Brent Dlugach knew what was coming.
“Here comes the shaving cream,” he said shortly before Justin Henry plastered him with a shaving cream “pie.” Dlugach earned his shaving cream pie by slugging a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning that gave the Mud Hens a 3-2 win over Buffalo at Fifth Third Field Saturday.
“It was a fastball up, and I hit it,” Dlugach said. “I’ve been working a little bit extra in the cage with [hitting coach Leon ‘Bull’ Durham].
“I’m just trying to get some hits and help this team win.”
Dlugach’s first home run this season helped Toledo claim a victory in a tight contest that saw the Hens get several strong efforts at key times.
“That was a good team win — with a lot of great performances,” Hens manager Phil Nevin said. “[Andy] Oliver pitched well, [Jose] Ortega was impressive.
The Mud Hens jumped in front in the bottom of the first inning. Justin Henry led off by drawing a walk, moved to third on a one-out single by Brad Eldred, and Eric Patterson walked with two outs to load the bases.
NOTEBOOK: HENS PRESS BOX AREA NOW INCLUDES FANS
Ben Guez then lined a two-run single back up the middle to give the Hens the lead.
Buffalo got one run back in the sixth thanks to an error by Ryan Strieby, who dropped a foul popup off the bat of Valentino Pascucci. Pascucci eventually worked Oliver for a walk, then came around to score on a triple by Matt Tuiasosopo. That unearned run was the only one allowed by Oliver, who gave up just four hits but walked five while fanning six in six innings.
The Bisons tied the game in the seventh when Hens reliever Darin Downs gave up back-to-back singles and a ground ball that brought home a run. An error on that potential double-play ball allowed Buffalo to eventually load the bases with none out, but Ortega came on and struck out the side to end the threat.
“That’s why you bring Ortega in — to get the punch-out,” Nevin said. “But to get the two after that is impressive.
That set the stage for Dlugach, who drove a 1-1 pitch from Buffalo reliever Fernando Cabrera well over the fence in left-center for the Hens’ second walk-off win this season.
“I was trying to hit the ball back up the middle, and the pitch was up and away,” Dlugach said. “I threw my bat at it, and I hit it.
“I’ve never hit a walk-off home run before, and it’s awesome.”
The hit was a big one for Dlugach, whose lone hit in his last 11 at-bats before Saturday’s game was a two-run single in Friday’s win.
“Brent’s had a rough go of it, so to see the smile on his face as he rounded third was pretty cool,” Nevin said. “We’ve got a good group in here, and you could see the reaction of the players after [he hit the home run].
“He is a good teammate, and that made this a special moment both for him and the club.”
It also was big for the team, which won for the third straight time after losing its previous five contests.
“We just needed some positive vibes,” Dlugach said. “When you’re losing games, you sort of lose the feeling of winning.
“When you’re playing well, even when you’re tied or losing you still feel as if you’re going to find a way to win.”
NOTES: OF Matt Young was supposed to be promoted to Detroit Saturday but instead remained with the Mud Hens. “I was asked to take Matt out pending a possible move,” Nevin said. “The move didn’t happen.” Young pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth and drew an intentional walk. … Saturday’s crowd of 11,000 was the Mud Hens’ sixth sellout this season the 303rd in Fifth Third Field history.
Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
First Published June 3, 2012, 4:30 a.m.
