(3).JPG)
Homer Bailey was making Red Sox hitters look silly all night on
Tuesday, throwing eight shutout innings as the Bats whipped up
6-0.
After Louisville Bats' pitcher Matt Maloney hurled a shutout win for the team on Monday night, Homer Bailey (5-5, 3.79) did his best for the encore on Tuesday, going eight shutout innings to help the Bats earn their third straight victory, 6-0, over the Pawtucket Red Sox. Louisville gave Bailey plenty of run support early, spotting him a 5-0 lead after three innings, then watched him beat Red Sox hitters into submission, as he allowed just four hits and two walks while recording eight punchouts. Only one Pawtucket baserunner reached third all night, as Bailey didn't allow an extra base hit. After losing nine straight on the road, Louisville has put up three straight road wins against Scranton and Pawtucket, two teams that are among the best in the International League thus far in 2009. The Bats (25-27) now sit just a half game back of Columbus in the IL west division.
Louisville pounded out 10 hits on the night, and new Louisville Bat Darnell McDonald had two RBIs, including a solo homer in the first that proved a bad omen for Sox starter Michael Bowden (2-3, 2.58), who had been rock solid in 2009 before this night. Later in the first, Danny Dorn smacked a two-run double, scoring Kevin Barker and Drew Sutton, giving Bailey the early 3-0 cushion. In the third, the Bats played add-on, as Sutton, fresh off the DL after a bout with mono, blasted a two-run homer over the right-center field wall to give Louisville a five run lead. For Sutton and McDonald, it was their second dingers of the season, respectively. McDonald's second RBI came off a single in the fifth inning and made it 6-0, putting salt in the wound and sealing the series opener for Lousville. McDonald, who was a triple-A all star last year for Rochester, now has six RBIs in six games since joining the Bats. Barker and Craig Tatum also had two hits each for Louisville, with Tatum accomplishing the feat for the second consecutive day.
With back-to-back dominant pitching performances by Maloney and Bailey, the Reds organization faces an interesting decision on whether they should bring up Bailey or Maloney to take Edinson Volquez' spot in the starting rotation on Saturday against the Cubbies. Volquez was just placed on the DL by the RedLegs with elbow problems. Bailey, who has already been called up to the Reds for one start this year, is the most likely candidate due to his potential for dominance, as witnessed in his 15 strikeout performance earlier this year . Statistically, however, Maloney (4-2, 2.00) has been more consistent over the past two years in Louisville, ranking second in the IL in strikeouts last year and earning league Pitcher of the Week honors earlier this season when he threw his first shutout of 2009.
Louisville and Pawtucket will square off the next three days in our nation's smallest state before the Bats come home to play on Saturday against Lehigh Valley. Each of the three games against the PawSox will start at 7:05 eastern time.
Comments