The Louisville Bats were outpaced in a lopsided 12-3 defeat to the Columbus Clippers on Friday evening at Louisville Slugger Field.
Jose Franco (L, 3-4) returned from the IL to make his first start with the Bats since July 22. His outing was short-lived, recording only two outs before he was lifted after three hits, a walk, and four earned runs charged to his line.
Trailing 4-0 early, the Bats offense received a leadoff hit from Jay Allen II and a single by Orlando Arcia. In a bad stroke of luck, the latter’s hit struck Allen on the basepaths, leading to an out and the center fielder’s removal from the game.
Darius Vines entered the game for bulk relief duties in the top of the second, striking out two batters swinging. Will Benson doubled in the home half, but Louisville remained scoreless.
A quiet third from both teams preceded trouble for Vines in the fourth. Consecutive singles by Columbus led to a two-RBI single from Kyle Manzardo, extending the Clippers’ advantage to six runs.
With the Bats continuing to scuffle offensively, Milan Tolentino made it a seven-run game on a solo home run in the fifth. It was the first of five runs in the inning for Columbus, who, following a pitching change, benefited from a three-run homer by Cooper Ingle to make it 11-0.
Francisco Urbaez notched his 25th double of the season in the bottom of the fifth, later being driven in by Garrett Hampson’s run-scoring single. The RBI was Hampson’s first since being activated from the IL on September 1.
The Bats went hitless in the sixth and seventh, unable to influence the ten-run deficit.
Anthony Misiewicz worked two scoreless innings in relief, serving as the only Bats pitcher without an earned run to his name.
Noelvi Marte reached base on an infield single in the bottom of the eighth, ending a string of nine straight batters retired by Columbus pitching. Three Louisville strikeouts in the inning brought the team’s total to seven.
Dominic Fletcher moved from right field to the pitcher’s mound for the ninth, with the game well out of reach. Following two quick outs, back-to-back Clippers reached on a hit-by-pitch and single, and one run scored on an additional single by Kody Huff.
The Bats added two runs to their total in the last of the ninth, collecting four hits and scoring on RBI from Benson and P.J. Higgins before the game ended unceremoniously on a fly out.
Louisville’s three-game win streak ended in the 12-3 loss. 24 hits were recorded in the contest, as Columbus edged out the Bats 14-10. Benson and Urbaez each went 2-for-4 to lead the team offensively.
The Bats (62-78, 23-44 2nd half) continue their final homestand of the season against the Columbus Clippers (75-64, 34-31 2nd half) on Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Sports Talk 790AM.