In the final game of a week-long road trip, the Toledo Mud Hens were forced to play extra innings for the seventh time this season. The Durham Bulls walked it off in the eleventh inning with a 4-3 victory after the Hens came from behind late to force extras.
In the final game of a week-long road trip, the Toledo Mud Hens were forced to play extra innings for the seventh time this season. The Durham Bulls walked it off in the eleventh inning with a 4-3 victory after the Hens came from behind late to force extras.
Anthony Vasquez made his second start of the season for Toledo on Sunday and worked 6.0 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs, walking one, and striking out three. Despite the strong outing, he wound up with a no-decision.
Durham utilized pitcher-by-committee approach in the contest, sending six pitchers to the mound.
Jason Krizan and David Lough led the way offensively for Toledo. Krizan was 3-for-4, the biggest of which was a game-tying home run in the eighth inning. Lough finished with three hits, including a bunt base hit in the top of the ninth to put the pressure on.
The Bulls got on the board early against Vasquez before he settled in. Patrick Leonard doubled to deep center to score Willy Adames to give Durham and early advantage.
From the second inning through the fifth, Vasquez allowed just two base runners. The Hens offense got him a run back in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Krizan singled to lead off the inning and Argenis Diaz walked. Krizan would reach third base on a Brendan Ryan fielder's choice before Lough reached on an error that allowed Krizan to score with two outs.
After Vasquez cruised through the middle innings, the Bulls got to him again in the sixth. Adames led off with a double and Jake Bauers homered to right to put Durham up 3-1.
The Hens answered right away in the top half of the seventh to cut the lead in half. With two outs, Lough doubled and Alex Presley's single to left brought him home.
In relief of Vasquez, Jeff Ferrell and Daniel Stumpf combined to work a scoreless bottom of the seventh. Krizan stayed hot and sent an 0-1 pitch over the left-center field wall to tie the game up at 3-3. The blast was the first of the season for Krizan with Toledo.
Bruce Rondón pitched a perfect eighth inning before the Hens put the pressure on in the ninth. With one out, Brendan Ryan worked the count and walked. Lough laid down a perfect but down the third base line to put the go-ahead run at second base with just one out. Presley came up in a big spot and grounded into a fielder's choice that advanced Ryan to third with two outs. Omar Infante had a chance to come up big with two outs, but grounded out to end the inning and the Toledo threat.
Edward Mujica came on in the ninth in a tie game. Leonard smacked his second double of the night to lead off the inning to put the Bulls in good shape. However, a little dribbler back to Mujica off the bat of Shane Peterson was quickly grabbed and fired to third to get Leonard who was trying to advance. Mujica got the next two batters with ease to escape trouble and forced extra innings.
John Hicks dumped a one-out single into center to get things going for Toledo in the tenth inning but Krizan hit into a double play to end the inning.
Mujica cruised through the bottom of the tenth to keep the game tied and force an eleventh. Diaz led off the top of the eleventh with a single but the Hens put him in motion with Steven Moya at the plate and the Bulls converted a strike out, caught stealing double play to thwart the Toledo threat.
Bauers reached base on an infield hit with one out against Mike Zagurski. Leonard recorded his third hit of the game, a double to the right field corner, to score Bauers from first to walk it off for the Bulls.
The Hens finally return home on Monday as they host the Louisville Bats for a quick four-game series. Buck Farmer (0-2, 3.46 ERA) will toe the rubber in the first game for Toledo.
