IL Toledo Mud Hens

Lockhart, Bullpen Strong in Win

Published on September 1, 2023 under International League (IL)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


TOLEDO - The Toledo Mud Hens would defeat the Iowa Cubs 8-4 on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.

The pitching matchup consisted of Lael Lockhart, making his Triple-A debut for the Mud Hens and Nick Neidert for the I-Cubs.

Lockhart started the ballgame getting Pete Crow-Armstrong to flyout. Young Lockhart would find himself in trouble. A Jared Young double and a hit-by-pitch of Matt Mervis set the Cubs up for a big inning. P.J. Higgins put the I-Cubs in front with a RBI single, making it 1-0. Yonathan Perlaza would draw a walk to load the bases with one out. Lockhart would escape the jam, getting Jake Slaughter to popout and striking out Brennen Davis to end the inning and escape the jam with minimal damage.

Nick Maton would groundout to begin the game against Neidert. Justyn-Henry Malloy would get hit by a pitch and would head to first. Malloy would however be stranded as Colt Keith would groundout and Tyler Nevin would lineout to end the inning.

Lockhart would get two quick outs in the second inning, getting Luis Vazquez to groundout and Darius Hill to flyout. Crow-Armstrong would hit a two-out double, but would find himself stranded after Young would flyout to end the inning.

Back-to-back walks by Eddys Leonard and Ryan Kreidler and a single by Michael Papierski would load the bases to start the second inning for the Mud Hens. Donny Sands would hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1. Nick Solak would hit a RBI single, but would get thrown out at second base, giving the Mud Hens the 2-1 lead, while becoming the first out. Maton would walk and swipe second base, and Malloy would walk to reload the bases for the Mud Hens. Keith would extend his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-run single, putting the lead at 4-1 Mud Hens. That would chase Neidert from the game in favor of Samuel Reyes. Nevin would greet Reyes with a RBI single of his own, making it 5-1. Reyes would get Leonard to lineout to end the inning. That would close the book on Neidert after 1.2 innings pitched, allowing five runs on three hits and four walks. Neidert takes the loss, falling to 5-6 on the season.

Lockhart would get Mervis to popout and Higgins to flyout for the first two outs of the third inning. Perlaza would walk and Slaughter would hit a two-out single to give the Cubs an opportunity to score. Lockhart would lock in and strikeout Davis to end the inning.

Reyes would remain in the game to pitch the third inning for the Cubs. Reyes would strikeout Kreidler for the first out. Papierski would single, but would be stranded after Sands lined out and Solak struck out to end the inning.

Lockhart would strikeout Vazquez to begin the fourth inning. Hill would double and move to third base on a groundout by Crow-Armstrong. Young would smack a RBI single, making it 5-2 Mud Hens. Lockhart would strikeout Mervis to end the inning.

Reyes would return to pitch the fourth inning for the Cubs. Maton would flyout to begin the inning. Malloy and Keith would hit back-to-back singles, but Nevin would ground into an inning-ending double play, allowing Reyes to escape the jam.

Lockhart would retire the Cubs in order in the fifth inning, getting Higgins to flyout, striking out Perlaza and getting Slaughter to groundout to end the inning. That would close the book on Lockhart in his first Triple-A start. Lockhart would claim the win after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Lockhart improves to 1-0 with his first Triple-A win.

Reyes would return to begin the fifth inning for the Cubs. Leonard would flyout to begin the inning. A single by Kreidler would chase Reyes from the game. Blake Whitney would enter the game to pitch, just up from Double-A Tennessee. Papierski would walk to put a second runner on base. Kreidler would swipe third base, followed by a walk by Sands to load the bases. Solak would ground into a force out, scoring a run, making it 6-2 Mud Hens. Whitney would get Maton to flyout to end the inning.

Sawyer Gipson-Long would enter to pitch in the sixth inning for the Mud Hens. Davis would get hit by the pitch, followed by a two-run home run by Vazquez, making it 6-4 Mud Hens. Gipson-Long would respond by striking out Hill, Crow-Armstrong and Young all three swinging to end the inning.

Whitney would return to pitch the sixth inning for the Cubs. Malloy would smack a leadoff solo home run, making it 7-4 Mud Hens. Back-to-back flyouts by Keith and Nevin and a strikeout of Leonard would end the inning for Whitney.

Gipson-Long would return for the seventh inning with two quick outs via a Mervis popout and a Higgins flyout. Perlaza would smoke a two-out single, but would be stranded as Slaughter would strikeout to end the inning. That would close the book on Gipson-Long after 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run) and four strikeouts.

Whitney would begin the seventh inning for the Cubs. After a Kreidler walk and a Papierski single, Whitney would be chased from the game. Brendon Little would enter for the Cubs. Little would get Sands to groundout for the first out. Solak would hit a sacrifice fly, making it 8-4 Mud Hens. Maton would groundout to end the inning with minimal damage for the Cubs. That would close the book on Whitney after 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits (one home run), three walks and one strikeout.

Trey Wingenter would enter to pitch the eighth inning for the Mud Hens. Wingenter would strikeout both Davis and Vazquez to begin the inning, and getting Hill to lineout to end the inning. That would close the book on Wingenter after 1.0 inning pitched with two strikeouts.

Little would return to pitch the eighth inning for the Cubs. Malloy would draw a leadoff walk, but would be erased on a double play by Keith. Nevin would tap a two-out single, but would be stranded after Leonard would groundout to end the inning.

Sam Clay would enter to finish it out for the Mud Hens. Crow-Armstrong would flyout for the first out. Young would strikeout swinging for the second out. Mervis would hit a two-out single, but would be stranded as Clay would strikeout Higgins to seal an 8-4 Mud Hens win.

NOTABLES:

Michael Papierski: 3-3, R, BB

Justyn-Henry Malloy: 2-2, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB

Colt Keith: 2-5, 2 RBI (Extends hitting streak to 12 games)

Tyler Nevin: 2-5, RBI

Ryan Kreidler: 1-2, 3 R, 2 BB, K

Nick Solak: 1-3, 3 RBI, K

Lael Lockhart: W, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (First Triple-A Win)

Trey Wingenter: 1.0 IP, 2 K

Sam Clay: 1.0 IP, H, 2 K

The Mud Hens will remain in Toledo for game five of the series against the Iowa Cubs tomorrow, Saturday, September 2nd, at Fifth Third Field with first pitch coming at 7:05 pm ET.

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics

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International League Stories from September 1, 2023


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