Henry hits and Kennelly clutch in extras
LOUISVILLE, Ky - On a night where the two teams combined for 31 hits, there was no shortage of offense between the Louisville Bats (56-59) and Syracuse Chiefs (51-61). The Bats held only one lead in the game, but they held that lead when it mattered most, and defeated the Chiefs in 10 innings by a score of 7-6.
Chad Reineke made his Bats' record 86th career start for the team, but the night was not kind to the veteran righty.
Tyler Moore drove in the first Chiefs' run of the game in the first inning, which gave the Chiefs a 1-0 lead.
The Bats would respond in the bottom of the second inning with a run of their own when Matt Kennelly singled home Henry Rodriguez, tying the score at 1-1.
However, Tyler Moore would strike again in the top of the third, in a big way. Moore smashed a three-run homer to left-center field to reclaim the lead for Syracuse, 4-1.
Moore, who has split time between the big league Washington Nationals and the Triple-A Chiefs this season, has hit .317 with an OPS of .967 with the Chiefs. The home run was his seventh in just 120 at-bats.
The Chiefs would score again on a double by Danny Espinosa in the fourth, pushing their lead to 5-1, and ending the night for Reineke.
Reineke's final line in his short night of work was 3.1 innings pitched, 11 hits, five runs, one strikeout and no walks.
In this final game of the series the Bats would not go down without a fight, and immediately responded in the bottom of the fourth with two runs of their own. Neftali Soto pulled a two-run home run into the left field seats, bringing the Bats to within two, 5-3. The homer was Soto's 12th on the season.
Chiefs' starter Tanner Roark exited after six solid innings of work in which he gave up eight hits and three runs (two earned) while striking out five and walking no one.
Roark was in line to be the winner, but the Bats tied the game in the seventh inning against reliever Drew Storen.
Kennelly and pinch-hitter Josh Fellhauer led off the inning with singles, and they were followed by a bunt by Billy Hamilton. An errant throw by Storen allowed a run to score, and Hamilton to reach second base. A groundout by Emmanuel Burriss made the score 5-5.
Josh Fellhauer remained in the game and replaced Ryan Ludwick ,who finished the night 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Ludwick is just 1-for-13 since joining the Bats on his rehab assignment.
Jose Arredondo entered in the eighth, and allowed a leadoff single to Eury Perez. After the next two batters were retired, Tyler Moore once again punished Bats' pitching. Moore doubled to left field to drive in the Chiefs' sixth run of the night, five of which he drove in himself.
Moore finished the night 3-for-6 with a homer and five RBIs.
The Bats were in line for a big rally in the bottom of the eighth, with runners on second and third and just one out. Matt Kennelly hit the ball hard but right back to the pitcher, who caught Neftali Soto between third and home for the second out.
Josh Fellhauer was able to come through with a two-out single, though, which tied the game at six.
Jose Diaz (W, 3-4) went two solid innings and came up with perhaps the most impressive defensive play of the night. With one out and a runner on second, the speedy Jeff Kobernus popped a bunt near the third base line; Diaz, who is aptly nicknamed "Jumbo," showed some agility as he darted to the line to make the catch.
In the decisive 10th inning, Henry Rodriguez singled with one out. After a ground out advanced Rodriguez to second base, Kennelly lined a hit into left field. The throw home from the left fielder was very strong and on line, but not strong enough to prevent the Bats from plating the winning run.
In 6.2 innings of work the Bats' bullpen gave up just one run.
Matt Kennelly and Henry Rodriguez were certainly the offensive heroes in this game. Rodriguez went 5-for-5, his first career five-hit game, and scored the winning run on a Kennelly single in the 10th inning.
The Bats hit the road for three games against the Indianapolis Indians before returning home to face the same team on August 6. Tomorrow's game in Indy is set to start at 7:05pm as the Bats' RHP Chad Rogers (3-2, 4.01) will face RHP Ethan Hollingsworth (0-0, 9.00).