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IL Toledo Mud Hens

Hard-Hitting Hens Get the 8-3 Win Over the Indians

May 17, 2024 - International League (IL)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


Friday night the Toledo Mud Hens went into Victory Field with their series with the Indianapolis Indians tied at a game apiece. The Hens came out on top 8-3 thanks to hard hitting that lasted throughout the game.

With the Mud Hens unable to score in their first at bat, Bryan Sammons would take the mound for Toledo. The lefty picked up nine strikeouts in his last appearance for the Hens. He got off to a similarly strong start with two strikeouts in his first inning. Sammons showed great control with his slider and curveball in his last showing and that seemed to carry over to Friday night.

The Hens had their first hit with an infield single off the bat of Akil Baddoo. Dillon Dingler moved Baddoo to second with a single of his own to put Toledo into scoring position with no outs. Bligh Madris made it a 2-0 game with his eleventh double of the season. Madris then made it to third off of a single down the right field line by Andrew Navigato. The Hens then expanded to a 3-0 lead with an RBI double by Parker Meadows. It looked as though the Hens would expand their lead even further with runners at first and third and Jace Jung up to bat, but Matt Gorski would rob Jung of the three-run homer.

Sammons struggled in the second inning as he loaded the bases following a single and back-to-back walks. That brought Andres Alvarez up to bat. He had a hard-hit grounder to Buddy Kennedy, but the ball was dropped allowing an Indians run and Alvarez to get on base. With the bases still loaded, Sammons pulled it together by striking out both Ji Hwan Bae and Henry Davis to escape with Toledo on top 3-1.

Keston Hiura drew a lead-off walk, but the inning lasted just seven pitches as Baddoo popped out and then Dingler hit into a double play.

Sammons found himself in even more trouble in the bottom of the third inning. A Jake Lamb single and Malcom Nunez being hit by a Sammons slider put Indianapolis in scoring position with no outs. Sammons began to rally though, striking out Liover Peguero and Gorski. It looked as though Sammons would escape unscathed, but Canaan Smith-Njigba hit a triple on a 3-2 count. Kennedy would receive the ball in time to try and tag Smith-Njigba, but Smith-Njigba maneuvered his way around the attempt to get on base safely.

Toledo would get back at Indianapolis though as Wily Peralta replaced Daulton Jefferies on the mound. Peralta gave up a single to Madris and then a double to Kennedy. The double brought Madris to third and would go down as Kennedy's tenth of the season. Madris was then able to take the lead on a sacrifice fly from Dingler.

Despite Brenan Hanifee seeing some bullpen action in the third inning, Sammons would retake the mound in the fourth. Sammons forced a flyout from Alvarez, but after a Bae walk Tim Federowicz turned to Hanifee instead. Bae stole second despite a strong throw from Dingler, but Hanifee and the Hens would find the last two outs to stay ahead 4-3.

Jung led off with a solo home run in the top of the fifth, expanding the Hens' lead.

Hanifee continued his night on the mound, picking up his first strikeout. He would give up a single to Gorski, but then forced two more outs to maintain the Toledo lead.

The sixth inning brought Kade McClure to the mound for the Indians. The Mentor, OH native would keep Toledo scoreless in the sixth despite giving up a single to Meadows and a walk to Justyn-Henry Malloy.

The Mud Hens would make a pitching change of their own in the sixth. Sean Guenther took over for Hanifee, quickly forcing two outs before giving up his first hit to Bae. Guenther got his first strikeout of the day on Davis to close out the inning.

Indianapolis would dig into their bullpen yet again with J. C. Flowers taking the mound in the seventh. That decision would be questioned almost immediately as Baddoo hit his fifth home run of the season to take the 6-3 lead.

Guenther returned to the mound to get the first out in the bottom of the seventh inning, but after a Lamb flyout Bryce Tassin would replace Guenther. Tassin took over and held the Indians hitless going into the eighth inning.

Flowers continued to pitch for Indianapolis in the eighth inning, but following a Meadows one-out walk Connor Sadzeck would be called in to take the mound. Sadzeck quickly gave up an RBI double to Malloy, giving Toledo the 7-3 lead. A wild pitch then moved Malloy to third, giving the Hens a chance to lengthen their lead even more with Jung at the plate. Jung and Hiura would both get a shot to bring in Malloy, but both were unable to pick up the run.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Indians were unable to cut into the Mud Hens' lead as Matt Frazier hit into a double play that Jung, Navigato, and Hiura cleaned up nicely.

Sadzeck continued into the ninth, striking out Baddoo before giving up a single to Dingler. A wild pitch allowed Dingler to take second base and then he was able to score thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Kennedy.

With an 8-3 lead in the final frame of the game, Toledo turned to former Ohio State Buckeye Andrew Magno to try and close out the game. He gave up a double to Bae, but it wouldn't matter as Magno and the Hens picked up three straight outs to get the 8-3 win and the 2-1 series lead.

The Mud Hens and Indians will face off again on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. and then again for a double header on Sunday beginning at 12:35 p.m.

Notables:

Parker Meadows (2-2, 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI, R, SB)

Akil Baddoo (2-4, HR, BB, RBI, 2 R)

Jace Jung (1-5, HR, RBI, R)

Bligh Madris (2-5, 2 RBI, 2 R)

Dillon Dingler (3-5, 2 R)

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics



International League Stories from May 17, 2024


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