Hens fall to IronPigs before sold-out crowd

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Mud Hens avoided the rainy weather that dampened much of the region, but were unable to overcome an early deficit as the Lehigh Valley IronPigs claimed a 7-1 win on Saturday before a sold-out crowd of 9,916 at Fifth Third Field.

Despite the result, the Mud Hens (53-45) remain 1.5 games clear of second-place Indianapolis atop the West Division standings after the Indians' 5-4 loss at Charlotte. Dixon Machado finished 2-for-5 with an RBI double and a single, while Pete Kozma went 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. 
Kyle Funkhouser remains in search of his first win at the Triple-A level, pitching 2.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs while striking out a pair in defeat. Phillippe Aumont punched out six in 3.2 innings of relief, allowing an earned run on three hits.
Lehigh Valley (59-39) opened the scoring with a two-out rally in the top of the third, breaking through for four runs on three hits. Dean Anna reached base on a walk, and scored all the way from first when Ryan Goins sliced a double into the left-field corner to give the IronPigs a 1-0 lead. 
Adron Chambers then added a two-bagger of his own into the gap in right-center to bring in Goins and double Lehigh Valley's advantage. After Joey Meneses drew a walk, the visitors extended their lead to 4-0 when Dylan Cozens connected on a two-run double into right.
The Mud Hens used a pair of extra-base hits to get on the board in the bottom of the same stanza. Kozma smashed a leadoff double into the left-field corner, and eventually scored Toledo's lone run when Machado blasted a one-out double off the left-field wall to trim the deficit to 4-1.
Warwick Saupold used a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, but Chambers added a two-run double an inning later that knocked in Anna and Goins and pushed Lehigh Valley's cushion to 6-1. The IronPigs wrapped up the scoring in the final frame, as Chambers and Meneses clubbed back-to-back two-base hits to make it a 7-1 contest.
What's Next:
The Mud Hens wrap up their seven-game home stand on Sunday as they take on the IronPigs. First pitch from Fifth Third Field is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.
  • SPECIAL EVENT: Muddy & Spike's Inflatable Theme Park
 • Bush Brothers Food Drive
 • Kids Run the Bases
 • Postgame fireworks
#RoadToDetroit Report (rankings according to MLb.com 2018 Prospect Watch):
5. OF Christin Stewart: 0-for-2, two walks
7. RHP Kyle Funkhouser: (L), 2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 BB, 2 SO
11. OF Mike Gerber: 1-for-3, single, walk
12. IF Dawel Lugo: 0-for-4
15. RHP Grayson Long: DNP (DL)
16. RHP Bryan Garcia: DNP (DL)
18. LHP Tyler Alexander: DNP
22. LHP Matt Hall: DNP
26. OF Jacob Robson: DNP
Hens Notes:
• Saturday's attendance of 9,916 marks the Mud Hens' 15th sellout of the season and 478th in Fifth Third Field history.
• The Mud Hens are 10-9 in games lasting three hours or longer this season.
• Edwin Espinal's .998 fielding percentage leads all first basemen in the International League. He has committed just one error in 77 starts this season.
• Mike Gerber has tallied a hit in four consecutive games, going 5-for-11 with a pair of solo home runs during that stretch.