Leonard, Madris homer in slugfest loss to Indy

TOLEDO – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Indianapolis Indians 9-7 on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.

Eddys Leonard homered for the second time in as many days in front of the Toledo faithful.

Jack Anderson led a bullpen game for the Mud Hens while Mike Burrows toed the rubber for the Indians.

Andrew Navigato started the offense with an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning, scoring Wenceel Perez from second base.

Doubles from Jack Suwinski and Joshua Palacios allowed the Indians to tie it at 1-1 before Palacios scored on an RBI single by Andres Alvarez to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the second inning. The runs snapped a 12.1 scoreless innings streak for Anderson.

Toledo came right back for the lead with a pair of runs on back-to-back one-out doubles by Stephen Scott and Oscar Mercado to tie the game, with Mercado scoring on an RBI single by Ryan Vilade.

Wilmer Flores entered in the third inning to replace Anderson. Anderson finished with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on four hits with one strikeout. After a strikeout to start the inning, a pair of singles and a walk set up a grand slam by Palacios, putting Indianapolis ahead 6-3. PJ Poulin entered the game to finish the inning, getting Seth Beer to flyout. Flores finished with 0.2 inning pitched, allowing four runs on three hits (one home run) and one walk with two strikeouts. Flores took the loss, falling to 2-3.

Leonard got a run back with a one-out solo home run, making it 6-4. The end of the third inning also marked the end of the line for Burrows, who pitched 3.0 innings, allowing four runs on five hits (one home run) with three walks and two strikeouts.

Poulin returned to pitch the fourth inning, finishing his day after pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three batters.

Michael Plassmeyer entered for the Indians in the fourth inning, dancing around a one-out single from Vilade by getting a double play by Perez.

Andrew Vasquez was next to pitch for the Mud Hens in the fifth inning. Vasquez copied Plassmeyer, avoiding damage after a leadoff single by Nick Yorke by getting Jake Lamb to ground into a double play.

Plassmeyer escaped damage again in the fifth inning after Leonard singled with two outs and was stranded.

Garrett Hill entered the game for the Hens in the sixth inning. Despite allowing a one out walk to Palacios, a caught stealing of Palacios set the Indians down in order.

A one-out double by Scott chased Plassmeyer from the game in favor of Ryder Ryan. Plassmeyer finished his night after allowing three hits and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings pitched and taking the win to improve to 5-10 on the season. Despite a single and stolen base by Mercado, the Hens failed to tack on in the sixth inning.

To begin the seventh inning, Riley Unroe entered to replace Perez at second base, with Vilade moving from second base to right field. Hill promptly set down the side in order in the seventh.

Ryan walked Akil Baddoo to begin the bottom of the seventh. Baddoo swiped second base for his 25^th stolen base of the season. Baddoo was stranded by Ryan after a pair of strikeouts and a flyout ended the inning. Ryan finished his night after pitching 1.2 innings, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts and earning his fifth hold of the season.

Hill impressed again in the eighth inning, setting down Indy in order once more to finish his night. Hill finished with 3.0 hitless innings, allowing just one walk with two strikeouts.

Geronimo Franzua entered to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning for Indy. After a popout and a groundout, a two-out walk of Mercado spelled the end of Franzua’s short outing. Connor Sadzeck entered to get a four-out save, retiring Vilade to end the inning.

Devin Sweet entered to pitch the ninth inning for the Mud Hens. After getting a strikeout to begin the inning, a double by Palacios and a walk by Beer set up Alvarez for more insurance. Alvarez clobbered a three-run home run to center field, extending the Indians lead to 9-4. After another walk to Ji-Hwan Bae, Sweet induced a flyout and struck out Yorke to end the inning. Sweet finished his afternoon after allowing three runs on two hits (one home run) and two walks with two strikeouts.

Sadzeck stayed in the game for the Indians to close it out. A leadoff walk by Unroe and a double by Baddoo gave the Hens a chance to threaten a comeback. After a strikeout and a tapper back to the mound, Bligh Madris came to the plate with Toledo down to their final out. Madris cracked a cutter way over the right field wall for a three-run home run, making it 9-7. Sadzeck bounced back to get Justice Bigbie to groundout and seal the 9-7 win and a 4-2 series win for Indianapolis Sadzeck earned his eighth save, allowing three runs on two hits (one home run) with one walk and one strikeout over his 1.1 innings pitched.

NOTABLES:

• Bligh Madris (1-4, HR, 3 RBI, R, BB, K)
• Eddys Leonard (2-5, HR, RBI, R, K)
• Stephen Scott (2-4, 2 2B, R)
• Garrett Hill (3.0 IP, BB, 2 K)

The Toledo Mud Hens now head out on their final road trip of the 2024 season. The Hens will head West to battle the Omaha Storm Chasers in a six-game series, with game one beginning on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, with first pitch at 1:05 pm ET at Werner Park in Papillion, NE.