The Toledo Mud Hens offense beat the rain at Fifth Third Field with six runs in the sixth inning Sunday before a downpour started in a 7-3 win over the St. Paul Saints that was called after six complete innings.
Mud Hens pitcher Zach Logue (2-6) picked up the win by getting the final out of the top of the sixth.
What happened: St. Paul got two runs in the second inning on two infield singles. Elliot Soto hit a ground ball that deflected off of pitcher Blair Calvo’s barehand and allowed Mark Contreras to score. Andrew Stevenson then sent a slow roller down the third-base line, leaving Joe Rizzo with no play at third base, scoring Anthony Prato, and giving the Saints a 2-0 lead.
Knapp connected on his solo shot to left field with one out in the third inning.
Mud Hens reliever Ashton Goudeau walked the first two batters of the top of the sixth, and Andrew Bechtold singled to load the bases with no outs. After Goudeau struck out Contreras, he walked Prato to bring in a run. After Goudeau rebounded to strike out Soto, Logue relieved him and struck out Stevenson to strand the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the sixth, Justyn-Henry Malloy walked and Rizzo singled to open the inning. Johan Camargo followed with a double that scored Malloy. Andre Lipcius then drove in Rizzo and Camargo with a single to right field that gave the Mud Hens their first lead of the game at 4-3. After a double from Knapp, Lipcius was thrown out at home on a ground ball to the shortstop Soto. Then Parker Meadows laced a two-run double to right-center field and came into score on an RBI single by Nick Solak to make it 7-3.
Game MVP: Rizzo was 3 for 3 with a run scored.
He said it: “We saw competitive at-bats [in the sixth inning], guys not giving away at-bats. Andre Lipcius had a two-strike at-bat. He was able to foul off some pitches and prolong the at-bat and shot it to right field. It was a pretty good approach right there. And the inning just kept rolling. He had professional approaches with runners in scoring position. That’s what they mean when guys pass the baton that inning right there.” — Mud Hens manager Anthony Iapoce.
Make a note of it: With his double in the sixth inning, Meadows extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
Comings and goings: Relief pitcher Braden Bristo cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Toledo Mud Hens...Following the Tigers game Sunday, infielder Nick Maton was optioned to Triple-A.
Up next: The Mud Hens are off Monday and Tuesday before starting a series in Columbus on Wednesday against the Clippers.
First Published June 25, 2023, 11:26 p.m.
