Baddoo walks it off in crazy 9-8 victory

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Mud Hens came from behind to beat the Indianapolis Indians 9-8 on Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field. The win gave the Hens a 4-2 series win. The St. Paul Saints lost Sunday, so the Mud Hens jumped back into first place in the division.

The Detroit Tigers completed a comeback in their extra-inning win on Sunday to put the cherry on top of Miguel Cabrera’s historic milestone day that featured his 500th career home run. The Mud Hens did the same, completing a comeback to cap off their series finale.

After righty Angel De Jesus started with a 1-2-3 inning, the Mud Hens offense got to work. Akil Baddoo walked to start it and then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Riley Greene, hitting in the three hole, sat on a hanging breaking ball on an 0-2 count and smacked it to right field for a two-run homer. The home run was the first of his Triple-A career.

After a walk, single, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases, the Mud Hens were looking to extend their lead in the second. On the first pitch Greene saw, he ripped a two-run single to right field, making it 4-0 Hens. They weren’t done yet though, as Aderlin Rodriguez followed with an RBI single to center.

De Jesus went 2.1 innings, walking two and striking out five on 46 pitches. Jason Foley came in with two on and one out in the third and got out of the jam unharmed. From there, it was Nivaldo Rodriguez, who threw a perfect fourth inning. He returned in the fifth where Indianapolis finally notched their first hit of the game. A walk put men on first and second with two outs and Jared Oliva poked a single to center to put the Indians on the board. The hit chased Rodriguez from the game and Wladimir Pinto was called on to finish the frame. After walking Phillip Evans to load the bases, Pinto made the pitch he needed, but Kreidler misplayed a ground ball and everyone moved up a base. Another walk forced a run in, now cutting the Toledo lead to two. Pinto bounced back to strike out Cole Tucker on a 1-2 fastball to finally end the inning.

In the sixth, the Indians picked up right where they left off. Bethancourt singled and Owen doubled to put two on with no outs. Erik Gonzalez hit a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Bethancourt and allowed Owen to advance to third. With a one run lead and a runner on third with one out, Tom Prince drew the infield in. Marcano hit a ground ball to Kreidler at short which he came home on, but the throw was late and Owen scored to tie the game. Pinto then hit Oliva with a pitch and his day came to an end. Nolan Blackwood entered with two on and one out in the sixth, looking to keep the game tied at best. Blackwood induced an infield pop up for the second out of the inning, but Michael Chavis launched a three-run homer to left-center field to give Indy an 8-5 lead.

Chasing three, the Mud Hens were able to get two back in the bottom half of the sixth. Brady Policelli doubled down the left field line and Torkelson then crushed a double off the wall in center field, making it a two-run game. Then, on a 2-2 count, Greene pulled a pitch into right field for an RBI single, his fifth RBI of the game.

After Blackwood lasted 1.2 innings, southpaw Miguel Del Pozo entered in the eighth. He yielded a one-out double, but struck out two to keep the deficit just one run.

As the ninth rolled around, Toledo was still trailing by one. Del Pozo returned for the ninth, striking out the first two batters he faced. Prince then went back to the bullpen, bringing in Drew Carlton to get the final out of the inning. After going full on Bethancourt, Carlton painted a fastball down and away for strike three, the 15th Toledo strikeout of the game.

Needing one, Rodriguez started the ninth with a leadoff double, bringing Clemens to the plate as the winning run. A wild pitch allowed Rodriguez to advance to third with no outs still. Clemens walked to put runners at the corners. JaCoby Jones struck out looking and Stewart walked to load the bases for the red-hot Kreidler. He hit a dribbler back to the mound, but Bashlor failed to execute the glove flip to the plate for the force out and Rodriguez scored to tie the game. With the bases still loaded, Isaac Paredes pinch hit for Policelli. He too hit a dribbler that the catcher Bethancourt picked up and tagged Clemens out at home. That brought up Baddoo with the bases loaded and two outs. On a 2-2 pitch, Baddoo lined a shot to right-center field that got down and allowed Stewart to jog home as the winning run.

What’s Next:

The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints kick off a six-game series at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Hens Notes:

• OF Riley Greene hit his first career Triple-A home run. He tallied three hits and five RBI in the game.
• INF Ryan Kreidler extended his hit streak to six games with a single in the second inning.
• OF Akil Baddoo and INF Spencer Torkelson each scored twice.