Sands extends hitting streak to nine in loss

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Indianapolis Indians 13-1 on Wednesday night at Victory Field.

The Mud Hens would be sending out Austin Bergner while the Indians would send Caleb Smith to the rubber.

Justyn-Henry Malloy opened the game with a leadoff walk before Smith retired Kerry Carpenter on a strikeout, Andre Lipcius on a groundout and Parker Meadows on a flyout.

Austin Bergner would strikeout both Nick Gonzales and Travis Swaggerty to begin his night, followed by an Endy Rodriguez flyout to keep the game scoreless after one inning.

Smith would come back out for the second inning to face the 5-6-7 of the Mud Hens batting order. Smith got Donny Sands to lineout, struck out Andrew Knapp and picked up a groundball to retire Jermaine Palacios and the Mud Hens in the second inning. However, after noticing that his velocity was down the entire night, that would be the end of the road for Smith. Smith would finish with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one walk and two strikeouts.

Bergner would return for the second inning and gave up a leadoff double to Miguel Andujar. Canaan Smith-Njigba would strike out before Cal Mitchell would single, but Andujar was thrown out at home plate for the first out, while Mitchell moved up to second base on the throw. That was when Indianapolis would crack the scoreboard. Jared Triolo hit a RBI single to left to put the Indians up 1-0. After a double by Aaron Shackelford and a walk to Ryan Vilade, Bergner was in trouble and had a reliever looming in the bullpen when Nick Gonzales stepped in. Gonzales battled and crushed the seventh pitch of the at-bat for a grand slam, putting Indianapolis ahead 5-0. That would be the end of the night for Bergner, who finished with 1.2 innings pitched, allowing five runs on five hits (one home run), one walk and three strikeouts. Bergner would also be handed the loss, dropping his record to 1-2 on the season. Matt Wisler would enter the game for the Mud Hens and get Swaggerty to groundout and end the inning.

Carmen Mlodzinski would enter the game for the Indians in place of Smith. Mlodzinski would get John Valente to lineout before Brendon Davis hit a one-out double to give the Mud Hens a chance to score. Mlodzinski would get Malloy to lineout and Carpenter to groundout to end the inning unscathed.

Wisler would return to pitch the third inning for the Mud Hens, getting both Rodriguez and Andujar to lineout and striking out Smith-Njigba to retire the side quietly. Wisler’s night would be over, pitching 1.1 innings and picking up one strikeout.

Mlodzinski would return to the mound in the fourth inning for Indianapolis. Mlodzinski would get Lipcius to groundout before walking Meadows, Sands and Knapp to load the bases with one out. Mlodzinski would however escape the jam by inducing a 6-4-3 double play off the bat of Palacios to retire the side and neutralize the threat. Mlodzinski’s final line would be 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one hit and three walks. Mlodzinski would pick up the win, improving his record to 2-2 on the season.

Rony Garcia would replace Wisler to pitch the fourth inning. Garcia made quick work of Indy in the fourth inning, inducing a lineout by Mitchell, striking out Triolo and getting Shackelford to flyout to end the inning.

Daniel Zamora entered in the fifth inning to relieve Mlodzinski. Zamora struck out Valente and got Davis to groundout before a two-out walk to Malloy gave way for a RBI double off the bat of Carpenter to make the game 5-1 in favor of Indianapolis. Carpenter would then be stranded after a popout from Lipcius.

Garcia returned for the fifth inning, inducing a groundout from Vilade, striking out Gonzales and inducing a second groundout from Swaggerty to set the Indians down quietly a second time.

Zamora returned to the mound for the sixth inning. Meadows flied out before Sands extended his hitting streak to nine games with a one-out single. Zamora would get Knapp to groundout before being removed from the game. Eli Villalobos would enter the game and get Palacios to groundout after an eight-pitch at-bat to end the inning. Zamora’s final line was 1.2 innings pitched, allowing one run on two hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Garcia returned for another inning in the sixth inning as the Hens were looking for some length from the bullpen. Rodriguez hit a leadoff triple to get the Indians started in the sixth inning. Andujar would single him home to make it 6-1. Smith-Njigba and Mitchell would hit back-to-back home runs to make it 9-1 after Andujar scored on the shot by Smith-Njigba. Triolo doubled, Shackelford walked and then Vilade hit an RBI single to make it 10-1. Gonzales walked to reload the bases. That was when Garcia was lifted from the ballgame and Sam Clay entered. Shackelford came home to score on a fielders choice which made it 11-1 with runners on the corners and one out. Rodriguez would strikeout in his second at-bat of the inning for the second out. Andujar and Smith-Njigba would hit back-to-back RBI singles to put the game at 13-1 in favor of the Indians. Clay would strikeout Mitchell to end the inning after 13 hitters came to the plate, and eight runs came across to score. Garcia’s final line would read 2.0+ innings pitched (Garcia pitched to eight batters in the sixth inning), allowing eight runs on six hits (two home runs), two walks and two strikeouts. That would also be the end of the line for Clay, who pitched 1.0 inning, allowing two hits and two strikeouts.

Villalobos would return for the seventh inning, inducing a groundout from Valente before Davis smacked his second triple of the game. Malloy would strikeout before a walk to Carpenter had a threat going for the Mud Hens. Villalobos would induce a flyout from Lipcius to yet again get the Indians out of a jam and keep the score at 13-1. That would end Villalobos’ night with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

Miguel Diaz would enter to pitch the seventh inning for the Mud Hens, getting Triolo to popout, striking out Mark Mathias who entered as a pinch hitter for Shackelford, hitting Vilade with a pitch and then striking out Gonzales to end the inning. That would end Diaz’s night with 1.0 inning pitched allowing two strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch.

Chase De Jong entered to pitch for the Indians in the eighth inning. Meadows flied out to begin the inning, followed by Sands’ second hit of the night, another single. Knapp would ground into a fielder’s choice and Palacios would strikeout to end the inning.

Diaz would be replaced by Brendan White in the eighth inning. White struck out Swaggerty before walking Rodriguez and giving up a single to Andujar. White would settle down and strikeout both Smith-Njigba and Mitchell to end the inning and the Indians’ night offensively. White would finish with 1.0 inning pitched, allowing one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.

De Jong would remain on the mound to finish out the game for the Indians. Valente would flyout to leadoff the inning. Davis would walk to reach for his third time in the contest. Malloy and Carpenter would both strikeout to end the game. De Jong would finish with 2.0 innings pitched, allowing one hit, one walk and three strikeouts.

NOTABLES:

• Donny Sands: 2-3, BB, Extended hitting streak to nine games
• Brendon Davis: 2-3, 2 2B, BB
• Kerry Carpenter: 1-4, RBI, 2B, BB, 2 K

The Toledo Mud Hens will remain in Indianapolis to face the Indians in game three of the six game series tomorrow, June 1^st at 6:35 pm EST at Victory Field in Indianapolis, Indiana.