INDIANAPOLIS - There was no suspense, just delight.
The Toledo Mud Hens dominated last night's 8-3 victory over the Indianapolis Indians to capture the Governors' Cup Championship. The three-game sweep gives the Hens their first title in 38 years.
In the regular season, the Hens were the first team in 41 years to go from worst to first place in the International League. Their second championship is the first since 1967.
The Hens banged out 15 hits, including two towering home runs, last night at Victory Field.
The first runs came in the fifth inning, when the Hens had runners at first and third with two outs. Outfielder Marcus Thames, clutch all postseason, crushed the first pitch he saw out of the ballpark, a 420-foot blast to center field. Thames had 10 RBIs in eight playoff games.
Mike Hessman hit the Hens' other homer, another three-run job, in the eighth inning with two outs. Nearly every Hen had success at the plate - eight Hens had hits.
Hens starter Jason Grilli and reliever Mark Woodyard held the Indians at bay. Grilli, who had 16 strikeouts in his two playoff starts, went 72/3 innings for the win.
The Indians' starter, left-hander Mike Connolly, didn't have his best stuff, giving up eight hits in 52/3 innings. He was pulled after allowing consecutive singles to Ryan Raburn and Jack Hannahan.
The Hens broke the game open just after Connolly left. Reliever Matt Capps gave up a run, belonging to Connolly, when Raburn scored on Don Kelly's double to the gap in right-center field.
Kelly scored on Kevin Hooper's single to left; the run was unearned because of third baseman Jose Bautista's throwing error to first on Sandy Martinez's grounder to Bautista's left. Kelly had seven RBI in the playoffs.
The rain kept the crowd sparse, but about 75 Hens fans sat next to the visitor's dugout, brandishing Thunderstix brought with them from Fifth Third Field. To give a little reminder of the home ballpark, the Hens faithful started chants and cheers and stayed on their feet for much of the game.
The game got off to a quick pace after a 1 1/2 hour rain delay at the start. Each team got two runners on base in the fourth inning, but Grilli and Connolly pitched out of jams.
Indianapolis, who had come back from a 0-2 deficit to win the semifinal series against Buffalo, seemed to be worn out after the first game of the series, a 10-8 victory by Toledo. They had just four hits through the first seven innings.
The Indians came to life with two runs in the eighth inning and one in the ninth but it was too little, too late. They broke the shutout in the eighth inning on consecutive singles by Rich Thompson, Jorge Velandia and Cesar Crespo. In the ninth, Rich Thompson bunted home Bobby Hill for another score.
The Hens were never stifled at the plate, getting runners on base in three of the first four innings before starting the scoring barrage. Second baseman Ryan Raburn, coming back from two games missed with a stomach virus, went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Center fielder Dewayne Wise hit 3-for-5 with two runs scored.
Jason Karnuth pitched the final 11/3 innings. The Hens won the Cup by winning a five-game semifinal series with the Norfolk Tides before easily handling the Indians. Before Game 1 against Norfolk, the Hens hadn't won a playoff game since the 1980 season.
Contact Maureen Fulton at:
mfulton@theblade.com
or 419-724-6160.
First Published September 16, 2005, 3:57 p.m.