Andrew Lambo and Corey Wimberly just "hanging out" in the dugout











Louisville Bats  5,  Indianapolis Indians  2
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Three home runs by the Bats, including two in one inning, put the Bats on top of the Indians tonight at Victory Field.  Starter Justin Wilson (photo) gave up the three homers, accounting for 4 of Louisville's runs, and he was charged with his first loss of the season.

Chris Reineke made the start for Louisville, and he and Wilson seemed intent on matching one another for the first 5 innings of the game.  Both Reineke and Wilson retired the side in the 1st inning.  Both gave up a walk (to C Devin Mesoraco and 3B Josh Harrison) and a hit (single to 2B Chris Valaika and double to 1B Andy Marte) in the 2nd inning.  Both retired the side in order in the 3rd and 4th innings.  

Both Reineke and Wilson gave up one run in the 5th inning.  Wilson retired the first two Bats' batters of the inning, giving him a streak of 10 batters retired in order.  Then CF Kris Negron lifted a home run over  the left-center field wall, to give the Bats a 1-0 lead.  In the bottom of the inning, Reineke gave up a lead-off single when Harrison beat out a surprise bunt.  2B Pedro Ciriaco grounded deep to short, forcing Harrison out at second, but SS Zack Cozart was not able to make a throw to first, and Ciriaco was on with a fielder's choice.  After a fly out, Justin Wilson came to the plate.  Instead of being an easy out, Wilson worked a full count, then fouled off three more pitches.  Then he blasted a ball off the left field scoreboard for an RBI double.  Ciriaco scored from first, and the score was tied at 1-1.

Altoona Curve 2,  Richmond Flying Squirrels  0
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The Altoona Curve put on a pitching demonstration in their home opener, as four pitchers combined for a shut-out and held the Squirrels to just 3 hits.  Aaron Thompson made the start, and he dominated Richmond.  Thompson retired the first 10 batters he faced.  He gave up a walk in the 4th inning, but left that runner on base.  He gave up a triple to lead off the 5th, but a grounder to third let 3B Jeremy Farrell fire the ball back to C Tony Sanchez, who tagged out the runner at the plate.  Thompson had to work around a single and a fielding error in the 6th, but after a sacrifice bunt, two timely strikeouts got him out of that jam.   Thompson also struck out 5 batters in his second win of the season.  

The Curve posted 8 hits, and 3 of those were singles by RF Brad Chalk, who had been off to a slow start for the season (1-for-16).  He singled in the 3rd, the 6th, and the 8th, though he didn't score.  Altoona scored their first run in the 4th, when Sanchez led off with a walk, then scored all the way from first base on 1B Miles Durham's double into center field.  SS Jordy Mercer belted a home run over the left field wall in the 5th inning for the Curve's second run.  That was all the offense that was needed.  The Curve put two runners on base in the 6th, when Chalk singled and pinch-hitter Kris Watts was hit by a pitch, but both were left on base.  They threatened in the 7th, when CF Starling Marte led off with a single into right field and stole second base.  He moved to third on a ground out, and tried for home when Sanchez grounded to third, but was thrown out at the plate on a play similar to what the Curve did to the Squirrels in the 5th.  Sanchez and LF Quincy Latimore also had singles in the game.  

Mike Colla, Michael Dubee, and Noah Krol each pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Curve.  Krol allowed one hit in the 9th, but left that base runner on, and earned his 3rd Save.