Hens lose in extras in front of sellout crowd

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo Mud Hens were defeated in a 6-5 extra inning battle by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs on Friday night at Fifth Third Field.

Each team scored five runs in the last three innings, as the IronPigs (58-39) held on to defeat the Mud Hens (53-44) by one run.
Dawel Lugo impressed at the plate going 3-for-5 with three RBI. Christin Stewart went 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored in the loss.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs struck first on a two-out single by Joey Meneses in the first inning to score Adron Chambers.
Each team scattered hits but were unable to score. In the fifth inning, Toledo loaded the bases with one out, but Pete Kozma lined out into a double play to end the inning.
Matt Hall made his first start at Fifth Third Field and his second as a Mud Hen going six innings allowing one earned run on seven hits. Hall also punched out a season tying 10 batters while walking one. Paul Voelker came on in relief to pitch the seventh inning.
To end the top half of the seventh inning, Voelker struck out Dean Anna and then Grayson Greiner threw out Matt McBride attempting to steal second. In the latter half, Chad Huffman led off with a single to shallow center field. With one out, Mike Gerber and Edwin Espinal drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. With two outs Jason Krizan entered the game to pitch hit for Kozma and flied out to left-field.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Jacob Robson led off with a walk followed by Dixon Machado getting on with a hit by pitch. Christin Stewart then roped a double to right field to tie the game as Robson came in to score. 

Clutch? Clutch. @DetroitTigersPR pic.twitter.com/MKL5BkA6CD

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) July 21, 2018

Dawel Lugo then smashed a groundball through the infield to score Machado and Stewart and give Toledo a 3-1 lead.

Don't call it a comeback. pic.twitter.com/dbMkLEUzaZ

— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) July 21, 2018

Kevin Comer entered in the ninth inning for Toledo in relief of Voelker. Voelker delivered two shutout and hitless innings while punching out two and walking one.
Lehigh Valley rallied back to tie the game at three in the ninth inning. Three hits and a sacrifice fly were what the IronPigs needed to see the bottom of the ninth.
Greiner led off the bottom of the ninth with a six pitch walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Krizan hit a ball to the right side which moved Greiner over to third. Robson grounded out and Machado struck out to end the inning.
Hunter Cervenka entered to pitch the tenth for the Hens taking over for Comer. Comer allowed two earned runs on three hits in one inning of work.
Adron Chambers reached first on a sac bunt and error by Cervenka as the placed runner Collin Cowgill moved to third. Meneses then singled to left to score Cowgill and give the IronPigs a 4-3 advantage. Dylan Cozens then drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. With one out, Ryan Goins then drove in Chambers on a single to center. Nick Rickles grounded into a fielder's choice for the second out of the inning as Meneses came in to score. Lehigh Valley took a 6-3 lead into the bottom half of the tenth inning.
Cervenka took his first loss of the campaign allowing two hits and three runs while walking one and recording two strikeouts.
Stewart led off the inning for the Hens with Machado being placed at second. Stewart beat the shift with a single to the left side of the infield, giving the Hens runners on first and third. Huffman then drilled a single past the third baseman to score Lugo and close the gap to two runs. Lugo followed it up with a hard-hit single to left to score Stewart. Gerber laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. Espinal was then intentionally walked to bring up Greiner with one out and the bases loaded and the Mud Hens trailing by one. Greiner grounded into a 6-4-3 double play and the extra inning comeback came to an end.
What's Next:
The Mud Hens will be back in action tomorrow night against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Saturday night with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
• PREGAME EVENT - Future Mud Hens Adult & Child Baseball Camp
•GAMEDAY THEME - Eggs & Bacon Night
• Great Clips Charity Cuts
• Postgame Fireworks
• GIVEAWAY - Great Clips Coupon Giveaway
• Hensville Live!
#RoadToDetroit Report (rankings according to MLB.com 2018 Prospect Watch):
5. OF Christin Stewart: 2-for-5, double, two runs, RBI
7. RHP Kyle Funkhouser: DNP
11. OF Mike Gerber: 1-for-3
12. IF Dawel Lugo: 3-for-5, three RBI
15. RHP Grayson Long: DNP (DL)
16. RHP Bryan Garcia: DNP (DL)
18. LHP Tyler Alexander: DNP
23. LHP Matt Hall: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 10 SO, 1 BB
26. OF Jacob Robson: 0-for-4, run
Hens Notes:
• Hall matched his season high in strikeouts with 10. He previously did this on July 7th while pitching for double-A Erie.
• Tonight's crowd of 9,055 marked the 14th sellout of the season and the 477th in Fifth Third Field history.
• The Hens scored three runs in the eighth for the second straight night to take the lead against the IronPigs.
• The game marked the fourth extra inning game of the campaign for Toledo, the third at Fifth Third Field.