Sell-out crowd sees Clete Thomas hit walk-off winner in the eleventh!
The Toledo Mud Hens (51-58) won an epic eleven inning showdown versus the Syracuse Chiefs (47-59) as Clete Thomas sliced a walk-off bases loaded RBI single.
After hitting the game winning home run on Friday night, Ryan Strieby carried the wave of good hitting that he showed against the Norfolk Tides in his first at-bat against the Chiefs. Strieby stroked a RBI single to center to give the Hens their first run of the game. Scott Thorman added a RBI 4-6 fielder's choice to extend Toledo's lead to 2-0.
Brandon Inge kept swinging a hot bat when he belted a solo home run over the left field fence in the third.
Syracuse scored its first run of the game in the fourth on a Tug Hulett RBI single.
Toledo starter LHP Andy Wilk provided a quality start of 6.0 innings and one earned run. However, reliever RHP Lester Oliveros who came in for relief in the seventh did not fare as well. Oliveros loaded the bases with two walks and a hit. Then Lester would give up a RBI base hit to Syracuse's number nine hitter. With the bases still loaded and just one out, manager Phil Nevin elected to put in RHP Enrique Gonzalez. Gonzalez was highly effective in the seventh. He forced the Chiefs' Steve Lombardozzi to hit a RBI sacrifice fly which tied the game at three. Next, Gonzalez was able to pick off the runner at first with a 1-3-6 caught stealing attempt. Gonzalez would then pitch a 1-2-3 eighth inning,
The Hens and the Chiefs would find themselves in extra innings as neither could get a run in the ninth. A scoreless tenth brought an eleventh inning.
The eleventh inning began promising for the Hens when Timo Perez reached base for the fifth time in the game when he got on with a leadoff walk. Following a Strieby strikeout, Toledo loaded the bases with a Jeff Salazar basehit and a Thorman walk. Argenis Diaz had the opportunity to win the game but he fouled out. However, with the bases loaded and two outs and the Toledo Mud Hens and the Syracuse Chiefs tied at three in the eleventh inning, Clete Thomas brought a sold-out Fifth Third Field to its feet when he sliced a walk-off RBI single to the left center gap.
The Hens and Chiefs will meet once again Sunday with a special 6:00 start.
Game Notes
- Brandon Inge has reached base in all five games since he has been out-righted to Toledo.
- The Hens now have 31 outfield assists this year.
- Saturday was the 5th straight sell-out for the Mud Hens as well as the 20th sell-out of the season and the 288th in Fifth Third Field history.