Hinds recorded two hits each.

The win is Louisville's first in a series at Indianapolis since 2022.

The Bats (8-6) conclude their road trip against the Indians (3-11) on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. at Victory Field. Nick Curran will have the call on Sports Talk 790-AM.