Mud Hens' Hitting Helps Sink Clippers
July 3, 2018 - International League (IL1)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release
TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Mud Hens wrapped up their season-long nine-game home stand on a winning note, matching a season-high with 15 hits in an 8-3 victory over the Columbus Clippers on Tuesday before a sold-out crowd of 10,700 at Fifth Third Field.
Every Mud Hens (47-36) batter tallied a hit in the contest, with six recording two hits. Ronny Rodriguez logged his fourth consecutive multi-hit game and fifth in his last six starts, going 2-for-3 with a double, a single, a walk, and a run scored. Jacob Robson also shined at the top of the order, finishing 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk, a pair of RBI, and two runs scored.
Kyle Dowdy tossed six innings as he moved into a three-way tie for the team lead with his fifth win of the campaign, surrendering three earned runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out three. Victor Alcantara sent the Clippers (43-40) down in order in the seventh before Zac Reininger tossed two perfect innings of relief to close out the game.
Columbus started the scoring with a run in the top of the opening frame. With runners on the corners and one out, Drew Maggi advanced 90 feet to home plate on Dowdy's wild pitch to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead.
The Clippers doubled their advantage with back-to-back extra-base hits in the second stanza. Adam Rosales lined a leadoff double into the left-field corner, and scored when Eric Haase added a two-base hit of his own to left to give Columbus a 2-0 edge.
A Toledo offense held to a season-low two hits on Monday erupted for four runs on four hits to capture the lead in the bottom of the third. After Harold Castro sliced a double into left-center to begin the inning, he scored Toledo's first run of the contest when Robson beat the shift with a base hit through the left side.
Rodriguez drew a walk to put runners on first and second with nobody down, and Jason Krizan tied the game two batters later with a double off the base of the right-field wall that plated Robson. Grayson Greiner then sent a hard grounder through the right side to bring in Rodriguez and Krizan and make it a 4-2 ballgame.
Columbus cut its deficit in half with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Mud Hens gained breathing room with a pair in the bottom of the seventh. Krizan led off with a double down the right-field line, advanced to third on a Mike Gerber infield single, and scored when Edwin Espinal lifted a sacrifice fly to right to give Toledo a 6-3 cushion. Kody Eaves added a single into shallow center to knock in Gerber and push the hosts' advantage to four.
The Mud Hens' last run arrived in the bottom of the eighth. Lugo comfortably stole second base to put two runners in scoring position, but Haase's throw hopped to second and allowed the speedy Robson to scamper home and bloat Toledo's lead to 8-3, which held on to be the final tally.
What's Next:
The West Division-leading Mud Hens head to Columbus on Wednesday for the first of two meetings against the third-place Clippers. First pitch from Huntington Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
#RoadToDetroit Report (rankings according to MLB.com 2018 Prospect Watch):
5. OF Christin Stewart : DNP (DL)
11. OF Mike Gerber: 2-for-4, two singles, run.
12. IF Dawel Lugo : 1-for-5, single, stolen base.
15. RHP Grayson Long : DNP (DL)
16. RHP Bryan Garcia : DNP (DL)
18. LHP Tyler Alexander : DNP
26. OF Jacob Robson: 2-for-3, two singles, walk, two RBI, two runs.
Hens Notes:
- Jim Adduci batted fifth and played first base in Detroit's 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday at Wrigley Field, making him the 20th player to appear for both the Tigers and Mud Hens this season.
- The Mud Hens have tallied eight or more runs 15 times this season.
- Toledo is 7-3 against Columbus in the season series, winning five of six matchups at Fifth Third Field.
- Tuesday's attendance of 10,700 marked the Mud Hens' 13th sellout of the season and 476th in Fifth Third Field history.
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