IL1 Toledo Mud Hens

Toledo Splits Doubleheader with Rochester

Published on June 21, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Toledo Mud Hens News Release


The Mud Hens are now 2-2 in the season-series against Rochester and 7-5 against International League North Division opponents.

Drew VerHagen (3-2, 2.38 ERA) started on the mound for Game One and lasted six innings for the win. VerHagen, 28, gave up five hits and struck out six for his second straight shutout outing.

Kyle Funkhouser (0-3, 8.03 ERA) made his first start in Toledo since returning from the injured list on June 14.

The Detroit Tigers No. 10 prospect pitched Game Two and lasted three innings in the non-decision. His five runs were all earned, throwing six strikeouts and walking one.

Friday marked the fourth doubleheader that the Mud Hens have played this season. Game Two was a makeup that originally was scheduled to take place in Rochester on May 9.

In such games, Toledo is 5-3, splitting both Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Charlotte on May 17 and June 2, respectively, and sweeping Indianapolis on June 8.

Rochester is 4-8 in doubleheaders in 2019 and 4-5 against IL West clubs. The Red Wings have won 15 games in the month of June.

The Mud Hens remain in third place in the West Division standings at 31-41 overall.

Game One: Toledo 1, Rochester 0

After five straight scoreless innings, Toledo broke ahead in the bottom of the sixth.

Victor Reyes provided the game-winning RBI on a pop up that dropped in the infield which brought home Willi Castro from third base.

Castro, the native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, led off the inning by notching his team-leading eighth triple this season.

Jake Reed took the loss for Rochester, pitching one inning in relief for starter Drew Hutchison, who went five innings and struck out six without surrendering a run.

The Mud Hens got their second shutout win on the year and first since May 17.

Game Two: Rochester 9, Toledo 8

Six combined runs were totaled in the first inning.

Mikie Mahtook had a two-run home run sail over the left field wall as Reyes and Castro each added RBI doubles for the 4-0 early lead.

Mahtook is the only Mud Hens batter sitting at double-digits in home runs (11) through 72 games.

Getting the start for Rochester was Andro Cutura, who was assigned from Double-A Pensacola on Friday, where he worked 30 innings over eight starts this season.

Cutura's debut with the Red Wings lasted four innings.

Reyes became the first player for Toledo to hit the 50-RBI mark. The Venezuelan-born outfielder is also two away from tying Mahtook in home runs.

The Red Wings scratched out two runs off Funkhouser in their first at-bat.

Brent Rooker grounded into an RBI double play before Wilin Rosario singled to center field to score Drew Maggi.

Funkhouser, the 2016 Tigers fourth-round draft pick, has not pitched at Fifth Third Field since April 30. That was also his last start before going on the injured list for 34 days.

The 25-year-old would leave after Rochester picked up its first lead of the night on two singles and a double.

Two more lead changes occured in the fifth.

RBIs from Reyes, Daz Cameron and Pete Kozma made it 7-5 Toledo, who'd relenquish four runs in the bottom half of the inning,

A two-run homer over the left field wall by Rooker, an RBI grounder into center field from Jaylin Davis and a Brian Schales sacrifce fly were the most earned runs Zac Reininger has allowed in one game as a member of the Mud Hens this season.

Reininger, who took the loss on 24 pitches, has appeared in five games since getting optioned by the Tigers on June 9.

Toledo's rally ended at one run in the sixth when Reyes grounded into a double play but scored Daniel Pinero.

What's Next:

Tyler Alexander (1-8, 6.50 ERA) is probable to start Saturday in the second of a three-game home series against the Red Wings.

Opening pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (EST).

Live coverage is available on Buckeye Cable News Network, MiLB.TV, BCSNNation.com and Fox Sports 1230 WCWA-AM.

#RoadToDetroit Report (rankings according to MLB.com 2019 Prospect Watch):

5. OF Daz Cameron: 1-for-4

7. IF Willi Castro: 3-for-7, 3 Runs, RBI

10. RHP Kyle Funkhouser: 3.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 B, 6 K

12. C Jake Rogers : 0-for-2

16. OF Jacob Robson : 3-for-7, Run

18. RHP Bryan Garcia : 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

19. OF Danny Woodrow : 0-for-2

22. RHP John Schreiber : SV, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

25. LHP Gregory Soto : DNP

26. RHP Sandy Baez : DNP (IL)

27. LHP Matt Hall : 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

28. IF/OF Dustin Peterson : 2-for-7, Run

Hens Notes:

- Robson, the native of London, Ontario, has extended his hit streak to 13 games following the doubleheader. Since June 8, Robson has gone 21-for-49 (.429) with one home run and six RBIs.

- The Mud Hens are second in the International League through the midway point of June in stolen bases (65). Having been caught stealing 29 times on the year, Toledo's success rate stands at 69.1 percent.

Check out the Toledo Mud Hens Statistics

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International League Stories from June 21, 2019


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