Mud Hens Take No-Hitter into Ninth Inning of 7-1 Win
IL Toledo Mud Hens

Mud Hens Take No-Hitter into Ninth Inning of 7-1 Win

July 31, 2025 - International League (IL)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


TOLEDO, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens nearly no-hit the St. Paul Saints on the way to a 7-1 victory Thursday night. While the Hens held the Saints at bay with their pitching, Toledo also did some serious damage with their bats. Putting up a crooked number in the eighth inning would seal St. Paul's fate.

In his second start with the Toledo Mud Hens this season, Troy Watson dealt an array of pitches, leaving the Saints looking lost. The 28-year old enjoyed his most dominant performance of the season as he did not allow a single hit in his six innings of action. Watson would hit his pitch count after six innings, thus he would not be able to defend his no-hit bid.

The Mud Hens' bats finally got hot in the fourth inning, as Justyn-Henry Malloy led off with a well-struck single to left field. Jace Jung immediately brought him in with his eleventh homer of the season. The two-run shot to right field flew 415 ft, coming off of the bat at 105 mph. Akil Baddoo quickly followed that up with a 106 mph double down the right-field line. With runners on first and second, Trei Cruz flew into a double play, before Ryan Kreidler was caught stealing second to close the inning.

With a no-hitter still alive, former Pittsburgh Pirate Tanner Rainey would be entrusted to keep the streak alive. Rainey would allow three walks in the seventh inning, but he was able to keep the no-hit bid alive during his one-inning tenure.

In the eighth inning, the reins were handed over to Geoff Hartlieb. Hartlieb recently returned from a two-game campaign with the Detroit Tigers after being signed as a free agent. He too kept the no-hit bid alive as he sat the Saints in order.

The Mud Hens offense would all but guarantee a win in the bottom of the eighth, as they went ahead 7-0. With Hao-Yu Lee and Trey Sweeney aboard, Malloy made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. Following a Jung walk, Baddoo brought Sweeney in to make it 4-0. Kreidler and Trei Cruz paired up for a couple of hard-hit singles to cap off the scoring, bringing in a combined three runners to move ahead 7-0.

With the entire crowd anxiously watching, Hartlieb retook his place on the mound in the ninth. Lead-off hitter, Payton Eeles, looked to play spoiler immediately as he hit a flyball into shallow right field. Gage Workman played the role of hero as he sprinted and laid out for a spectacular save to keep the no-hit bid alive.

Hoping to avoid being a part of history, the St. Paul Saints decided to pinch hit MLB rehabber Luke Keaschall. Keaschall would work to a 3-0 count, before smashing the ball and the hearts of Toledo into shallow left field. The Saints were able to score from there as they found two more hits by Edouard Julien and Jonah Bride. Hartlieb would finish strong, despite the disappointment, striking out the final two batters to get the 7-1 victory.

The Toledo Mud Hens and the St. Paul Saints will face off again Friday at 7:05 p.m. Toledo will once again dawn the Mud Crawlers uniform as they celebrate Jeep Fest 2025.

Notables:

Troy Watson (W, 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 0 HR)

Jace Jung (1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB)

Justyn-Henry Malloy (3-3, RBI, R)

Akil Baddoo (2-4, 2B, RBI, R)

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics



International League Stories from July 31, 2025


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