Toledo loses in extras on controversial call

The Toledo Mud Hens began their six-game series with their in-state rival Columbus Clippers with a walk-off loss in the tenth inning. The Mud Hens and Clippers went back and forth all game, but the Hens fell short 7-6.

With Andy Ibanez healthy, Buddy Kennedy was optioned back to Toledo where he would lead off in his first game back. He would draw a walk in his first at bat against Will Dion. Justyn-Henry Malloy found his eighth double of the season and moved Kennedy to third. The Mud Hens were able to bring in one of these runs in Kennedy with a sacrifice fly from Jace Jung.

Matt Manning was initially scheduled to take the mound for Toledo, but his talents were needed in Detroit for the second game of a double header between the Tigers and the Cardinals. This last minute change meant that Toledo would turn to their bullpen today, with Sean Guenther starting on the rubber.

Guenther gave up singles to both Juan Brito and Johnathan Rodriguez, but the Clippers were unable to bring in their base runners.

Ryan Vilade would pick up his seventh double of the season, but was left stranded at second.

Guenther reclaimed the mound in the bottom of the second inning. He gave up a walk to Daniel Scheemann who found his way to third base thanks to a sacrifice bunt from Jose Tena and a fly out from Bryan Lavastida. Scheemann was then brought home by a double down the left field line off of the bat of Micah Pries. Toledo escaped without any further damage being done, but still went into the third inning tied 1-1.

The third inning brought Brenan Hanifee to the mound. Hanifee found his first out with some help from Andrew Navigato, but followed that up by giving up a double to the Cleveland Guardian’s second ranked prospect Kyle Manzardo. Toledo would lose their lead when a ground ball off of the bat of Jhonkensy Noel tripped up Navigato. Manzardo scored, Noel would reach second base, and Navigato would be credited with the fielding error as Columbus went up 2-1.

The fourth inning opened with a Justice Bigbie single. Two outs would follow him as he made his way to second base. Former Ohio State Buckeye Dillon Dingler back at his home, brought home Bigbie with an RBI double to tie the game 2-2. Dingler was left on second as Navigato struck out swinging.

Hanifee began to heat up in the fourth inning, going one, two, three while picking up a strikeout.

Tanner Burns came out for the Clippers to open the fifth inning. Following a battle with Malloy at bat, Burns gave up a walk. Keston Hiura brought Malloy in with a two-run home run. The homer would go down as Hiura’s fourth of the season and the RBIs being numbers sixteen and seventeen.

With the Mud Hens leading 4-2, Bryce Tassin would take over on the mound. Tassin was off to a hot start with a line out and a strikeout, but Manzardo took him deep to make it a 4-3 game.

The sixth inning brought with it another pitching change for Columbus. Burns would be benched in favor of Jaime Barria. Barria beat Akil Baddoo in a race to first base to pick up his first out and struckout Vilade for his second out. Things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows for Barria though, as Dingler hit a solo home run deep into center field.

Tassin had a rough start to the bottom of the sixth inning. He started by giving up a single to Noel and then a double to Scheemann. A fielder’s choice from Tena allowed Noel to score, cutting the Toledo lead to one.

Kennedy led off once again in the seventh inning, but hit into a ground out. Malloy made sure that Columbus knew his name with a solo-shot homer deep into left center. Toledo was unable to make anything happen the rest of the top of the inning, but came out of it up 6-4.

The Hens would reach even deeper into their bullpen as they brought out Mason Englert in the bottom of the seventh inning. Englert came into today’s game with a 2.51 ERA. The Mud Hens had a quick inning, picking up three straight outs to bring the game to the eighth inning.

Hoping to keep their deficit within reach, the Clippers put Anthony Gose on the mound. Gose walked Jung, but was bailed out by a spectacular catch and double play from Rodriguez in right field.

The bottom of the eighth was a chaotic inning. Englert started by drawing a lineout from Rodriguez. Things got rough after a hard hit grounder to third was amazingly stopped by Jung, but he couldn’t get the throw in time for the out. Scheemannn then tied it up with a two-run homer.

Both teams would be given a chance to take the lead and possibly the game in the ninth. With Toledo up to bat first, Columbus brought out Franco Aleman to close out the game. Navigato found his first hit of the day with a one-out single to left field. Navigato was able to steal second base and put the Hens in scoring position, but was left stranded.

With the Clippers being given the opportunity to walk it off, the Mud Hens put Devin Sweet into the game. Toledo found their first out on a ground ball that Hiura made an impressive pick on to get the out. Myles Straw followed up Pries with another ground out. The game would be extended following a Manzardo flyout.

Now defending the walk-off win, Columbus brought out Peter Strzelecki to replace Aleman. Toledo began with Jung at second and Hiura at the plate. Hiura hit into a groundout, but was able to move Jung to third. Bigbie went down swinging and Baddoo hit a ground out to end the top of the tenth inning.

After having lost in walk offs three times this season, Columbus looked to get their first walk-off win. The Mud Hens began the inning by opting to walk Rodriguez with Manzardo on second. The bases were then quickly loaded as Sweet hit Noel with a changeup that got away from him. Sweet was able to reel in his changeup though, as he struck out Schneemann for the first out of the inning. Tena made contact toward Hiura, but he got the ball to Dingler in time for the force out at home. The Hens would lose the game on a very controversial call as Jung made a game-extending throw to Hiura, who appeared to get the out, but the runner was called safe and the game came to a close.

Tim Federowicz tried to plead his team’s case, but the umpires would not hear him out. Columbus would walk it off, winning 7-6.

Notables:

Dillon Dingler 2-4, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Justyn-Henry Malloy 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 BB, RBI, 2 R

Keston Hiura 1-5, HR, 2 RBI, R