The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 4-2 on Friday night. The Hens advance to 7-12 in the second half and 40-53 overall.
Joey Wentz started for the Hens and set a new season high for a Mud Hens pitcher with 12 strikeouts. The previous high was 10
The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Lehigh Valley IronPigs 4-2 on Friday night. The Hens advance to 7-12 in the second half and 40-53 overall.
Joey Wentz started for the Hens and set a new season high for a Mud Hens pitcher with 12 strikeouts. The previous high was 10 set by Reese Olson back on May 26th against Rochester. Each of the first seven outs that Wentz recorded were strikeouts, although he allowed a couple of runs in the second inning. Wentz threw 96 pitches, 64 of which were strikes, before being replaced by Aneurys Zabala with two outs in the sixth inning. Wentz earned his first win of the year with the Mud Hens.
Wentz pitched spectacularly, and the Hens bullpen was just as sharp. Zabala, Zach Logue, and Trey Wingenter combined for 3.1 innings, one hit, zero walks, and five strikeouts. Wingenter entered in the ninth inning and was pumping fastballs in the zone as he struck out all three batters he faced en route to his first Mud Hens save. Overall, the Hens pitching staff struck out 17 Pigs batters and walked just one. The 17 Ks ties a season high for most by the pitching staff, last achieved on May 7th vs Indianapolis.
The IronPigs had an early 2-0 lead, but the Hens quickly climbed back into this one. In the third inning, Parker Meadows hit a two RBI double to tie the game at 2-2, before Donny Sands knocked him in with a base hit. Sands came up big again in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run, his third homer of the year.
That home run from Sands would be the last scoring event for either team. Corey Joyce stole the show on defense in the top of the eighth, as he turned two would-be base hits into outs, showing off his spectacular range on back-to-back plays.
Corey Jeter!!!
Excuse me, Corey Joyce. Darn autocorrect.#LetsGoHens l #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/mBDRR9mUOe
— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) July 22, 2023
Another one ☝️
Back to back highlight reel plays from Corey Joyce here in the eighth! 🤯#LetsGoHens l #RepDetroit pic.twitter.com/krVNqzB36r
— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) July 22, 2023
Tonight’s win helped snap a three-game losing streak for the Hens. The Pigs and Hens will play again tomorrow night at Fifth Third Field, first pitch scheduled for 7:05 P.M.
Notables:
Joey Wentz: W, 5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 12 K
Zach Logue: H, 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Trey Wingenter: SV, 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Donny Sands: 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI, BB, SB
Parker Meadows: 1-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI