The tables were certainly turned Thursday afternoon as the Hens' season-high 22 hits from Wednesday night's drubbing of Louisville were nowhere to be found. The Bats, however, recorded a 14 in their hits column - one short of their season-high. Those 14 hits translated into 11 runs that helped them
The tables were certainly turned Thursday afternoon as the Hens' season-high 22 hits from Wednesday night's drubbing of Louisville were nowhere to be found. The Bats, however, recorded a 14 in their hits column - one short of their season-high. Those 14 hits translated into 11 runs that helped them salvage the last of a three-game series in which the Hens beat them three times.
The tables were certainly turned Thursday afternoon as the Hens' season-high 22 hits from Wednesday night's drubbing of Louisville were nowhere to be found. The Bats, however, recorded a 14 in their hits column - one short of their season-high. Those 14 hits translated into 11 runs that helped them salvage the last of a three-game series in which the Hens beat them three times.
Drew VerHagen, toeing the rubber with the goal of completing the Hens' first four-game sweep of the season, fell victim to a frustrated Louisville offense that had previously been dormant throughout the whole series. After scoring just seven runs in the previous three games, the Bats proceeded to throw ten earned runs to VerHagen's name to hand him his third loss of the year.
The Bats put a crooked number on the board right away as VerHagen put Hernan Iribarren on with a walk before giving up an RBI double to Jesse Winker. A hitless second inning led right into a three-run third by the Bats.
Those three runs happened in the blink of an eye. Beau Amaral doubled to left and was moved to third on an infield single by Phillip Ervin. This set the stage for Iribarren, who lifted a ball off the stadium light in right field to make the score 4-0.
It did not stop after he escaped the third, either. With one out in the fourth, catcher Chad Wallach and shortstop Zach Vincej each singled up the middle. Amaral followed those with his second double of the game, bringing both home. VerHagen then issued back-to-back walks to Ervin and Iribarren before Winker singled in Amaral and Ervin for his second and third RBIs of the game. Third baseman Tony Renda brought in Iribarren with a single and then Sebastian Elizalde singled in Winker. Now turning the lineup card over, VerHagen got Brandon Dixon and Wallach each to pop out to finally put an end to it. The final damage stood at six runs on six hits that put the Bats up 10-0.
The Hens remained quiet offensively. Their one spark came in the fifth when Hens catcher Bryan Holaday deposited a two-run homer over the left field wall. Argenis Diaz was the one who got on base to be brought in by Holaday when he ripped a single up the middle with one out. Holaday stepped up and crushed a 2-1 fastball just inside the foul pole in left.
Louisville got someone across the plate once more in the sixth. Lefty Mike Zagurski came in for some work but gave up a leadoff triple to Iribarren. Zagurski struck out Winker and walked Renda before Elizalde's fly ball to right was deep enough to score Iribarren.
The Hens had just one hit left in them - an eighth-inning single by John Hicks. Louisville reliever Kevin Shackelford entered and set Toledo down 1-2-3 to capture the last of a four-game series.
Hens relievers came in and did their job of keeping the score where it was, as Kyle Ryan and Edward Mujica each tossed scoreless frames. At the plate, Efren Navrro walked three times to place himself second in the International League in that category.
A three-game tilt at Indianapolis now faces the Hens, with Friday featuring a doubleheader to make up for a rainout that occurred on May 4th. The first game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Toledo holds a 5-4 record against Indianapolis on the season.
