Toledo launches four long balls in set finale win

TOLEDO, OH.: Josh Lester, Trayce Thompson, Brady Policelli, and Ryan Kreidler all slammed two-run home runs for the Toledo Mud Hens to spearhead a strong offensive showing in a 14-9 victory against the Iowa Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.

After scoring five runs in the first inning on Saturday, Iowa also came out hot offensively on Sunday. Darius Hill and Nelson Maldonado recorded consecutive doubles to push the Cubs in front, 1-0.

That lead would remain intact until the bottom of the third, when the Mud Hens roughed up I-Cubs starter Robert Gsellman for three runs. Jamie Westbrook reached on catcher’s interference, and then Lester belted the next pitch over the center field fence for a 2-1 Toledo edge. Policelli walked, advanced to third on a single by Zack Short, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Akil Baddoo to put a cap on the scoring in the frame.

Gsellman (1-2) took the loss for the I-Cubs, surrendering two hits and three runs over three innings of work.

Narciso Crook homered for the third straight game and seventh time this season in the top of the fourth to bring Iowa within 3-2.

A four-run fourth built a lead for the Mud Hens and ballooned their lead to 7-2. Riley Greene singled for the first of his two hits, then Thompson brought him in with his seventh dinger of the season opposite Matt Dermody. Four batters later, Policelli did the honors with a deep two-run blast to left center, plating Lester with him.

The I-Cubs scraped across single tallies in the fifth and sixth to trim the deficit to 7-4. Former Mud Hen Dixon Machado patted home plate on an RBI groundout by Maldonado. Levi Jordan came home on Trent Giambrone’s triple for the other tally.

Westbrook gained one of those runs back for Toledo in home half of the sixth, scoring Thompson, who tripled earlier in the stanza, to make it 8-4.

Short doubled in the bottom of the seventh and trotted home on Kreidler’s two-run bomb, his fifth of the year and first since returning from injury, for a 10-4 Mud Hens margin.

Jordan’s RBI single for Iowa in the eighth trimmed the Toledo edge to 10-5.

The Mud Hens really blew the game open by scoring four times in the eighth for a 14-5 lead. John Valente was issued a free pass and Westbrook was hit by a pitch to force Dakota Mekkes out of the game. Lester singled in Valente to finish off his 3-4 day at the dish. Policelli walked ahead of Short, who cleared the bases with a two-base hit to complete his 3-5 effort.

The Cubs showed resolve in the ninth by driving in four runs opposite Derek Law. Maldonado registered his third RBI of the day with a base knock. A passed ball allowed Hill to touch up. Jared Young’s two-run triple completed the full extent of the damage.

Toledo utilized eight different pitchers in the set finale, beginning with Drew Carlton who permitted one run and four hits with three strikeouts mixed in across two innings. Nivaldo Rodriguez (3-3) twirled a scoreless third to earn the win. Sam Howard, Nolan Blackwood, Angel De Jesus, and Miguel Del Pozo each lasted at least an inning and held Iowa to no more than one run in an offensive slugfest.

NEXT UP: After taking Monday off, the Mud Hens hit the road for six games to square off against the Worcester Red Sox. Tuesday’s first pitch from Polar Park is slated for 6:45 p.m.