Rios, Bats Comeback Spoiled by Mud Hens Walk-Off Grand Slam

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Rios, Bats Comeback Spoiled by Mud Hens Walk-Off Grand Slam

May 29, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release


TOLEDO, Ohio - Although the Louisville Bats rallied from a two-run deficit to take the lead in the ninth, it ultimately wasn't enough to beat the Toledo Mud Hens on Thursday night. Despite a two-run go-ahead blast from Edwin Ríos in the ninth, the Mud Hens walked it off in grand fashion, 7-4.

While Louisville spent most of the game trailing, the Bats did strike first. Christian Encarnacion-Strand drove a changeup deep over the left field wall to put Louisville up, 1-0. It was his first home run during his rehab assignment and his first with Louisville since July 2023.

That advantage didn't last long. In the back half of the frame Toledo came out swinging against Bats starter Aaron Wilkerson. Though a leadoff single was erased by a double play, issuing a two-out walk proved costly. Jahmi Jones laced a triple into the right-field corner, driving in a run to even the score 1-1.

Aside from Encarnacion-Strand's blast, Mud Hens starter Sawyer Gipson-Long completely stumped the Bats. Gipson-Long not only kept Louisville off the bases but also confined its contact to groundouts.

Toledo, on the other hand, sustained a steady offensive push against Wilkerson. Gage Workman hammered a homer in the third, putting the Mud Hens on top. Jones opened the next inning by roping his second triple of the night into the gap and came home on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-1.

Though Toledo's offense rattled Wilkerson in those first four frames, Wilkerson didn't let it derail his outing. Striking out the side in the fifth, Wilkerson seemingly locked in and found his stride on the mound.

Given Gipson-Long's dominance, the two-run deficit felt staggering for the Bats. Through 5.1 frames, Louisville hadn't even managed to hit a ball past the infield. Despite his efficiency and effectiveness, Toledo pulled Gipson-Long after just 53 pitches as he continued his rehab assignment. The Bats capitalized on the move, immediately pouncing reliever Matt Manning.

Will Banfield smoked a line drive to left and moved up to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Francisco Urbaez looped a single into no man's land in right, bringing Banfield home.

Wilkerson remained dialed in, shutting the Mud Hens down 1-2-3 in the sixth and seventh innings to finish his outing strong. Wilkerson allowed five hits, three runs while walking one and fanning six over seven innings, tying for his longest start of the season.

By neutralizing Toledo's offense in the later innings, Wilkerson opened the door for a Louisville comeback. With Levi Jordan tripling to lead off the eighth, a comeback felt well within reach. However, even with a runner on third and no outs, the Bats came up empty in the frame.

Zach Maxwell took over in the eighth, looking to preserve Louisville's one-run deficit. Though a two-out double posed a threat, Maxwell fanned Jace Jung to strand the runner at second. Maxwell's clean inning paid off for Louisville.

Down to three outs, the Bats' stagnant offense finally sparked life. Encarnacion-Strand drew a one-out walk. Then, with a single swing, Edwin Ríos put Louisville on top by belting a two-run shot off Matt Seelinger (W, 5-0) to straightaway center, to turn the game around and put the Bats up 4-3.

Despite the valiant rally, though, it ultimately wasn't enough. Looking for the save, Yosver Zulueta (L, 0-1) took the mound but ran into trouble quickly. After sitting down the first hitter he faced, Zulueta's command faltered. Two walks and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Bligh Madris. And when Zulueta finally did find the zone, Madris sent it out of the park to deep left. In dramatic fashion, Toledo secured its third-straight win over the Bats, 7-4, with a walk-off grand slam.

The Bats were held to five hits in the loss. No Louisville player recorded more than one hit.

The Bats (24-29) continue their series with the Mud Hens (30-24) on Friday night, seeking their first win of the series. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. ET with Nick Curran on the call for Sports Talk 790.

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