Valdez Homers for Third Straight Game in Doubleheader Split at Toledo
Published on May 20, 2026 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
TOLEDO, Ohio - Esmerlyn Valdez hit a home run in each game of the Indianapolis Indians Wednesday afternoon doubleheader against the Toledo Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field - leaving the yard in three straight games for the first time since Aug. 28-30, 2025, with Double-A Altoona at Harrisburg - as the Indians split the twin bill with a 3-2 win in Game 2 and a 3-2 extra-innings loss in Game 1 (eight innings).
In Game 2, Valdez kicked things off in the first inning with his second home run of the day, a two-run shot off the left field scoreboard. Following back-to-back walks from Rafael Flores Jr. and Dominic Fletcher in the second inning, Nick Cimillo stretched the Indianapolis (19-28) lead to 3-0 with an RBI double.
Toledo (23-24) began a comeback, scoring on a wild pitch in the third inning and RBI groundout in the sixth, but were shut down by Michael Darrell-Hicks (S, 2) in the seventh frame.
José Urquidy (W, 1-3) provided a strong start for Indy as he tossed 5.0 innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts. Konnor Pilkington (L, 1-3) allowed all three runs the Indians scored in the game.
In Game 1, the contest was scoreless until Toledo logged the first tally on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. The Indians rallied in the fifth with a one-out double by Fletcher as he came around to score on an RBI single by Termarr Johnson.
Valdez smashed his ninth home run of the season at 112.6 mph off the scoreboard - the hardest-hit big fly of his professional career - for a 2-1 advantage in the sixth. The Mud Hens got the run right back in the bottom half, with a game-tying homer by Corey Julks. The teams remained scoreless and went into extra innings, with Indy being blanked in the top half of the eighth inning. Tyler Gentry hit a two-out walk-off single to end the first game.
Noah Davis continued his strong 2026 campaign with Indianapolis, allowing two runs (1er) across 5.2 innings. Cam Sanders (L, 0-2) had an unearned run, allowing the walk-off. Woo-Suk Go (W, 1-1) tossed a perfect eighth inning for his first win of the season.
Indianapolis and Toledo continue their six-game series on Thursday night at 6:35 PM. LHP Hunter Barco (2-1, 3.18) is set to take the mound for the Indians while LHP Bryan Sammons (0-4, 4.83) will toe the rubber for the Mud Hens.
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