Kody Clemens finished 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI singles and a walk, while Grayson Greiner went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI single and a run. Yariel Gonzalez ended the night 2-for-4 with a double, a single and a run, while Renato Núñez added a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning.
Wladimir Pinto set season-highs with five strikeouts and three innings of work in his second professional start, conceding two hits, a walk and a hit batter. Ian Krol added two scoreless innings of relief, but Drew Carlton was tagged with the loss after surrendering back-to-back doubles to Ryan Lavarnway and Connor Marabell to start the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Mud Hens (19-17) got off to a fast start against the Clippers (16-20), who entered the series with six wins in their last seven games. Jacob Robson lined a base hit to left-center, moved up to second base on a fielding error by center fielder Oscar Mercado, and came home when Greiner grounded a single up the middle. After Gonzalez doubled into the right-field corner to put runners on second and third, Clemens hit a two-out infield single that ricocheted off the bare hand off starting pitcher Kirk McCarty, allowing Greiner to score and extend the lead to 2-0.
Columbus responded with a run in the bottom of the same inning, as Andrés Giménez lifted a solo shot to dead center for his third home run of the campaign.
Toledo restored its two-run advantage in the top of the third. Gonzalez blooped a single into shallow right and advanced 90 feet when Aderlin Rodríguez grounded out to second, before Clemens recorded his second RBI single of the night with a base hit up the middle to make it a 3-1 ballgame.
The Mud Hens added another run in the top of the sixth when Núñez belted a solo shot to left for his second home run in as many games and seventh of the season.
The Clippers scored once in the bottom of the same inning. After Gabriel Arias whacked a one-out triple off the top of the right-field wall, Nolan Jones traded a run for an out with a ground ball to short that cut the deficit to 4-2. The hosts then pulled even one inning later, as Daniel Johnson laced a double to right that scored Lavarnway and Marabell. Columbus completed its comeback bid in the home half of the ninth, as Lavarnway hit a leadoff double into the gap in left-center before Marabell delivered a two-base hit off the top of the right-field wall that ended the contest.
What’s Next:_
*_The Mud Hens and Clippers face a quick turnaround as the two teams return to Huntington Park on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m.
Hens Notes:
• Prior to tonight’s game, the Detroit Tigers announced Matt Manning will make his Major League debut on Thursday against the Angels. Additionally, the Tigers selected the contracts of Miguel del Pozo and Wily Peralta from the Mud Hens.
•** With a one-out single in the top of the first inning, **Jacob Robson extended his hitting streak to six consecutive games. He is 10-for-26 with two doubles, a homer, six RBI, three walks, two stolen bases and seven rans in that span.
• The Mud Hens are 4-3 against the Clippers this season.
• Toledo is 6-8 in one-run games this season, and 2-2 when tied after seven innings.