Bats soar over Mud Hens 4-3

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (48-44) are four games over .500 for the first time since Aug. 27, 2011 after defeating the Toledo Mud Hens (44-49) 4-3 Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

The Bats put themselves on the board in the first inning when Jason Bourgeois scored on an error by Toledo's second baseman Danny Worth; Felix Perez was credited with the RBI on the play.

A Donald Lutz sacrifice fly in the third plated Perez to extend the Bats lead to 2-0, but the Mud Hens narrowed the score in the sixth inning after a Tyler Collins single brought in Ezequiel Carrera.

Mikey O'Brien shined bright in his triple-A debut. In six and one-third innings he allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Ryan Rowland-Smith replaced him in the seventh inning where he allowed a hit.

Elvin Ramirez (1-1, 4.00) took over for Rowland-Smith after the Jordan Lennerton hit and immediately gave up a two-run homer to Wade Gaynor to give Toledo a 3-2 lead. Ramirez still earned the win, his first of the season.

Louisville rallied back in the bottom of the seventh as Perez and Neftali Soto brought a run apiece to put the Bats up by one. Perez ended his night going 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Mike Belfiore (2-5, 3.64) suffered both the loss and the blown save for Toledo after allowing two runs on two hits in one inning.

Rey Navarro quickly made sure his hitting streak continued with a single in the third inning. He now has a 16 game hitting streak, the season high for the Bats and the current longest streak in the International League. On top of that, he also has a 39 game on-base streak that dates back to his time with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Jason Bourgeois recorded his sixteenth stolen base in 20 tries to extend his team lead.

The four-game series between Louisville and Toledo will conclude tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. Right-hander Pedro Villarreal (3-1, 3.57) will get the start for the Bats against Mud Hens' lefty Duane Below (6-3, 4.27).