There wasn't much for Mud Hens fans to cheer for in Toledo's 13-3 loss to Columbus at Fifth Third Field Wednesday.
But there was at least one thing for Tigers fans to cheer about as Danny Worth had a big day at the plate.
Worth collected a double and a home run in four at-bats despite having seen limited plate appearances with Detroit before being sent to Toledo on Monday.
"The last couple of days I worked with [hitting coach] Bull [Durham] a ton in the [batting] cage," Worth said. "Bull has had me for a while, so he knows my swing -- and he knows where my swing needs to be.
"The last two days we've worked on some things. I got some good results, but I'm not exactly where I need to be."
Worth has spent the season bouncing between the Tigers, where he sees limited plate appearances, and Toledo, where he's an everyday force in the lineup. The 26-year-old California native has played in 30 games for Detroit but has just 55 at-bats, a big reason he has a .182 average there.
In just 20 games with the Mud Hens Worth is hitting .304 with four home runs and eight RBIs.
Worth said it's tough to spend most of your time on the bench.
"I tell everyone that you have to take BP like it's the game," he said. "I may not have an at-bat in a game for a couple of weeks, and I have to get my work in during BP.
"I always have to be ready, because I may have to pinch-hit or someone may go down and I will have to come through for the team. So I always have to stay ready."
Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin said he likes what he has seen from Worth.
"Every time he's come down here he's gotten into a groove pretty quickly," Nevin said. "In my opinion, if you put Danny Worth out there every day, he's going to get his hits.
"And he's one of the best defenders we have in our organization. He plays hard, and he does everything right."
Wednesday Toledo fell behind 3-0 before Worth led off in the bottom of the first.
He took a pitch from Clippers starter Chris Seddon, then launched the second pitch he saw off the base of the scoreboard in left for a home run. Then in the fifth Worth launched a hard line drive over the head of the center fielder for a double.
"The home run pitch was up and in, but I got my hands to it and good extension through it," Worth said. "The other one was just a good pitch to hit."
While Worth said he likes playing everyday in Toledo, he'd rather play in the majors.
"We're all ballplayers, and we all want to play," Worth said. "We all have played for our whole lives.
"I tell people that I love being here [in Toledo] because I get to play every day, but my goal is to play in the big leagues. So if they want me up there just to sit on the bench for 20 years, I'm all for it.
"Here I'm just trying to work on stuff, and hopefully I get to help the big club."
Worth's output wasn't enough to overcome the struggles of Toledo starter Andy Oliver, who gave up three runs in the first and didn't survive the third, when Columbus sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six times.
Four of those runs came home when reliever Brooks Brown gave up a grand slam to Ryan Rohlinger.
"He [Oliver] had command issues, especially fastball command," Nevin said.
"He left some changeups over the plate to some good hitters.
"It just wasn't a good night for him."
Brown also gave up three runs in the fifth and one in the sixth in an attempt to save the Mud Hens' overtaxed bullpen.
"Brownie had to bite the bullet, and he knew it," Nevin said. "It's tough to do that because, even if something goes wrong, you have to stay out there and eat innings to protect the bullpen.
"And the end of the day, he did that. I know it stinks for him to be tagged for five runs, but the outing meant a lot to us, so I commend him for that."
NOTES: Hens C Bryan Holaday suffered a left knee contusion when he was hit by a pitch, and will be day to day. … Wednesday night's crowd of 9,663 was the Mud Hens' 13th sellout this season.
Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.
First Published July 5, 2012, 5:34 a.m.
