Haase, pitching leads Hens to shutout win

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Mud Hens blanked the St. Paul Saints 2-0 in the series opener on Tuesday night at Fifth Third Field. The win gives the Hens a 1.5 game lead on the Saints in the division race for first place.

After Matthew Boyd pitched around a leadoff single, the Mud Hens jumped in front. Riley Greene walked to start it. Then Eric Haase, in his first rehab at-bat, sent a 438-foot blast to center field for a two-run homer.

Boyd exited after 4.1 dazzling innings. The only hit he gave up was the single in the first. He went on to retire 13 straight, including six strikeouts on 56 pitches.

Righty Will Vest replaced him and went 1.1 innings, allowing a walk and a hit, but no runs. After that, Locke St. John entered to record the final out in the sixth. He returned to pitch the seventh and struck out the side after a one-out walk.

As the game headed to the eighth with the Hens leading by two, Bryan Garcia entered as the third pitcher out of the Hen-pen. He yielded a leadoff infield single, but a double play ball quickly erased the runner. A fly out to center made it a nine pitch inning for Garcia.

Three outs away from a shutout win, Garcia came back out looking to earn a six-out save. He would be facing the 2-3-4 hitters, starting with Byron Buxton. After going full, Garcia threw a breaking pitch that Buxton got under and hit to Greene in center for out number one. Garcia then got Telis to roll over a soft ground ball to second base for the second out. He then punched out Larnach to end it and put this one in the books.

What’s Next:

The Toledo Mud Hens and St. Paul Saints will meet for game two of the series Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Hens Notes:

• LHP Matthew Boyd has now recorded 9.1 scoreless innings across three starts on rehab for Toledo.
• The win was the 8th shutout victory of the season for the Mud Hens.