GAME RECAP (TOLEDO, OH): Coming into tonight’s game, the Toledo Mud Hens were standing with a 39-33 record overall, and 7-1 against the Louisville Bats. A win would put them seven games over .500, which would give them their best record this season. The Mud Hens were also looking to
GAME RECAP (TOLEDO, OH): Coming into tonight’s game, the Toledo Mud Hens were standing with a 39-33 record overall, and 7-1 against the Louisville Bats. A win would put them seven games over .500, which would give them their best record this season. The Mud Hens were also looking to creep up in the standings, trailing Nashville by 4.5 games. RHP Drew Hutchison took the mound for Toledo, looking to take game three of the series. LF Jacob Robson returned to the lineup for the first time, since June 25th.
The Mud Hens got on the board first, with a leadoff home run by SS Zack Short. Short now has 34 RBIs on the year, with 8 total home runs. This was also his second leadoff home run of the year. Then, in the bottom of the second, 3B Brendon Davis would leadoff with a home run, on the first pitch. Davis now has five home runs with Toledo in 31 games, and 12 RBIs. After the two solo shots, Toledo led 2-0.
Heading into the third inning, the Louisville Bats would tally three runs off RHP Drew Hutchison, after he had a hot start in the first two innings. Hutchison would end up going 4.0 innings, allowing three earned runs, no walks, with five hits. He tallied a total of six strikeouts during his outing. The Mud Hens bats would stay quiet, as well for the Louisville Bats. Through the fourth and sixth inning, only 1B Josh Lester was able to tally a hit for either side.
Heading into the seventh inning, The Louisville Bats would extend their lead with a two-run shot to left-center. The Bats led 5-2 after the long ball. Louisville’s offense would stay awake in the eighth, as they drove in another run to make it a 6-2 game.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, CF Akil Baddoo would hit his fifth double of the year. Then with two outs, both 1B Josh Lester and 3B Brendon Davis would walk, which loaded the bases, however the Mud Hens would leave the runners stranded, which kept the score at 6-2, in favor of the Louisville Bats.
In the ninth, RHP Chase Anderson would finish the day, going 4.0 IP. Along with Hutchison striking out six batters, Anderson would end the day with six, as well. However, the Mud Hens would fail to drive in any runs in the bottom half, as the Bats took game three of the series, with a final score of 6-2. The victory for Louisville gives them their second win over Toledo, this season.
DH Kerry Carpenter would tally a hit in the bottom of the seventh. Carpenter has been on-base in all five games with the Hens so far and is currently at a .533 (8-15) batting average.
“Our pitching kept us in the game, but we could not execute offensively. We were flat. However, we are up 2-1. We got to come out tomorrow, with a win,” Manager Lloyd McClendon said.
NOTABLE BATTERS:
SS Zack Short: 1-5, HR, RBI, R, 2K
3B Brendon Davis: 1-3, HR, RBI, R, K
CF Akil Baddoo: 1-3, 2B, BB
NOTABLE PITCHERS:
RHP Drew Hutchison: 4.0 IP, 5H, 3R, 3ER, 0BB, 6K
RHP Chase Anderson: 4.0 IP, 6H, 3R, 3ER, 6K
NEXT UP: The Toledo Mud Hens will be back in action at Fifth Third Field, tomorrow at 7:05pm ET. RHP Nivaldo Rodriguez will look to get Toledo back in the win column, as he takes on RHP Justin Dunn.