Jobe, offense do the job in big Friday win

TOLEDO – The Toledo Mud Hens defeated the Columbus Clippers 10-4 on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.

Jackson Jobe picked up his first AAA win while striking out four batters in the win.

Jobe took the mound for his first home start with the Mud Hens, while Zak Kent opened for the Clippers with Triston McKenzie to follow in bulk relief.

Jobe retired the side in the top of the first inning in short order, using just nine pitches to send the Clippers packing.

Toledo came right out with a pair of hits to begin the night, as Ryan Vilade blitzed Kent for a leadoff single, then moving to third on a double by Kreidler. Andrew Navigato came through for the Hens with a two-run single to put them on top early. Navigato swiped second base but was stranded by Kent.

Jobe danced around a leadoff single by Johnathan Rodriguez in the top of the second inning. Jobe stranded the runner by retiring the next three batters, including a pair of punchouts to end the inning.

Jobe once again escaped a jam in the third inning after walking a pair, striking out Raynel Delgado to end the frame.

The Mud Hens kicked off the bottom of the third inning with a pair of singles by Kreidler and Akil Baddoo and a walk by Navigato to load the bases. Then, a wild pitch and a balk by Kent scored both Kreidler and Baddoo. Kent then beaned Leonard, putting runners at the corners with no outs. That chased Kent from the game in favor of McKenzie. Navigato then came home to score on a disengagement violation, making it 5-0 Mud Hens. McKenzie punched out Bligh Madris looking, upheld after a failed challenge by Madris for the first out. A one-out walk by Justice Bigbie set-up Tomas Nido for a knockout punch. Nido roped a two-run double off of the wall, scoring Leonard and Bigbie. Mercado drew another walk, followed by a sacrifice fly by Vilade, extending the lead to 8-0 before Kreidler flied out to end the inning. Kent finished with the loss, allowing six runs on five hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 2.0 innings pitched. Kent drops to 2-1 on the season.

The Clippers got back a pair of runs in the fourth inning, as Dom Nunez tagged Jobe for a two-out two-run home run, making it 8-2 Toledo. After a meeting on the mound, Jobe rallied back to strikeout Micael Ramirez to end the inning.

Navigato was hit in the head by a pitch from McKenzie with one out in the bottom of the fourth inning. Navigato pleaded his case, but was removed as Drew Maggi entered to replace him. Eddys Leonard promptly launched a two-run home run to left-center at 108.5 MPH off the bat, making it 10-2 Mud Hens. McKenzie got Madris to flyout for the second out, but that marked the end of the line for McKenzie. Nick Mikolajchak entered to finish the inning. After Bigbie reached on an error, Mikolajchak got Nido to groundout, ending the inning. McKenzie finished after 1.2 innings pitched, allowing four runs (three earned) on two hits (one home run) with two walks and two strikeouts.

Maggi remained in the game at third base to begin the fifth inning. Jobe breezed through the first two outs, but found himself in a jam after a single by Juan Brito and a double by Delgado. Jobe then induced a flyout by Rodriguez to end the inning and put a bowtie on his first outing at Fifth Third Field. Jobe moved to 1-0 with his first AAA win after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits (one home run) and three walks with four strikeouts.

Mikolajchak and Ricky Vanasco then each tossed a pair of shutout innings for the Clippers and Mud Hens respectively. Mikolajchak finished his night after pitching 2.1 innings, allowing just one walk while striking out five batters. Vanasco pitched 2.0 innings, walking one and striking out two batters.

Andrew Misiaszek entered in the bottom of the seventh inning to pitch for the Clippers. Misiaszek set down the side in order on strikeouts.

Chase Lee came on to pitch the eighth inning for the Mud Hens. Lee found himself in a jam after a leadoff walk by Bryan Lavastida and a single by Micah Pries. Lee struck out the next two batters, but Christian Cairo roped a two-run double to centerfield, making it 10-4 Toledo. Lee bounced back, striking out Estevan Florial to end the inning.

Misiaszek remained on for the ninth inning for the Clippers, striking out the side again, setting down all six hitters he faced on strikes in his two innings of work. The Clippers set the Mud Hens season-high for offensive strikeouts at 16.

Miguel Diaz entered to finish it off for the Hens in the ninth inning. A single by Delgado and a walk by Lavastida had two runners on with Columbus down to their final out. Diaz got Pries to strikeout looking to seal the 10-4 victory.

NOTABLES:

• Jackson Jobe (W, 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, HR, 3 BB, 4 K; First AAA Win)
• Ryan Kreidler (2-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 K)
• Eddys Leonard (1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 3 K)

The Toledo Mud Hens remain home for the penultimate game of the 2024 season against the Columbus Clippers tomorrow, September 21, 2024, at Fifth Third Field with first pitch coming at 5:05 p.m. ET.