Bats split doubleheader with IronPigs
Louisville utilized an explosive five-run fourth in the opener en route to a 5-1 victory, while Lehigh Valley earned the split behind a three-run fourth in a 4-3 victory in the latter contest. The IronPigs (21-16) took three of four games from the Bats (12-27) in the series and had to stave off a Louisville comeback in the finale.
The teams scheduled a doubleheader after Sunday's game was postponed due to inclement weather. The contests were shortened to seven innings apiece.
Louisville nearly rallied in the last inning of game two. With his team down 4-1, Chris Valaika followed a single by Bill Rhinehart with a two-run homer to left center off Lehigh Valley reliever Brian Sanches. It was Valaika's second round-tripper of the season and first since opening day.
Lehigh Valley manager Ryne Sandberg, the former Chicago Cubs' superstar and a Hall of Famer, took Sanches out in favor of Joe Savery. Pinch hitter Dioner Navarro, the tying run, reached on an error in the infield and Corky Miller, the winning run, walked before pinch hitter Miguel Rojas laid down a sacrifice bunt.
With one out and the infield drawn in, Danny Dorn, another pinch hitter, grounded to second baseman Kevin Frandsen, who threw home in time to get pinch runner Brian Peacock. The Bats had another chance, but Willie Harris flew out to left center as Savery notched his second save of the season.
Louisville collected eight hits in game one, including doubles by Rhinehart, Dorn and Rojas. However, the Bats only managed four hits in the second game, although Rhinehart and Valaika did homer.
The Bats snapped their three-game losing streak in the first contest. Sean Gallagher collected Louisville's fourth straight quality start, but this time the offense rewarded him for the strong effort on the mound. Gallagher (2-3) gained the win after allowing a single run over six innings while yielding seven hits and striking out three.
Louisville had a peculiar outing offensively in the opener. In four of their six innings, the Bats were retired in order and it almost happened a fifth time before Navarro knocked a two-out single in the sixth. There was no real threat of a perfect game or no-hitter, though, because the Bats erupted for five runs on six hits while sending 10 batters to the plate in the fourth.
After recording nine outs over the first nine hitters, Lehigh Valley starter Austin Hyatt walked Harris to begin the fourth. Leadoff walks are often ominous signs, and that was certainly the case here. Kristopher Negron punched a single to right, Denis Phipps laced an RBI single to center and Rhinehart crushed a two-run double to left center. It was the first time in 10 games that the Bats scored first against their opponent.
Hyatt, who dropped to 2-4, finally got an out, but it was an efficient one for Louisville as Neftali Soto lifted a sacrifice fly for a 4-0 lead. Dorn continued the push by slamming a double off the wall in right center, Navarro singled and, with two outs, Gallagher plopped an RBI single into the outfield. It was Gallagher's second career RBI in Triple-A.
Lehigh broke up Gallagher's shutout bid with a run in the fifth. Tug Hulett singled and eventually scored on safety squeeze bunt by Rich Thompson. The Bats got out of the inning with a nifty 5-4-3 double play that was started by Harris at third and turned by Negron at second.
With two outs in the sixth, two Lehigh Valley batters reached base before Gallagher ended the threat by getting Hulett to fly out. Travis Webb entered in the seventh inning and pitched a perfect frame. Rhinehart made a sliding catch in right on a sinking liner by pinch hitter Tuffy Gosewisch for the first out.
In the second game, Wirfin Obispo made his Triple-A debut with the Bats. The 27-year-old right-hander, who played four seasons in Japan, was transferred to Louisville after going 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA in seven games with Double-A Pensacola.
Obispo struggled early, surrendering three hits to Lehigh Valley's first four hitters. Louisville leftfielder Felix Perez cut down Rich Thompson at the plate on Frandsen's single, but John Suomi followed with a two-out RBI double to right center for the 1-0 lead. Obispo retired the side in order in the second before being pulled in the third for Scott Carroll after a leadoff walk.
Louisville tied the game at 1-1 in the second when Rhinehart led off with his third home run of the season. Rhinehart smoked an offering from Lehigh starter Pat Misch on a line over the fence in right.
Like the Bats did in the initial game, the IronPigs piled up the runs in the fourth inning. Suomi, Michael Spidale and Derrick Mitchell all singled to center off Carroll, with Mitchell's liner bringing in the go-ahead run. Hulett then chased Carroll with a two-run double to left center that boosted Lehigh Valley's lead to 4-1 before Louisville gave the IronPigs a scare in the final inning.
Misch (2-5) secured the win after allowing one run on two hits in five innings, while Carroll (1-3) suffered the setback after giving up three runs on four hits in 1.2 innings. Josh Judy and Kanekoa Texeira combined for 3.1 scoreless innings of relief for the Bats.
Suomi went 3-for-3 in game two for Lehigh. Rhinehart had two of Louisville's four hits.
Louisville finished an eight-game homestand and will begin another road trip with a 7:05 p.m. game on Tuesday with the Rochester Red Wings of the International League's North division. The Bats' Pedro Villareal (1-0, 3.18 ERA) is expected to duel with the Red Wings' Luke French (0-0, 6.55).