Malloy homers in Tuesday loss to Indy

Indianapolis, IN – The Toledo Mud Hens fell to the Indianapolis Indians on Tuesday night at Victory Field, dropping game one of the series by a final score of 7-1.

Toledo turned to Wilkel Hernandez to start on the mound. He entered the night with a 3-4 record and a 4.45 ERA. The Indians countered with Thomas Harrington, who came in at 6-8 with a 5.60 ERA.

The game was quiet through the first three innings. Indy held a 4-2 advantage in hits, but the game remained scoreless.

Things changed in the fifth. After three straight singles and a stolen base, the Indians broke through with the game's first run. That prompted a call to the bullpen as RJ Petit replaced Hernandez. Hernandez finished with the following line: 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 4 K.

Petit’s first batter took him deep for a two-run homer, extending Indy’s lead to 4-0.

Toledo responded in the top of the sixth with a solo home run from Justyn-Henry Malloy to cut into the deficit. The Hens trailed 4-1 after six and looked to build some momentum.

Matt Manning came on in the bottom half, giving up a leadoff double. A sacrifice fly brought in another run, pushing the score to 5-1. In the top of the seventh, the Mud Hens were retired in order.

Ryan Miller pitched the seventh and struggled early, allowing a leadoff single followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases. However, a clutch double play ended the threat without further damage.

Kerry Carpenter, in his rehab debut, led off the eighth with a single, but the Indians retired the next three batters to keep the Hens in check.

After Miller’s outing, Tanner Rainey took the mound in the eighth. He surrendered two doubles and a walk, allowing two more runs to cross and extending Indy’s lead to 7-1. Matt Seelinger came in and recorded the final out of the inning with a strikeout.

Toledo’s offense remained quiet in the ninth, as they wrapped up a tough night at the plate.

Notables:

Justyn-Henry Malloy: 1 R, 1 H, 1 RBI, .323 AVG

Kerry Carpenter: 1 H, .250 AVG

The Mud Hens will look to bounce back tomorrow in game two of the series. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.