Big Bats Inning Dooms Wings Sweep Hopes

RHP Matt Maloney (3-1, 3.92) pitched four innings, giving up two runs on four hits in his seventh start of the season for the Bats. Five total Louisville pitchers were used in the Bats victory with RHP Jared Burton (1-0, 0.00) picking up the win. Burton gave up one hit in 1.2 innings of work.

The Bats looked to take an early lead following three consecutive singles by Chris Valaika, Denis Phipps and Jeremy Hermida with one out. However, Devin Mesoraco and Mike Costanzo were retired to end the threat.

The Bats offense went to work again in the second inning, scoring seven runs. Felix Perez, playing in his first game as a Louisville Bat, recorded his first career Triple-A hit with a one-out single. After Jose Castro lined out, Dave Sappelt and Valaika reached to load the bases with two outs. Phipps knocked his second single of the night to score Perez and Sappelt, giving the Bats the 2-0 lead. Following a single by Hermida, Mesoraco brought in two more runs on a line drive single to center field.

Costanzo continued the second-inning offensive production with a two-run double to score Hermida and Mesoraco and push the Bats lead to 6-0. In the same inning in which he recorded his first hit, Perez also recorded his second career Triple-A hit on an RBI single to score Costanzo. The seven runs in the second inning ties a season high for Louisville. The Bats scored seven runs in the first inning May 13 against Buffalo.

Valaika tacked on another run in the third inning on a one-out solo home run to left field. Valaika's 387-foot homer was his third of the season.

The Red Wings struck back in the fourth inning, scoring one run off of three Louisville errors. Following a single by Brian Dinkelman, Jeff Bailey reached by grounding into a force out of Dinkelman at second base. Bailey advanced to second base on a throwing error by second baseman Castro. Bailey scored the Red Wings first run of the night after a single by Dustin Martin and a pair of errors by RHP Matt Maloney and first baseman Costanzo.

Rochester continued to chip away at the Bats lead in the fifth inning with a two-run double by Bailey off Bats reliever Jeremy Horst to cut the lead to 8-3.

After the Red Wings put two runners on base with two outs in the seventh inning, right fielder Perez made a diving catch on Martin's line drive to preserve the 8-3 lead.

The Bats threatened to add onto the lead in the seventh inning following singles by Castro and Sappelt to lead off the inning. The single by Castro was his first Triple-A hit of his career. However, following Valaika's fly-out, Phipps grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Bats bullpen retired the final six batters in order to secure the Louisville victory. LHP Scott Diamond (4-10, 5.17) took the loss for the Red Wings after giving up all of the Bats' eight runs in 2.2 innings pitched.