The Louisville Bats fell to the St. Paul Saints by a score of 6-4 in the first of a six-game series on Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.
Sam Benschoter (L, 2-2) started his fifth game of the season for the Bats, opposed by a Saints lineup that leads the International League in home runs.
True to their identity, St. Paul’s Kaelen Culpepper led off the game with a solo homer. Two doubles across the following five batters would follow to score an additional run, giving the Saints an early 2-0 advantage.
Edwin Arroyo got the Bats offense started in the first with a leadoff single, followed by his ninth stolen base of the season. A walk to Hector Rodriguez positioned runners on first and second for Michael Toglia, who, batting from the left side, went to the opposite field for a run-scoring double. Rodriguez then came across to score from third on a wild pitch to even the score.
The Saints regained their two-run advantage in the third inning after a walk and two doubles scored a pair. Benschoter’s outing concluded after he navigated a leadoff double in the fourth to maintain the 4-2 deficit.
A double play negated the threat of back-to-back singles from Austin Hendrick and Will Banfield in the bottom of the frame, as the Bats offense remained in neutral for the third straight inning.
In the bottom of the fifth, Noelvi Marte’s RBI single ended the drought, scoring Rodriguez from second after he collected a base hit and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. The following two Bats hitters were unable to advance Marte any further than first base.
Julian Garcia struggled in his second inning of work, allowing two runs on a double by Ricardo Olivar, which extended the St. Paul advantage to 6-3. Zach McCambley entered in relief for his Reds organizational debut and promptly worked his way out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double play.
The Bats inched closer with one run in the sixth, resulting from a hard hit double off the wall in center by Hendrick, driven home by a Banfield RBI single.
McCambley remained in the game to navigate self-induced trouble the next inning, when a walk and a hit batsman threatened with no outs. Three straight Saints batters were retired by way of a strikeout and two harmless fly balls to center field, keeping the game close into its latter stages with the Saints up 6-4.
Rodriguez reached base for the third time with a lead-off double in the bottom of the seventh. The opportunity was squandered, though, as three straight outs were recorded following the hit.
A collection of quiet innings from both sides kept the Saints lead at 6-4 entering the bottom of the ninth. The Bats brought the tying run to the plate in the final inning but couldn’t complete the rally.
Marte, Toglia, and Banfield collected an RBI each for the Bats offense, with the additional run scoring on a wild pitch. Rodriguez and Hendrick each went 2-for-4 at the plate, contributing four of Louisville’s nine hits. However, nine stranded baserunners and a collection of missed opportunities resulted in the Louisville loss in the opening game of the homestand.
The Bats (28-23) continue their series against the St. Paul Saints (26-25) on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is set for 12:05 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Talk Radio 1080 AM.