Silverio's 5-hit debut highlights Bats' comeback
Juan Silverio's Triple-A debut was remarkable. He had five of Louisville's season-high 20 hits and scored two runs to help the Bats beat the Durham Bulls 10-5 on Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.
Louisville tallied seven unanswered runs to rally from a 3-0 first-inning deficit. Silverio, promoted from Double-A Pensacola on Monday, scored the go-ahead run in the four-run third inning.
"5 for 5. That's awesome," Bats first baseman Thomas Neal said. "We had a chance to play with him in spring training. I think everyone there saw that he has the ability to hit."
"I don't think I've ever seen anyone get five hits in their debut in any league," manager Jim Riggleman said. "He had good at-bats. He drove the ball. The first one kind of blooped in, and I think that relaxed him. Everything after that, the ball was really smoked. He hit the ball to the middle. He hit the ball to right field. Two balls to left field. It was very impressive."
What made it even more impressive is that Silverio got his first two hits against a major league pitcher. Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Jeremy Hellickson, who is coming off arthroscopic surgery on his throwing elbow, was making his third rehabilitation start and second with Durham.
The Bats appeared to be in trouble after getting behind 3-0 against Hellickson (0-2), who owns a 3.70 career ERA in the majors. But they chased the right-hander in the third as he gave up seven runs (four earned) and 12 hits in 22/3 innings.
Silverio, 23, played third base and batted sixth. After singling in the first inning, he led off the third with a double and moved to third base on a groundout. Argenis Diaz grounded to third baseman Wilson Betemit, whose throw sailed past first base. Silverio initially wasn't going, but he scored on the error to put Louisville ahead 4-3.
Neal's infield single drove in two more runs (he had four RBIs), and Felix Perez's RBI double made it 7-3. That was it for Hellickson, who has yielded 11 runs (eight earned) in two starts for Durham.
Silverio added singles in the fourth and sixth, then doubled and scored in the eighth. After batting .274 with nine homers, 20 RBIs and 31 runs scored in 64 games with Pensacola, he was promoted on the same day that the parent Cincinnati Reds released Chris Nelson.
Right-hander Josh Smith (8-1) gave up those three runs in the first, then didn't allow another run until the sixth.
"Neither pitcher was sharp," Riggleman said. "Their guy is not in midseason form. (Smith) has gone deep in games for us, but he was struggling early."