IL1 Toledo Mud Hens

Hen Pen Loses Control in Marathon

Published on May 20, 2016 under International League (IL1)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


After a Thursday night loss, the Hens headed to Allentown, PA to face the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in game one of a three game set. Buck Farmer toed the rubber for Lloyd McClendon's squad as the right-hander looked to earn his first win of the 2016 campaign.

Farmer started the ballgame with two strong frames, sending five of the first six IronPig hitters down in order. After Farmer recorded the first out in the third, Lehigh Valley's Carlos Alonso reached on a fielding error by Casey McGehee, and came around to score on a Taylor Featherston triple to take the lead 1-0.

Jordany Valdespin took things into his own hands in the third as he sent his first homerun of the season over the wall in right to knot the game up at one a piece.

Farmer's night ended after retiring the final seven hitters he faced, leaving with a no decision. The Georgia native gave up the lone hit and one walk, striking out four in his five innings of work. Dustin Molleken was summoned from the Hen Pen to back Farmer's effort, but was unable to keep the tie intact. The lead was taken back by Lehigh Valley after Darin Ruf sent a sac fly to centerfielder Anthony Gose, scoring Cedric Hunter. The IronPig lead was extended in the bottom of the eighth as Bobby Parnell surrendered a solo homerun to Taylor Featherston. The shortstop finished 3-6 on the night with 2 RBI.

David Buchanan threw 7.0 innings for the IronPigs on "Bacon and Egg Night" holding the Hens' bats in check with one walk and one strikeout.MLB journeyman Edward Mujica, was summoned from the Lehigh Valley bullpen to close the game, but the Toledo bats had other plans. The newest Hen, catcher John Hicks led off the inning with a single and went first to third on a triple from Jordany Valdespin. With two on and one out, Anthony Gose did his job hitting a deep sac fly sending home Hicks. Down by one, Dixon Machado stepped to the plate and singled to centerfielder Nick Williams, as Valdespin raced home to tie the ballgame at three.

The Toledo offense was finally able to break the tie in the top of the twelfth as Tyler Collins rocketed a leadoff double to left. Collins broke the tie after he crossed the plate on a throwing error from LHV reliever Bobby LaFromboise.The 4-3 lead was extended with two out in the twelfth, after Jordany Valdespin continued his hot night at the plate, bringing home Casey McGehee on a fly ball single to right. Valdespin finished 4-7 at the dish driving in three and scoring three times.

The Hens looked to have a comfortable lead headed to the bottom of the twelfth; however, the resilient LHV offense was patient, putting together two hits and two walks off Toledo reliever Bruce Rondon. The damage was good enough to tie the game again, this time at five a piece and send the game deeper into the summer night at Coca-Cola Field.

In the fourteenth, it was the offensive star of the night Jordany Valdespin who broke the tie, as his fourth hit of the night brought Tyler Collins home and retook the lead 6-5. Anthony Gose also continued his stellar night at the plate extending the lead once again with an RBI hit of his own plating Valdespin. With a 7-5, lead Toledo put the ball in Angel Nesbitt's hands, the ninth Hens pitcher of the game. And, just as they had done all night the IronPigs battled back as the Hen pen stumbled, surrendering two more runs on back-to-back doubles sending the game into the 15th tied at seven.

Desperate times called for desperate measures in the fifteenth, as catcher Miguel Gonzalez was brought on to pitch, hoping to send the game to the sixteenth. The LHV offense however took advantage of Gonzalez's first appearance on the mound and made easy work of him, drawing two walks and doubling home the winning run for the walkoff win. The two teams are right back at it tomorrow. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM.

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International League Stories from May 20, 2016


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central