Jobe, Mud Hens fall in back-and-forth battle to Storm Chasers

PAPILLION, NE – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Omaha Storm Chasers 6-5 on Saturday night at Werner Park.

Detroit Tigers’ #2 prospect and MLB’s #6 prospect Jackson Jobe punched out three batters in his AAA debut.

Jobe made his first AAA start for the Mud Hens while Dinelson Lamet took the hill for the Storm Chasers.

The Hens tried to get it rolling early, with Akil Baddoo reaching on a fielder’s choice that erased Ryan Vilade after his leadoff walk, then a walk by Andrew Navigato and a single by Bligh Madris loaded the bases for Toledo with one out. Lamet pitched out of the jam, getting a popout and a strikeout to escape with no damage done.

Jobe retired the first two batters of his AAA career via a groundout and a flyout. Tyler Gentry smacked a two-out single to put Omaha in the hit column. After a two-out walk, Jobe induced a flyout by Nick Loftin to escape the jam and end the inning.

A leadoff double by Ryan Kreidler followed with an RBI single by Stephen Scott gave the Mud Hens an early 1-0 lead. Lamet loaded the bases again in the second inning after a pair of walks but got Navigato to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Jobe began the second inning by fanning Nick Pratto with a nasty changeup for his first AAA strikeout. A walk to Rodolfo Duran set up a two-run blast by Devin Mann to put Omaha on top 2-1. Cam Devanney hit a one-out double but was stranded after a strikeout and a popout.

A two-out single by Justice Bigbie in the third, followed by a walk by Kreidler set the Hens for a potential big inning, but a groundout once again allowed Lamet to dance away with minimal damage.

Three straight one-out singles by Omaha including an RBI single by Loftin gave the Storm Chasers a chance to pull away, but Jobe induced a groundball double play by Duran to end the inning at 3-1 in favor of the Storm Chasers.

Lamet retired the side in order in the top of the fourth inning, punctuated with a strikeout of Baddoo.

A pair of doubles by Mann and John Rave extended the Omaha lead to 4-1. Jobe once again limited damage, escaping the inning with just one run allowed, finishing his night by striking out Gentry with a sweeper. Jobe finished his night with 4.0 innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits (one home run) and two walks with three strikeouts.

Madris blitzed Lamet for a one-out solo home run on the first pitch of the at bat, his 19^th of the season. A double by Eddys Leonard followed with a single by Bigbie to drive home Leonard, putting Toledo back within one run at 4-3. The single by Bigbie chased Lamet from the game in favor of left-hander Austin Cox. Cox walked Kreidler to begin his outing, but bounced back by retiring the next two batters to escape the jam. Lamet finished his night with 4.1 innings pitched, allowing three runs on seven hits (one home run) and five walks with three strikeouts.

Austin Schulfer entered to pitch for the Mud Hens in the fifth inning. Schulfer retired the side with ease, inducing a flyout and collecting a pair of punchouts.

Back-to-back singles by Vilade and Baddoo put Cox in trouble to begin the sixth inning. However, a double play and a strikeout allowed Cox to dance out of it and finish his night. Cox tallied 1.2 innings pitched, allowing two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

Schulfer returned again in the bottom of the sixth inning, needing just ten pitched to retire the Storm Chasers with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout. Schulfer finished after pitching 2.0 perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Jonathan Bowlan entered to pitch the seventh inning for the Storm Chasers. Bowlan induced two groundouts before freezing Kreidler for an inning-ending strikeout.

Andrew Magno entered for the bottom of the seventh inning for Toledo. Rave singled and swiped second before a walk to Nate Eaton put the lefty in a jam. Rave moved to third on a flyout, opening second base to be stolen by Eaton. With two runners in scoring position, Magno fanned the next two batters to stall the Storm Chasers and hold the score at 4-3.

Bowlan remained on in the eighth inning for Omaha. A one-out single by Riley Unroe and his 18^th stolen base of the season put the tying-run in scoring position. Baddoo was then intentionally walked, putting the go-ahead run on first base. Navigato then roped a lead-taking two-run double into the left field corner, giving the Mud Hens a 5-4 lead. Bowlan got Madris to flyout to end the inning. Bowlan finished with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk with two strikeouts. Bowlan earned the win, improving to 10-4 on the season, but also was hit with his second blown save.

Magno stayed on to hold the lead for the Hens. After striking out Pratto, Omaha went to work. Duran reached on a one-out single, before Tyler Tolbert entered to pinch run for him, swiping second base. Mann drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on first base, drawing Drew Waters into the game as a pinch runner as well. Devanney singled home Tolbert to tie the game at 5-5, moving Waters to third base. Rave then dropped a sacrifice bunt, allowing Waters to score the game-winning run. Magno struck out Eaton to end the inning. Magno finished after 2.0 innings pitched, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Magno was hit with the loss, falling to 4-9 on the season.

Steven Cruz entered in the ninth inning for Omaha to close the door on Toledo. Austin Nola entered for Tolbert as the catcher, while Waters remained in the game as the designated hitter. Cruz made quick work of the Hens in the ninth inning to secure his third save of the season in his 1.0 inning pitched with one strikeout.

NOTABLES:

• Bligh Madris (2-5, HR, RBI, R, K)
• Andrew Navigato (1-4, 2 RBI, 2B, BB)
• Jackson Jobe (4.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, HR, 2 BB, 3 K)
• Austin Schulfer (2.0 IP, 3 K)

The Toledo Mud Hens remain in Omaha for their final road game of the season on September 15, 2024, against the Omaha Storm Chasers at 3:05 p.m. ET at Werner Park.