Navarro walks off as Hens win second straight

A late rally forced extras, but the Toledo Mud Hens overcame the Indianapolis Indians with a 5-4 win in 12 innings on Monday. Efren Navarro came up with the big hit, smoking a walk-off double that scored Matt den Dekker to win it.

Matthew Boyd got the call on the mound for Toledo, making his first Triple-A start of the season. He cruised through the first six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. His final line was 6.1 innings, 5 hits, 3 earned runs, four walks, and six strikeouts.
Leading the way offensively for the Hens was Jason Krizan, who finished 2-for-6 with a two-run double. Michael Almanzar and Matt den Dekker both went 3-for-6.
The Mud Hens got on the board early, scoring in each of the first three innings. Matt den Dekker started things off with a leadoff double in the first inning. He advanced to third on an Omar Infante flyout and Efren Navarro singled him home as he found a hole up the middle for an RBI base hit.
Argenis Diaz and Steven Moya each walked to start the second inning for Toledo. Bryan Holaday advanced them with a sac bunt before Brendan Ryan smacked a single up the middle that brought home Diaz. That would be all the Hens would get in the inning, leading 2-0 after two.
The Indians got to Boyd in the top of the third when Anderson Feliz belted a home run to left-center field.
Toledo didn't waste any time to respond, as they scored a pair in the bottom of the third to go up 4-1. Navarro walked and Almanzar doubled to start things off and put runners at second and third with nobody out. Krizan followed with a double down the right field line that brought home both runners. Eppler struck out Moya and Holaday to strand Krizan at third to end the inning.
Boyd cruised through the fourth and fifth innings, allowing just a walk and faced the minimum amount of batters in the two frames. A leadoff walk in the fourth was quickly erased as he induced a 6-4-3 double play. He would set the next four batters down in order, two by way of the strikeout.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Hens loaded the bases with two outs, but reliever Cody Dickson came on and got out of the Eppler jam with just one pitch. Ryan popped out to second to end the threat, keeping the score at 4-1 after five.
Indianapolis couldn't muster anything against Boyd in the sixth, either as he struck out a pair and stranded a walk. The Hens put runners at second and third with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but Antonio Bastardo got out of it unscathed for the Indians.
Despite easing through the previous three innings, Boyd ran into trouble and was chased from the game in the top of the seventh. With one out, he allowed three straight singles to load the bases and forced the Hens to go to the bullpen. Dustin Molleken came on and allowed a double to Feliz to deep left-center that brought home two. He would escape major damage when he struck out two of the next three batters to keep the Hens in front, 4-3.
The Hens would strand two more runners in the bottom of the seventh before handing the ball off to reliever Bruce Rondón in the top of the eighth. Rondon retired the Indians in order and recorded a strikeout in a scoreless inning.
For the first time in the contest, Toledo was held without a hit in the eighth inning. Despite Navarro reaching base on a walk, the Hens went down quietly, still holding onto a one-run lead heading into the ninth.
Edward Mujica came on to close the game and retired the first two batters before Feliz doubled on a ball to right-center that nearly went out to tie the game. The next batter, Gift Ngoepe singled to left and Feliz scored without a throw to tie the game.
The first two Toledo batters in the tenth before Holaday reached on an error. Ryan grounded out softly to follow and ended the inning and forced extras.
In the top of the tenth, Logan Kensing set down the Indians in order and struck out a batter. den Dekker led off the bottom of the tenth with a single and advanced to second on an Infante sac bunt. The Indians intentionally walked Navarro to set up the double play and brought Almanzar to the plate. He would pop out and Krizan grounded out to end the inning and force an eleventh frame.
Kensing did the job in the top of the eleventh, setting down Indy in order. Edgar Santana returned the favor, retiring the Hens 1-2-3 sending the game two a twelfth inning.
The Hens finally ended things in the bottom of the twelfth when den Dekker singled with one out and then scored on a Navarro double into the gap to end the game.
The two teams will meet again on Tuesday with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.