Top prospects power Hens to extra innings win

DES MOINES, Iow. – The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Iowa Cubs 6-4 in ten innings on Sunday afternoon at Principal Park

The pitching matchup consisted of Will Vest for the Mud Hens and Shane Greene for the Cubs.

Greene retired the Mud Hens in order to begin the game, getting Parker Meadows to flyout and back-to-back lineouts by Justyn-Henry Malloy and Colt Keith to end the inning.

Vest would get Yonathan Perlaza to groundout for the first out. Miles Mastrobuoni would draw a walk to put the first baserunner on the bases in the game. Vest would strikeout Jake Slaughter before back-to-back walks of David Bote and Alexander Canario would load the bases. Vest would walk Pete Crow-Armstrong to bring home a run, putting the I-Cubs up 1-0. Vest would get Luis Vazquez to groundout to end the inning.

Greene would begin the second inning with a Tyler Nevin groundout. Wenceel Perez would double to put the Mud Hens in the hit column. Greene would get Ryan Kreidler to flyout for the second out. After a Joe Rizzo walk, Perez would get caught trying to steal third base to end the inning.

Vest would return to begin the second inning. Vest would get Chase Strumpf to strikeout looking to begin the inning, which would also end his outing. Vest would end with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing one run on four walks and two strikeouts. Bryan Sammons would enter the game for the Mud Hens. Sammons would need just four pitches to end the inning, getting Bryce Windham to flyout and Perlaza to lineout.

Keegan Thompson would enter to pitch in the third inning for the I-Cubs. Andrew Knapp would draw a leadoff walk. Thompson would get Grant Witherspoon to lineout for the first out. A Meadows walk and a Malloy single would load the bases. Keith promptly smashed a double off of the wall to plate two Knapp and Meadows, giving the Mud Hens a 2-1 lead. Thompson would bounce back with back-to-back strikeouts of Nevin and Perez to end the inning, but the damage was done. That would end the outing for Thompson after 1.0 inning pitched, allowing one run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts.

Sammons would retire the Cubs in order in the bottom of the third inning on ten pitches. Mastrobuoni would strikeout looking, Slaughter would flyout and Bote would popout to end the inning.

Chris Clarke would enter the game to pitch the fourth inning for the I-Cubs. Clarke would retire the Mud Hens in order, striking out Kreidler, getting Rizzo to popout and Knapp to flyout.

Sammons would get two quick outs by getting Canario to popout and striking out Crow-Armstrong. Vazquez would get the Cubs in the hit column with a two-out single to right. Sammons would get Strumpf to lineout on the very next pitch to end the inning.

Clarke would return to pitch the fifth inning, retiring the Mud Hens in order. Clarke would get Witherspoon to flyout, followed by back-to-back groundouts from Malloy and Meadows to end the inning.

Sammons would return for the fifth inning and would find himself in a jam. Sammons would get Windham to groundout for the first out. Perlaza would single, Mastrobuoni would walk and Slaughter would reach on a fielder’s choice with the rain coming down. Bote would hit a deep flyball to right field for a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2. Mastrobuoni would scramble home to score on a wild pitch and give the Cubs a 3-2 lead. Sammons would strikeout Canario to end the inning, but the damage was done. That would end the afternoon for Sammons after pitching 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Clarke would come back for another inning of work in the fifth inning. Clarke would get Keith to lineout for the first out. Nevin would draw a one-out walk, but would be stranded after a Perez strikeout and a Kreidler groundout would end the inning. That would end the outing for Clarke after 3.0 hitless innings pitched, walking one and striking out two batters.

Rony Garcia would enter to pitch in the bottom of the sixth inning for the Mud Hens. Garcia would get back-to-back flyouts to left field by Crow-Armstrong and Vazquez. Strumpf would club a double off of the left field wall to put the Cubs in scoring position. Garcia would strikeout Windham to end the inning and strand Strumpf and second base.

