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Hens drop both games of doubleheader to Redbirds

Gonzalez pushes hit streak to 16; Rodríguez homers in first game
June 4, 2021

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Toledo Mud Hens dropped both games of their doubleheader against the Memphis Redbirds on Thursday, falling by scores of 10-6 and 3-2 at AutoZone Park. Daz Cameron tallied multiple hits in both contests for the Mud Hens (12-14), finishing a combined 4-for-7 with a double, three

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The Toledo Mud Hens dropped both games of their doubleheader against the Memphis Redbirds on Thursday, falling by scores of 10-6 and 3-2 at AutoZone Park.

Daz Cameron tallied multiple hits in both contests for the Mud Hens (12-14), finishing a combined 4-for-7 with a double, three singles, a HBP, two RBI and a run. Additionally, JaCoby Jones, Isaac Paredes and Yariel Gonzalez each netted a pair of hits in the first half of the twin bill, while Gonzalez singled in the top of the sixth inning during the nightcap to extend his hitting streak to 16 straight games.

Matt Manning was tagged with the loss in the first game, tossing 3.1 innings and allowing seven earned runs on nine hits while striking out five. After Locke St. John made his first start at any level since Aug. 6, 2017 with Single-A West Michigan, Jason Foley tossed 1.1 scoreless inning of relief to keep the second game deadlocked at 2-2, but Miguel Del Pozo was deemed the losing pitcher after Memphis (11-16) outfielder Rayder Ascanio hit a walk-off home run to lead off the bottom of the seventh.

Game 1: Memphis 10, Toledo 6
The Mud Hens needed little time to jam the basepaths against Adrian College alumnus Thomas Parsons, as Jones sliced a base hit into shallow right before Paredes grounded an infield single to short to put runners on first and second with one out. Gonzalez then extended his hitting streak to 15 straight games when he lined a single into center to drive in Jones and stake the visitors to an early 1-0 lead.

The Redbirds pulled even in the bottom of the first, but Aderlin Rodríguez put the Mud Hens back in front when he started the top of the second with an opposite-field shot to right-center for his third home run in as many at-bats. Toledo tacked on another run later in the inning when Cole Peterson hit a two-out triple to left, and scored when Cameron lined a single into left to give the Mud Hens a 3-1 edge.

Memphis snatched the lead for good with eight runs in the bottom of the fourth. In all, the Redbirds tallied eight hits – including four doubles, an RBI triple and a two-run homer – and sent 12 men to the plate as they opened up a 9-3 cushion.

The Mud Hens responded by scoring three times in the top of the fifth. Cameron grounded a two-out single up the middle, and scored from first when Jones doubled down the left-field line to cut the deficit to 9-4. After Jones came home on a wild pitch later in the frame, Gonzalez doubled into center to drive in Paredes and make it a 9-6 ballgame.

The hosts reached double-figures during the last of the sixth when Tyler Heineman lifted a sacrifice fly down the right-field line that scored John Nogowski.

Game 2: Memphis 3, Toledo 2
The Mud Hens scored both of their runs in the top of the second stanza. Renato Núñez drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a balk and scored the game’s first run when Christin Stewart lined a base hit into right. Two batters later, Cameron hit a two-out single to center to bring home Stewart and lift Toledo to a 2-0 advantage.

St. John retired Memphis in order in his first inning of work, but the hosts got on the board in the bottom of the second when Connor Capel led off the frame with a homer to right. The Redbirds eventually plated another run in the bottom of the third to tie the score, as Nogowski hit a two-out double into left before Capel brought him home with a three-bagger down the right-field line.

The game remained deadlocked at two apiece until the bottom of the seventh, when Ascanio whacked a 2-1 pitch beyond the left-center wall to wrap up the double feature. Of the seven home wins recorded by the Redbirds this season, six have been decided by a single run.

What’s Next:
The Mud Hens resume their six-game series against the Redbirds on Friday at AutoZone Park. First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. EDT.

Hens Notes:
• Prior to Thursday’s doubleheader, the Detroit Tigers placed Victor Reyes on the 10-day injured list with a left intercostal strain, retroactive to June 2. In a corresponding move, the Tigers recalled Derek Hill from the Mud Hens.
Yariel Gonzalez and Isaac Paredes are tied for the team lead with four multi-RBI games this season.
Daz Cameron has multiple hits in four of his last six starts. During this six-game span, Cameron is batting .417 (10-for-24) with three doubles, three walks, seven RBI and three runs.
• The Mud Hens are 4-6 in one-run games this season, and are 6-6 when scoring first. Toledo, Columbus and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre have yet to reach extra innings during the 2021 campaign.