TOLEDO, OH.: After surrendering a one-run advantage in the eighth inning, Josh Lester came through for the Toledo Mud Hens with a walk-off home run to send the fans home happy and ensure a 2-1 triumph over the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.
Lester crushed
TOLEDO, OH.: After surrendering a one-run advantage in the eighth inning, Josh Lester came through for the Toledo Mud Hens with a walk-off home run to send the fans home happy and ensure a 2-1 triumph over the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.
Lester crushed a 3-1 pitch over the left field fence for his first long ball of the year.
Facing RHP Jackson Tetreault in the bottom of the fifth, Brady Policelli also recorded his first blast of the season by exiting the stadium near the scoreboard in left for a 1-0 Toledo lead.
Tetreault received a no-decision for Rochester, permitting one run on three hits and three walks with five punchouts over five frames. RHP Erasmo Ramirez and LHP Francisco Perez backed Tetreault with a scoreless inning each. RHP Reed Garrett (0-1) didn’t allow a run in the eighth, but Lester hit the game-clinching homer off him in the ninth.
As they did all series, the Red Wings hung tough throughout and eventually tied the game in the top of the eighth. Back-to-back doubles from Jake Noll and Joey Meneses did the damage against RHP Angel De Jesus.
RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez turned in five fantastic stanzas on the hill, scattering a walk and five hits while not factoring in the decision. RHP Miguel Diaz worked around three baserunners in 1 and 2/3’s innings. LHP Miguel Del Pozo came on in the eighth to wiggle out of a jam after De Jesus got three outs. RHP Bryan Garcia picked up the win by keeping the Red Wings off the board in the ninth.
Ryan Kreidler went 1-4 with a double in the fourth inning. He safely hit in five of the six games played against Rochester.
NEXT UP: After an off day on Monday, the Mud Hens will hit the road for the first time in the 2022 campaign as Toledo travels to Des Moines to take on the Iowa Cubs. First pitch of Tuesday’s contest is slated for 7:38 ET at Principal Park.