Riley Martin would enter to pitch the seventh inning for the I-Cubs. An error would allow Rizzo to reach. A walk by Knapp, a wild pitch and a walk by Witherspoon would load the bases for the Mud Hens. That would chase Martin from the game without recording an out. Tyler Duffey would enter the game for the I-Cubs. Meadows would tie the game with a sacrifice fly, knotting it at 3-3. Duffey would pick off Witherspoon for the second out. Malloy would put the Mud Hens back in front at 4-3 with a RBI single, but would be thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double to end the inning. That would close the book on Martin, who did not record an out, but allowed two unearned runs on two walks.

Garcia would be greeted with a leadoff solo home run by Perlaza to tie the game at 4-4 on the first pitch. Garcia would retire the next three batters, getting Mastrobuoni to lineout, Slaughter to flyout and Bote to strikeout. That would end the afternoon for Garcia after 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits (one home run) and two strikeouts.

Duffey would return to pitch the top of the eighth inning for the I-Cubs. Duffey would strikeout Keith and get Nevin to lineout for two quick outs. However, a walk to Perez would chase Duffey from the game. Cam Sanders would enter to finish the inning for Iowa. Sanders’ first pitch would be a wild one, allowing Perez to move to second base. Sanders would strikeout Kreidler to end the inning and escape with the tie intact. That would close the book on Duffey, who finished with 1.2 innings pitched, allowing one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Miguel Diaz would enter to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning for the Mud Hens. Diaz would get Canario to popout to begin the inning. Crow-Armstrong would smoke a double off of the center field wall at 106.4 MPH to put the go-ahead run on base. A wild pitch would move Crow-Armstrong to third base. Matt Mervis would pinch-hit, drawing a walk and swiping second base. Windham would walk to load the bases. Diaz would get Perlaza to groundout to end the inning and escape the jam.

Sanders would remain in the game for the I-Cubs to pitch the ninth inning. Rizzo would draw a leadoff walk to put the go-ahead run on the bases. Sanders would get Knapp to strikeout and Witherspoon to popout for the first two outs. Meadows would get hit by a pitch to put a second runner on base for the Mud Hens. Sanders would strikeout Malloy to escape the jam and end the inning.

Diaz would remain in the game to pitch the ninth inning for the Mud Hens. Diaz would get Mastrobuoni to lineout and Slaughter to flyout for the first two outs of the inning. Bote would smack a two-out single, but would be left stranded after Canario popped out to Rizzo in foul territory on the next pitch to end the inning. That would end the afternoon for Diaz after 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two hits and two walks with one strikeout. Diaz would pick up the win, improving to 2-4 on the season.

Cam Sanders would remain in the game for the I-Cubs to pitch in the top of the tenth inning. Malloy would begin the inning as the runner at second base. Keith would smack a go-ahead RBI double down the first base line, putting the Mud Hens up 5-4. Keith would move up to third base on a groundout by Nevin. Keith would then score on a sacrifice fly from Perez, making it 6-4. Sanders would get Kreidler to flyout to end the inning. That would close the book on Sanders’ afternoon after pitching 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit, one walk and three strikeouts. Sanders would be handed the loss falling to 6-1 on the season.

Aneurys Zabala would enter the game to pitch for the Mud Hens in the bottom of the tenth inning. Canario would begin the inning at second base. Canario would move up to third base on a groundout by Crow-Armstrong. Zabala would strikeout Vazquez and get Mervis to groundout to end the inning and seal the 6-4 victory for the Mud Hens. The Mud Hens officially win the series 5-1. Zabala would close it out, picking up his second save after pitching 1.0 inning and collecting one strikeout.

NOTABLES:

• Colt Keith: 2-5, 3 RBI, 2 2B, R, K
• Justyn-Henry Malloy: 2-5, RBI, R, K
• Wenceel Perez: 1-3, RBI, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Parker Meadows: 0-2, RBI, R, BB, HBP
• Miguel Diaz: W, 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, K
• Aneurys Zabala: SV, 1.0 IP, K

The Mud Hens will return home to begin a twelve-game homestand, beginning with a six-game series against the Columbus Clippers. The first game of the series will begin on Tuesday, August 8th at 7:05 pm ET at Fifth Third Field in Toledo.