LOUISVILLE — Left-hander Travis Wood of Bryant turned in another solid outing without picking up a win for the Louisville Bats on Monday night.
The Bats, the Class AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, eventually lost the game in 15 innings, 7-6, to the Indianapolis Indians. Wood, who came in 0-3, got no decision.
He faced the minimum over the first four innings, allowing just two singles. Both baserunners were erased by doubleplays.[more]
The game was scoreless going into the fifth when Indianapolis broke through against Wood. After an infield hit opened the inning, Wood struck out the next two batters. But a double drove in the first run then a single made it 2-0 before Wood induced a grounder to third to end the frame.
That started a stretch in which Wood and the Bats retired seven of eight Indianapolis hitters. A two-out walk in the seventh provided the lone baserunner.
Meanwhile, the Louisville hitters continued to struggle, providing no run support for Wood until the seventh when Wilkin Castillo clubbed a two-run homer to tie it. In his four starts this season, the Bats have managed just six runs while Wood was on the mound. They've scored 11 runs overall in the games he's pitched including the six on Monday.
The first two Indianapolis batters in the top of the eighth singled. Doug Bernier, on Wood’s 116th pitch, then got a sacrifice bunt down that the pitcher fielded. But a wild throw allowed Bernier to reach and a tie-breaking run to score.
At that point, Wood was relieved by Chad Reineke who struck out two before allowing a second run to score (charged to Wood) on a wild pitch.
A two-run homer by Chris Helsey tied for the Bats in the bottom of the eighth, taking Wood off the hook.
The game went to extra innings tied 4-4. Both teams then scored a run in the 13th and again in the 14th. Indianapolis scored for the third inning in a row in the top of the 15th but, this time, the Bats couldn’t match it as they absorbed the loss.
They dropped to 7-11 on the young season, last in the West Division of the International League.
In 25 innings spread over four starts this season, Wood has allowed 25 hits and eight walks while striking out 27. His earned run average is up to 3.96. Opponents are hitting .266 against him.
This is the first season that the lefty has started at the AAA level. After a splendid season for the AA Carolina Mudcats last summer, he started eight games for Louisville at the end of the season including their playoff opener.
This spring he was in the battle for the Reds’ fifth starter spot until the final cut three days before Cincinnati’s season-opener.
On a personal note, it was announced late last week that Jay and Dena Wood, Travis’ parents, were going to become grandparents. Travis and his wife Brittany are expecting in November while older brother B.J. and his wife Amberle are due in December.
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Congrats Jay, Ms. Dena, Travis, BJ, and of course the future moms on this announcement. Prayers for great health to both moms. ch