The Louisville Bats began the second half similarly to the first, defending home turf with a 3-2 win against the St. Paul Saints on Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats had some help from a notable name on the mound to help secure a win to open the back half of the season, with Hunter Greene making his Bats season debut on an MLB Rehab assignment. At just two hours and 23 minutes, it was also one of the fastest-played games the Bats have had this season.
Greene got off on the right foot in the first, tossing a scoreless inning with a strikeout while allowing a triple to Minnesota’s No. 1 prospect, Walker Jenkins. St. Paul made decent contact in the second, but Greene managed a 1-2-3 inning to continue his scoreless outing.
Louisville provided some offense in the bottom half to back up Greene. Michael Chavis reached second on a single and a throwing error, putting the Bats in prime position with no outs. Ivan Johnson capitalized, shooting an RBI single in left field to take a 1-0 lead. Greene helped protect the lead in the third by tossing another clean inning with a strikeout.
Greene appeared in one more inning, this time giving up a single and a walk, but protected the one-run lead to finish his outing. In 4.0 innings, he allowed two hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 64 pitches.
New Bats hand Zach McCambley (W, 3-1) entered in the fifth, but did not boast his usual command at the bump. McCambley gave up an opening walk and a single to kick off the inning before he recorded the first out via strikeout. Nevertheless, he surrendered an RBI single with runners on first and second, and later gave up an RBI sacrifice fly to give the Saints a 2-1 lead after the frame.
Two opening walks from TJ Friedl and Sam Haggerty gave the Bats a chance to get a run back, and when Michael Toglia walked the bases loaded with an out, it looked inevitable. Chavis answered the call, flying a sacrifice fly out to left field to tie the game back up at 2-2 before the end of the frame.
McCambley recovered with a swift inning at the top of the sixth by retiring three batters straight. The Louisville offense set themselves up nicely after Austin Hendrick led off with a double, and Will Banfield smoked a single into left. Garrett Hampson batted Hendrick home with an RBI ground out. Friedl brought Banfield to third with a single out to left, but Haggerty grounded into a double play to keep the Bats’ lead at 3-2.
Anthony Misiewicz and Zach Maxwell both added onto a solid pitching performance with a scoreless inning each, both going three-up, three-down in the seventh and eighth. Despite allowing a double, Hunter Parks (SV, finished off the Saints in the ninth and secured the win in the opener of the second half of the International league season.
Chavis and Friedl’s two-hit performances were notable for the Bats, while Ivan Johnson extended his hitting streak to nine games. St. Paul reliever Juan Brito (L, 4-2) took the loss, as he was credited with the RBI given up to Hampson.
The Louisville Bats (40-34, 1-0) continue their six-game series against the St. Paul Saints (42-33, 0-1) on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m. ET at Louisville Slugger Field. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call on Talk Radio 1080 AM.