Bats Win 14th Straight Home Game Over Syracuse, 6-2

Devin Mesoraco and Juan Francisco powered the Reds farmhands in Louisville to back Sam LeCure, who imporved to 8-3.

Mesoraco the Reds first pick in 2007 out of Punxsutaney High School matched the movie Ground Hog Day in its repetitive theme.  The 22-year old clubbed a grand slam in his second consecutive at bat.  In his Louisville debut he hit a walkoff slam last night.  He repeated the feat with a 435 ft blast in the second inning.

"I got the pitches and put some good swings on them.  That's all," Mesoraco said.

But you had to be thinking about it?

"To tell you the truth, no," Mesoraco said.  "I knew he had to throw strikes.  So I looked for one to hit."

In spite of his success at all three levels, the catcher is taking the hot streaks in stride.

"At times I feel great.  At times I feel like I haven't batted in a month.  Right now I'm seeing the ball real well," Mesoraco said.

"Off the top of my head, I've never seen anything like that," Bats' manager Rick Sweet said.  "It's pretty amazing. He's a big strong kid.  He got ahead in the count.  He got a pitch he liked and jumped on them."

Francisco belted a long two-run home run in the sixth off Washington farmhand, Andrew Kown the Syracuse starter.

LeCure had a rough spot in the third in which a couple of walks and a hit batter allowed, Brian Bixler's double to score the Chiefs runs but he adjusted and pitched seven solid innings of four-hit, two-run baseball.

"He struggled in that one inning.  His last couple of games he's done that. But didn't recover after he struggled.  This time he recovered.  He got out to a good start.  Then struggled but he recovered and finished up strong."

The Bats struggled at the plate early in the year.  Through April and May the team wasn't hitting.

The Reds organization wanted prospects like Francisco and Yonder Alonso to play in the outfield.

"All of our young guys were struggling.  Organization wise we decided we needed to put them in their regular position and let them get going and get their game going.  That's what we did and that's why they've taken off like they have," Sweet said.

"We spent the first two months, not playing very good baseball.  And it's basically the same guys.  If anything we've gotten younger."

Gone from the Bats are players that came to spring training with Major League experience.  Josh Anderson, Chris Burke, Jake Long and Jon Adkins have all been released.  They have been replaced by Alonso, Mesoraco, Dave Sappelt and James Avery.