TOLEDO, OH.: Garrett Hill turned in another masterful performance on the hill, and Akil Baddoo, Josh Lester, and Jamie Westbrook each notched three-hit efforts to lead a 13-hit team performance as the Toledo Mud Hens secured their second straight win over the Louisville Bats, 5-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Fifth
TOLEDO, OH.: Garrett Hill turned in another masterful performance on the hill, and Akil Baddoo, Josh Lester, and Jamie Westbrook each notched three-hit efforts to lead a 13-hit team performance as the Toledo Mud Hens secured their second straight win over the Louisville Bats, 5-3, on Wednesday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.
Hill (2-2) saw his consecutive scoreless innings streak come to an end at 14, but he plowed through six strong innings on the hill to earn the win for Toledo. He scattered three hits, three walks, a run, and tied his Mud Hens season-high strikeout total with seven.
The Bats strung together two-out hits in the fifth to break onto the scoreboard. Chuckie Robinson broke up Hill’s no-hit bid with a single. TJ Friedl then found the right-center field gap, tripling in Robinson to give Louisville the 1-0 edge.
The Mud Hens response was swift in the home half of the inning. Baddoo knocked rehabbing starter Nick Lodolo out of the game with a two-out base hit. He successfully stole his sixth bag of the year, and then scored on an RBI double from Daz Cameron to even the game at 1. Brendon Davis and Lester each drew walks to load the bases in front of Westbrook, who’s two-run single gave the Mud Hens the lead for good, 3-1.
Lodolo yielded six hits, a run, a walk, and struck out five hitters in what was the longest outing of his Major League rehab assignment with the Bats.
Matt Pidich (3-2) took the loss for Louisville, surrendering two runs and two hits while retiring just one batter.
Sam Howard set down all three hitters he faced to ensure a scoreless seventh stanza for Toledo.
Zack Short blasted his seventh home run of the season on the first pitch of the seventh inning, a majestic blast to center field, to increase the Mud Hens advantage to 4-1. He has now hit safely in seven of his last nine games.
Cristian Santana capped off his 2-4 day at the plate by smashing an RBI double in the top of the eighth to get a run back for the Bats.
Lester also homered on the first pitch of the eighth inning opposite former Mud Hen hurler Buck Farmer to bump Toledo’s lead to 5-2. He went 3-3 at the dish to record his second three-hit effort of the season and extend his current hitting streak to four games.
Robinson tightened up the final margin by blasting a solo homer in the ninth off Miguel Del Pozo to bring the Bats within 5-3. Del Pozo then fanned Friedl to finish the game and lock up his fourth save of the season.
Baddoo registered his second three-hit game with the Mud Hens and is 5-9 through the first two games of set against Louisville.
Westbrook picked up his 12th multi-hit effort by swatting 3-4 at the plate.
Kerry Carpenter was 2-3 again on Wednesday and has now hit safely in his first four Mud Hens assignments.
NEXT UP: The Bats and Mud Hens square off for the third time in their six-game series at Fifth Third Field on Thursday evening at 7:05 p.m.