TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo Mud Hens were defeated at Fifth Third Field for the first time in 22 days on Friday, surrendering four unearned runs in a 5-0 setback to the Indianapolis Indians.
The Mud Hens (52-40), who won their previous five games against the Indians (43-49) and seven of their last eight head-to-head meetings dating back to July 24, were limited to four hits in the contest. Toledo fell short at Fifth Third Field for the first time since dropping back-to-back contests against Omaha from July 28-29, snapping a six-game winning streak in the Glass City.
At the plate, Kody Clemens went 1-for-3 with a double, while Ryan Kreidler went 1-for-3 with a base hit. Isaac Paredes ended the night 1-for-3 with a single and a walk, while Spencer Torkelson was 1-for-4 with a long single.
Pedro Payano recorded four strikeouts in a season-high 6.2 innings of work, but was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits, three walks and a HBP. Nolan Blackwood conceded an unearned run in 1.1 hitless innings of relief before Nivaldo Rodriguez also surrendered an unearned run in his lone inning on the mound.
The Mud Hens looked to be in business in the home half of the fourth, as Paredes grounded an infield single to short before Torkelson ripped a long single off the right-field wall to put runners on the corners with nobody out. However, Indianapolis starter Max Kranick bounced back to retire the next three batters he faced to end the threat.
The Indians responded by breaking the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth, scoring three times to grab their first lead of the series. Christian Bethancourt led off the inning with a home run to left-center to give the Tribe a 1-0 edge. The visitors knocked in a pair of unearned runs later in the frame, as Jared Oliva lined a two-out triple toward the gap in left-center to bring home Hunter Owen and Chris Sharpe.
Indianapolis tacked on another unearned run in the visiting half of the eighth. With runners on second and third and two down, Bethancourt chopped a ground ball to third that slowed Phillip Evans to score and extend the lead to 4-0.
The visitors wrapped up the scoring with another unearned run in the final frame. Sharpe hit a leadoff single to right, advanced to second on a Cole Tucker groundout and scored when Oliva blooped a single to shallow right to make it a 5-0 ballgame.
What’s Next:
The Mud Hens and Indians will resume their six-game series on Saturday at Fifth Third Field. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Hens Notes:
• The Mud Hens are 7-5 in shutouts this season.
• Each of the last three games between the Mud Hens and Indians have lasted exactly two hours and 29 minutes.
• Ryan Kreidler has tallied a hit in all four games since being reassigned from Double-A Erie, going 7-for-11 with a double, two homers and four RBI in that span.
• Prior to Friday’s game, the Detroit Tigers reassigned Yariel Gonzalez and Josh Lester from Toledo to Double-A Erie.