The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Louisville Bats 12-2 on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.
The pitching match-up consisted of Joey Wentz for the Mud Hens and Christian Roa for the Bats. These two squared off in the series opener when the Mud Hens won the game 7-3 on Tuesday.
Stuart Fairchild greeted Wentz by singling on the first pitch of the game. Wentz would get Alejo Lopez to groundout and Matt Reynolds to strikeout for the first two outs of the inning. Christian Encarnacion-Strand singled to put a second runner on the bases for the Bats in the inning. Wentz would get TJ Hopkins to flyout to end the inning.
Parker Meadows would draw a leadoff walk and move to second base on a wild pitch, then third on the flyout by Nick Solak. That would put a runner on third with one out. Meadows would trot home to score on a RBI groundout from Nick Maton to put the Mud Hens up 1-0. Roa would get Tyler Nevin to flyout to end the inning.
Wentz would retire the Bats in order in the second inning, striking out Nick Martini, getting Jose Barrero to popout and inducing a Jhonny Pereda flyout to retire the side.
Roa would retire his first two hitters in the second inning, getting Joe Rizzo to popout and striking out Donny Sands for the first two outs. Johan Camargo would put the Mud Hens in the hit column with a two-out single. Michael Papierski followed with a single of his own, but Camargo would be thrown out running to third base to end the inning.
Wentz would return for the third inning to face the Bats. Michael Siani would hit a leadoff double to get the Bats rolling. Fairchild would strikeout for the first out. Lopez would single, then Siani and Lopez would successfully execute a double steal to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Reynolds would continue to torch the Mud Hens, knocking a two-run single to put the Bats ahead 2-1. Wentz would bounce back with back-to-back strikeouts of Encarnacion-Strand and Hopkins to end the inning and Wentz’s outing. Wentz would finish with his first loss of the season, falling to 0-1 after pitching 3.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
Roa would retire the first two men in the bottom of the third inning, getting Grant Witherspoon to lineout and Meadows to strikeout. Solak would hit a two-out single, but would be stranded after Maton popped out to end the inning.
Zach Logue would enter the game for the Mud Hens in the fourth inning, and would be ambushed by Martini for a leadoff home run on the first pitch, making it 3-1. Barrero would then flyout for the first out. Jhonny Pereda would hit a one-out single, then moved up to second base on a wild pitch. Siani would walk to put runners on first and second with one out. Fairchild would reach on a Fielder’s Choice that erased Siani, putting runners at the corners with two outs. Logue would strikeout Lopez to end the inning.
Roa would retire the first two batters of the inning yet again in the fourth inning, getting Nevin to lineout and Rizzo to flyout. Sands would single to put a runner on, but would get stranded after Camargo grounded out to end the inning. That would close the book on Roa, who pitched 4.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits, one walk and two strikeouts.
Logue would return to begin the fifth inning for the Mud Hens. Logue would get Reynolds to strikeout for the first out. Encarnacion-Strand would strikeout, but reached on a dropped third strike courtesy of a wild pitch by Logue. Hopkins would single to put a second runner on base. Logue would get Martini to lineout before being pulled from the game. Braden Bristo would enter to finish the inning, but ran into some trouble. Barrero would hit a RBI single, making it 4-1. Pereda walked to load the bases. Siani drew a bases-loaded walk, putting it at 5-1. Fairchild smacked a two-run single, making it 7-1 in favor of the Bats. Bristo would finally strikeout Lopez to end the inning. That would close the book for both Logue and Bristo. Logue tallied 1.2 innings pitched, allowing three runs on three hits (one home run), one walk and two strikeouts. Bristo pitched 0.1 inning, allowing two runs on two hits, two walks and one strikeout.
Brett Kennedy would enter the game for the Bats, and would retire the side in order in the bottom of the fifth inning. A flyout by Papierski and back-to-back strikeouts of Witherspoon and Meadows got Kennedy seamlessly through his first inning.
Trey Wingenter would enter the game in the sixth inning for the Mud Hens. Reynolds would draw a leadoff walk, followed by a single from Encarnacion-Strand to put two runners on base with no outs. Hopkins hit a RBI single, and moving up an extra base, making it 8-1, with two runners in scoring position. Martini doubled home both runners, making it 10-1. Martini would move up to third base on a lineout by Barrero. Martini would then score on the RBI groundout from Pereda, making it 11-1. Siani would finally lineout to end the inning and the day for Wingenter. He pitched 1.0 inning, allowing four runs on three hits and one walk.
Kennedy would return in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Bats, and would retire the side in order again. A groundout by Solak, a flyout by Maton and a groundout by Nevin ended the inning after just six pitches.
Blair Calvo would enter the game in the seventh inning for the Mud Hens. Calvo would get Fairchild to lineout for the first out. Lopez would hit a one-out single, but would be erased after Reynolds grounded into an inning-ending double play, ending his night after 1.0 inning pitched, allowing one hit.
Kennedy would retire the first two batters in the seventh inning, retiring Rizzo on a flyout and Sands on a groundout. Camargo would tally the lone hit against Kennedy, picking up a two-out single. Kennedy would get Papierski to flyout to end the inning.
Rony Garcia would enter to pitch in the eighth inning for the Mud Hens. Garcia would retire the side in the eighth inning, getting Encarnacion-Strand to flyout, striking out the pinch hitter Jason Vosler and getting Martini to flyout.
Kennedy would yet again make quick work of the Mud Hens in the bottom of the eighth inning, striking out both Witherspoon and Meadows for the first two outs, then getting Solak to groundout to end the inning and his outing. Kennedy would pick up the win, improving to 3-2 after pitching 4.0 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out four batters.
Garcia would remain in the game in the ninth inning for the Mud Hens. Barrero would hit a leadoff triple and score on a sacrifice fly by Pereda, making it 12-1 for the Bats. Garcia would walk Siani and plunk Fairchild to put two runners on base with one out. Garcia would get Lopez to flyout and Reynolds to strikeout to end the inning and his outing. Garcia finished with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on one hit, one walk and two strikeouts.
Alan Busenitz would enter to pitch the ninth inning for the Bats. Busenitz would get Maton to strikeout for the first out. Nevin would then club a solo home run, his second home run in as many days, making it 12-2 in favor of the Bats. Rizzo would flyout and Sands would strikeout to end the game, sealing a 12-2 victory for the Bats.
NOTABLES:
- Tyler Nevin: 1-4, HR, RBI, R
- Johan Camargo: 2-3
- Nick Maton: 0-4, RBI
- Joey Wentz: L, 3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 K
- Blair Calvo: 1.0 IP, H
- Rony Garcia: 2.0 IP, H, R, ER, BB, 2 K
The Mud Hens will now head into the MLB All-Star Break, having four days off before heading to Buffalo for a three-game series against the Buffalo Bisons beginning on Friday, July 14th with first pitch coming at 7:05 pm ET