Hens split double header with Sounds

NASHVILLE, Tennessee - The Toledo Mud Hens and Nashville Sounds split the doubleheader on Wednesday night at First Horizon Park. The Hens won game one 5-2 while the Sounds won game two 11-7.

Game One:

In the top of the first, Renato Nunez reached on a walk. He was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice hit by Kody Clemens. With two outs, Aderlin Rodriguez yanked a 1-1 curveball out to left field that left the yard and put the Mud Hens up 2-0. The home run was number 20 on the season for Aderlin, giving him the league lead.

In the bottom of the third, Christin Kelley walked for the Sounds. Travis Shaw singled to right, allowing Kelley to advance to third, but Shaw was thrown out by Clemens trying to stretch his single into a double. With two outs and a runner on third, starter Drew Hutchison was a strike away from getting out of the inning, but a bloop single to center by Dustin Peterson plated Kelley to make it 2-1.

Clinging to a one-run lead, the Mud Hens were not content. In the fifth, JaCoby Jones singled to right. Juan Centeno followed it with an RBI triple to center field that scored Jones. Niko Goodrum did his job, hitting a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Centeno to make it 4-1 Hens. Renato Nunez put the cherry on top with a solo blast to left field, capping off a three-run fifth inning for Toledo.

After five innings of one-run ball from Hutchison, Nolan Blackwood took over for the sixth with a four-run lead. He walked Zach Green to start the inning. After a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, he balked to move Brice Turang to second base. Kelley then singled to right, scoring Turang to make it 5-2. Manager Tom Prince didn’t waste any time after that, bringing in southpaw Miguel Del Pozo to finish the inning. He threw three pitches and retired Corey Ray, sending the game to the seventh with the Hens up three.

After the Hens went quietly in the seventh, Del Pozo came back out for the seventh, looking to pick up a four-out save. Del Pozo walked the leadoff hitter to make things interesting. Dustin Peterson then singled to left, bringing the potential tying run to the dish. Needing a ground ball, Del Pozo got just that, as Cole Peterson started a 4-6-3 double play. With a runner on third and two outs, a ground ball to Goodrum at short would do it, as the Hens took game one, 5-2.

Game Two:

After a scoreless first inning, the Sounds got on the board first with a solo home run from Tim Lopes. The Hens had scored first in the previous two games of the series. Nashville did not stop there though, as they strung together four straight singles to make it 3-0. A sac fly from Pablo Reyes then extended their lead to four. After Locke St. John walked Matt Lipka, his night was over, only lasting 1.2 innings. Drew Carlton relieved him, but struggled mightily with his command, walking the first batter he faced to load the bases and the next batter to force in a run. A popout to first finally ended the threat, but the Sounds led 5-0.

The Mud Hens responded in their half of the second inning. Yariel Gonzalez reached on an error and Jacob Robson proceeded to make Nashville pay for the mistake, tripling to right field to score Gonzalez. Cole Peterson followed it with a single to center, cutting the deficit to three. After a walk to Niko Goodrum, Renato Nunez got a hanging breaking ball on an 0-2 count and did not miss it, sending a long blast to left field to tie the game at five.

Peterson started the rally in the fourth with a base hit to right field. Jon Rosoff was then hit by a pitch to move runners to first and second. With only one out in the inning, Goodrum shot a single to left field that scored Peterson. Nunez too was then hit by a pitch to load the bases for Clemens. On an 0-2 pitch, Clemens did a good job of getting his bat on the ball, hitting a sac fly to center that scored Rosoff to make it 7-5 Toledo.

Carlton came back out for the fifth inning. After his shaky start, he retired eight batters in a row. Tim Lopes ended that streak with a single to left and Zach Green followed it with a double to left that scored Lopes, making it a one-run game. Daniel Robertson then smacked a double to left-center that scored Green to tie the game at seven. Alex Lange then entered, looking to keep the game tied. He walked Kevin Kramer and then Mario Feliciano singled to center to put the Sounds back on top, 8-7. Reyes then doubled in two more and Lipka brought him in with a single to left and just like that, Nashville led 11-7.

A walk and a double in the fifth inning chased Lange and lefty Robbie Ross Jr. came on looking to limit the damage. Needing one out, a ground ball to Clemens at first did the job and the deficit remained four for Toledo.

Rodriguez laced a two-out double in the seventh, but the Hens wouldn’t be able to do anything with it and the Sounds took game two of the twin bill with an 11-7 win.

What’s Next:

The Toledo Mud Hens and Nashville Sounds meet Thursday at First Horizon Park for game four of the series with the first pitch scheduled for 8:05 p.m. EST.

Hens Notes:

• INF Aderlin Rodriguez hit his 20th home run of the season, a league best.
• INF Renato Nunez extended his hit streak to nine, a current team-high.
• The Mud Hens won their first game of a doubleheader this year.