INDIANAPOLIS, IN.: Looking to extend their season-best nine-game winning streak, the Toledo Mud Hens wasted no time taking the lead, putting their first seven batters on base in a big top of the first inning and sprinting away with a 7-4 win over the Indianapolis Indians on Sunday afternoon at
INDIANAPOLIS, IN.: Looking to extend their season-best nine-game winning streak, the Toledo Mud Hens wasted no time taking the lead, putting their first seven batters on base in a big top of the first inning and sprinting away with a 7-4 win over the Indianapolis Indians on Sunday afternoon at Victory Field.
With the victory, Toledo pushed their season-best winning streak to ten straight games and swept a six-game series for the first time during the 2022 campaign.
The Mud Hens took advantage of some command issues from Indians starter Noe Toribio right out of the gate. Zack Short drew a walk, Ali Sanchez was hit by a pitch, and Josh Lester coaxed a free pass to load the sacks. Daz Cameron was plunked to bring in Short. A walk to Andre Lipcius plated Sanchez and forced Toribio out of the game. Jamie Westbrook reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring Lester, and an error blocked the Indians from getting an out on the play. Corey Joyce was handed a bases loaded walk to allow Cameron to touch the plate. Short also picked up an infield RBI single later in the frame. In all, the Mud Hens scored five runs on a single knock for an early 5-0 lead.
Short pieced together a strong effort out of the lead-off spot for Toledo, going 2-4 with two walks, two RBIs, and a run scored to increase his on-base streak to seven games.
Lipcius moved his hitting streak to four straight assignments by slashing 2-4.
Toribio (5-3) took the loss for Indianapolis, surrendering five runs and three walks while not recording an out.
The Hens manufactured an additional run in the fifth. Joyce drew the last of his three walks in the game, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scampered home on a sacrifice fly from Dylan Rosa to increase Toledo’s advantage to 6-0.
A clutch two-out, two-run single from Hoy Park in the bottom half of the fifth brought Indianapolis to within 6-2. A heroic catch from Jack Lopez robbed Tucupita Marcano of extra bases, ended the frame, and saved the Mud Hens multiple runs.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (3-3) powered through five strong innings in his start for the Hens, yielding three hits, two earned runs, two walks, and racking up four strikeouts as part of a winning effort. He was the beneficiary of that fine defensive play by Lopez.
Speaking of Lopez, he was drilled by an offering from Hunter Stratton, stole his 11th base of the year, and raced home on an RBI knock from Short to increase the margin to 7-2 in the seventh.
The Indians didn’t go away without a fight as four straight hitters reached in the eighth and two runs were scored. Blake Sabol doubled and then came in on an RBI single from Travis Swaggerty. Carter Bins drove in Swaggerty with a two-base hit of his own to make it 7-4. Sabol and Bins each notched two hits on the day.
Zac Houston fired 1 and 2/3’s scoreless frames in relief of Ponce de Leon out of Toledo’s bullpen. Miguel Del Pozo worked the Hens out of a jam in the seventh. Nick Vincent twirled a scoreless ninth to pick up his fourth save.
NEXT UP: Toledo will take Monday off before commencing the final home series of the season at Fifth Third Field. The Mud Hens will battle the Columbus Clippers on Tuesday evening at 6:35 p.m.