Game Two: In desperate straits, the Sandmen hand the ball to 23-game winner Dutch Leonard (23-9, 3.29) , while Louisville gives the ball to Edinson Volquez (14-10, 3.68).
This game started out the same as Game One - and as many Louisville games this season did - with Richie Ashburn on base, this time with a leadoff double. Leonard buckled down, though, working around Jim Lefebvre and Joe Jackson. But Rico Petrocelli singled through the hole to left, bringing in Ashburn and giving Louisville a 1-0 lead.
Arizona went down in the first, and Louisville kicked off the second with the leadoff man - Jerry Mumphrey - singling to start. Two walks later loaded the bases. Leonard induced a ground ball from Robin Yount, bringing a double play that allowed Mumphrey to score, making it 2-0. Leonard got Ashburn to ground to first, curtailing the damage.
In the third, though, Leonard wouldn't be so lucky. After Volquez needed only 8 pitches to get through the second, Leonard would need 8 batters to get through the third. Before it was oven, Louisville had four runs in - 3 on a Hans Lobert bases loaded double - and the Sandmen were in a 6-0 hole.
That's how it stayed until the bottom of the fifth, when Arizona made Volquez work for the first time all game. Two singles and three walks brought home two runs, putting Arizona closer but still fighting a steep climb.
A Yount triple and Lefebvre RBI single in the sixth would end Leonard's day at 5 1/3 innings, 7 runs on 10 hits, his second poor start of the postseason.
Each side would add one the rest of the way, which Volquez would finish for a Louisville squad that right now just seems to be hitting on all cylinders.
Louisville 8, Arizona 3 (Louisville leads series 2-0)
Friday, October 13th, 2017
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Louisville Racers 1 1 4 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 13 1
Arizona Sandmen 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 3 5 1
Louisville AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
R. Ashburn CF 4 1 2 0 1 0 1 .419 0 2
J. Lefebvre 2B 5 0 3 1 0 1 1 .294 0 5
J. Jackson LF 5 1 0 0 0 1 6 .314 0 7
R. Petrocelli 3B 4 2 3 1 1 0 2 .414 0 5
S. Burgess C 5 1 1 1 0 2 3 .194 0 4
J. Mumphrey RF 4 2 2 0 1 1 1 .400 1 7
H. Lobert DH 3 0 1 4 1 1 2 .091 0 5
B. Dahlen 1B 4 0 0 0 1 2 2 .091 0 0
R. Yount SS 5 1 1 0 0 0 5 .200 0 0
Totals 39 8 13 7 5 8 23
BATTING
Doubles: R. Ashburn (2, 1st Inning off D. Leonard, 0 on, 0 outs) H. Lobert (1, 3rd Inning off D. Leonard, 3 on, 1 out)
Triples: R. Yount (1, 6th Inning off D. Leonard, 0 on, 1 out)
Total Bases: R. Yount 3 , S. Burgess , J. Lefebvre 3 , R. Petrocelli 3 , R. Ashburn 3 , J. Mumphrey 2 , H. Lobert 2
2-out RBI: R. Petrocelli
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: , R. Yount 2 , R. Petrocelli , J. Jackson , R. Ashburn
GIDP: R. Yount
Sac Fly: H. Lobert
Team LOB: 10
FIELDING
Errors: R. Yount
Double Plays: 1 (Yount-Lefebvre-Dahlen)
Arizona AB R H RBI BB K LOB AVG HR RBI
J. McGraw 2B 5 0 0 0 0 1 2 .194 0 2
L. Gardner 3B 3 0 1 0 1 0 0 .435 0 1
M. Hargrove DH 2 0 0 1 2 0 1 .296 0 6
H. Walker LF 4 1 0 0 0 1 5 .242 0 5
G. Soto C 4 0 1 1 0 3 1 .250 0 5
R. Jones CF 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 .300 1 7
W. Parker 1B 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 .393 0 6
W. Wells SS 3 0 1 1 1 2 1 .345 3 6
I. Meusel RF 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 .242 0 2
Totals 32 3 5 3 5 9 15
BATTING
Doubles: G. Soto (4, 8th Inning off E. Volquez, 1 on, 1 out)
Triples: W. Parker (1, 6th Inning off E. Volquez, 0 on, 2 outs)
Total Bases: G. Soto 2 , L. Gardner , W. Wells , R. Jones , W. Parker 3
2-out RBI: M. Hargrove
Runners left in scoring position, 2 outs: W. Wells , H. Walker , W. Parker
GIDP: I. Meusel
Team LOB: 7
FIELDING
Errors: H. Walker
Double Plays: 1 (Wells-McGraw-Parker)
Louisville IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
E. Volquez W (2-1) 9.0 5 3 2 5 9 0 131 78 1.44
PITCHING
Game Score: E. Volquez 71
Batters Faced: E. Volquez 37
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: E. Volquez 9-8
Pitches - Strikes: E. Volquez 131-78
Arizona IP H R ER BB K HR PI PS ERA
D. Leonard L (1-1) 5.1 10 7 7 4 4 0 103 62 6.27
S. Paige 3.1 3 1 1 1 4 0 54 35 3.60
C. Griffith 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 2 81.08
PITCHING
Game Score: D. Leonard 20
Batters Faced: D. Leonard 29, S. Paige 15, C. Griffith 1
Ground Outs - Fly Outs: D. Leonard 7-4, S. Paige 3-3, C. Griffith 1-0
Pitches - Strikes: D. Leonard 103-62, S. Paige 54-35, C. Griffith 3-2
Inherited Runners - Scored: S. Paige 2-0 , C. Griffith 2-0
GAME NOTES
Player of the Game: E. Volquez
Ballpark: The Dune
Weather: Partly Cloudy (42 degrees), wind blowing in from right at 8 mph
Start Time: 7:05 pm
Time: 2:57
Attendance: 44769