Hens rally in ninth but fall short in Norfolk

Toledo, OH - The Toledo Mud Hens (4-4) came up shy in the second game of a four game series with the Norfolk Tides (2-7) by a score of 6-5 on Friday at Harbor Park despite another late inning push.

In the top of the ninth, Ronny Rodríguez and Victor Reyes reached safely to set up a three-run home run by Dawel Lugo with two outs. The round trip knock would bring the Hens within one run, but it turned out to be too little too late as Norfolk was able to escape with the win. 
In the bottom of the first, Norfolk found the base paths first with DJ Stewart earning a walk on four pitches with one out. Stewart would steal second, but a strikeout and groundout would get the Hens out of the inning without any damage. 
To start the bottom of the second, Anthony Santander reached first on a throwing error by Lugo. Santander moved to third on a Zach Vincej single to give Norfolk runners at the corners with no outs. However, Matt Hall struck out the next batter followed by Cameron Rupp throwing out Vincej on a steal attempt to give Toledo two outs. To end the inning, Lugo made a diving catch on a line drive by Mason Williams. 
With two outs in the top of the third, the Mud Hens lit up the scoreboard first. After a ball on the first pitch, Pete Kozma took a shot to deep left for his first home run of the season to put Toledo up 1-0. The hit also accounted for Kozma's second RBI of the season. 
To answer, Norfolk put three runners on quickly in the top of the fourth. Jack Reinheimer reached on a bloop single to shallow left center followed by Stevie Wilkerson going to first on a walk and a bunt base hit by Stewart to load the bases with no outs. Despite getting an out on a pop fly to short, the Tides added two runs on a Chance Sisco base knock that reached the outfield on a 3-2 count, but that's all they would get in the inning. 
In the top of the fifth, the Hens made a push against Tides' pitcher Keegan Akin. With two outs, Lugo placed a ball down the right field line for Toledo's fourth triple of the season. However, Akin was able to escape the inning without allowing a run.
The Hens tied up the game in the top of the sixth when Kozma reached on a single and then scored on a Willi Castro double down the left field line. However, the Tides came back in the bottom of the seventh. After a leadoff walk drawn by Mason Williams, Norfolk's Stewart was able to take a Caleb Thielbar pitch over the right field wall for his second home run of the season, giving the Tides a 4-2 lead.
After taking back the lead in the seventh, the Tides' added two insurance runs in the eigth. With runners on first and second, Williams tripled down the right field line past first basement Brandon Dixon to score both runners, increasing the Norfolk lead to 6-2. 
On the mound to start for Toledo was Matt Hall. The start was Hall's first of the season, but he saw action against Louisville in a relief role. In his lone appearance this season, he tossed three innings en route to earning his first win of 2019, striking out four while allowing just one hit and one walk. 
In this game, Hall went 4.2 innings for the Hens, allowing two runs on five base hits and walking two while striking out four. Toledo called on Sandy Baez in relief. Baez threw 1.1 innings out of the pen, striking out one while giving up just one hit. 
The next arm to take the hill for Toledo was the lefty Caleb Thielbar. Thielbar pitched just one inning for the Hens, giving up two runs on one hit with one walk and one strikeout. The last Toledo pitcher of the game was Eduardo Jiménez, making his Triple-A debut. In his one inning of action, Jimenez allowed two hits and walked one, resulting in two runs. Jiminez also struck out one batter. 
For Norfolk, Keegan Akin was handed the ball to start. Akin lasted six innings for the Tides, allowing two runs on four hits, but also struck out 10 in the process. He was relieved by Matt Wotherspoon to begin the seventh. 
Wotherspoon went two innings in relief, striking out two in the process while not allowing a run. In the ninth, Norfolk called on Luis Gonzalez to finish out the game. Pitching the ninth, Gonzalez gave up three runs, including three hits, but struck out two to clinch the win for the Tides. 
What's Next
The Hens will continue their series with the Tides on Saturday, April 12 for game three of four. Saturday's first pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. (EST) and will feature LHP Tyler Alexander on the mound for the Hens. In his first outing, Alexander went 3.2 innings for Toledo, striking out four while allowing seven hits and four runs. 
#RoadToDetroit Report (rankings according to MLB.com 2019 Prospect Watch)
5. RHP Beau Burrows: DNP
8. OF Daz Cameron: 0 for 3
9. RHP Kyle Funkhouser: DNP
10. IF Willi Castro: 1 for 4, 1 RBI
15. IF Dawel Lugo: 2 for 4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R
18: OF Jacob Robson: 0 for 4
22. RHP Bryan Garcia: DNP (IL)
23. LHP Matt Hall: 4.2 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
24. LHP Tyler Alexander: DNP
26. RHP Sandy Baez: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Hens Notes
In each of his two games played this season, Kozma has added an RBI to his stat line. 
With an RBI base hit, W. Castro extended his hitting streak to seven. Reyes also extended his streak to seven with a hit in the ninth inning.