Mud Hens Earn Third-Straight Win over Bats
IL Toledo Mud Hens

Mud Hens Earn Third-Straight Win over Bats

Published on August 7, 2025 under International League (IL)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens pick up their fourth-straight win with a 9-4 victory against the Louisville Bats. The Mud Hens would benefit from a red-hot offense, featuring Eduardo Valencia. Valencia would finish 4-5 and become the first Mud Hen to hit for the cycle since 2023.

The Bats were first on the board as in the first inning a couple of singles from Hector Rodiguez and Sal Stewart put runners in scoring position, before Rece Hinds made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly.

Toledo promptly responded with Trei Cruz picking up the first Hens hit of the day, before moving to third base on Andrew Navigato's eleventh double of the season. Gage Workman tied things up with a sacrifice fly to left, before Eduardo Valencia cleared the bases with a triple. He was then brought in by Tomás Nido, quickly putting the Mud Hens ahead 3-1.

Coming off of a six-inning, hitless outing Troy Watson continued to be a problem from the mound. He sat the Bats down in order to get the Toledo offense back to the plate quickly. The Mud Hens' offense would also fall in order, but Watson would do the same to the Bats in the third.

After picking up two strikeouts to open the fourth inning it looked like Adam Plutko would cruise through Toledo's batters. Heroically though, Workman hit a two-out homer to make it 4-1, before Valencia did the same, making it 5-1. This would be the Mud Hens' third set of back-to-back homers in as many games against the Bats.

Come around to the sixth, Jace Jung would pick up a stand-up double, before being joined on base by Workman. Valencia made it 6-1 with an RBI double, leaving him just a base hit shy of the cycle. Nido would then hit another first-pitch RBI base hit, putting Toledo up 7-1.

The Hens picked up their third home run of the night in the eighth when Cruz took a Connor Phillips fastball 344 ft into left-center field to make it 8-1.

The Bats would start to work their way back into the game in the bottom of the seventh with Christian Encarnacion-Strand getting aboard with a double and former Mud Hen Ryan Vilade bringing him in with a two-run homer. Chase Lee would get the last two outs on strikeouts, leaving the Hens ahead 8-3 going into the eighth.

With the bottom of the lineup due up, fans waited in anticipation for Valencia to try and etch his name into the history books. Firstly, Workman got aboard and stole second for his ninth stolen base of the season and then the moment everyone was waiting for happened. Valencia hit a single into right field and brought home Workman to become the first Mud Hen to hit for the cycle since Nick Maton on September 6, 2023.

In the bottom of the ninth, the Bats would look to get a much-needed rally going. They got off to a great start as Vilade picked up his second home run of the night. Things quickly fell apart from there though as Geoff Hartlieb sat the next three batters down in order to secure the 9-4 victory.

The Toledo Mud Hens will look to take the series against the Louisville Bats Friday at 7:15 p.m.

Notables:

Eduardo Valencia (4-5, HR, 3B, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R)

Gage Workman (2-2, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, 2 BB)

Trei Cruz (2-4, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, K)

Tomás Nido (3-4, 2 RBI)

Jace Jung (2-5, 2 2B, R, K)

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics

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International League Stories from August 7, 2025


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