TOLEDO, Ohio – Konnor Griffin reached base three times with two singles and one walk as he continued his major league rehab assignment, but the Indianapolis Indians lost to the Toledo Mud Hens, 11-2, on Wednesday night at Fifth Third Field.
Indianapolis (34-25, 65-69) opened the scoring in the top of the first as Mitch Jebb led off the game with a single. In his first at-bat, Griffin took strike three in a 3-2 count and challenged the pitch, overturning the call to draw an eight-pitch walk and put two runners on in the game’s first two batters. Ronny Simon moved Jebb to third base with a flyout and Jack Brannigan lifted an RBI single to left field for a 1-0 lead.
The Mud Hens (30-29, 64-69) came roaring back with 11 unanswered runs. James Outman tied the game with a solo homer in the second inning. He gave Toledo the lead on a sacrifice fly in the fourth and Jace Jung logged an RBI double in the fifth for a 3-1 Mud Hens lead. With one out in the seventh inning, five straight walks were issued by Indians pitchers and Outman was hit by a pitch next for a 5-1 advantage. With two outs, Bennett Lee drew another RBI walk in the inning and Max Burt capped the frame with a grand slam, icing the Indians at 11-1. Video replay showed the ball appeared to go underneath the fence for what could have been an automatic double, but the call on the field stood for a home run.
Simon pushed through Indy’s final tally in the ninth for an 11-2 final.
Hunter Barco (L, 4-7) struck out six batters across his 5.0 innings, allowing three runs. Carl Edwards Jr. (W, 5-10) allowed just one run over his 5.0 frames for the Mud Hens.
Indianapolis and Toledo continue this week’s six game series on Thursday night at 6:35 PM ET. RHP Khristian Curtis (3-1, 5.18) is scheduled to start for the Indians with LHP Jackson Wolf (2-1, 2.16) set to take the hill for the Mud Hens.