Toledo, OH- The Toledo Mud Hens (40-43) fell to the Iowa Cubs (34-47) on Thursday, July 2, in back-and-forth contest that stayed close through the entire night. The lead was never greater than two runs for both teams yet Iowa finished the night ahead, 6-4.
Matt Seelinger started on the bump by dealing a pair of strikeouts and a groundout. Following the quick opening half, Max Anderson reached second on an odd ground ball single and fielding error, but defense held them scoreless.
Seelinger struck out his third Cub in the second before he allowed back-to-back singles and a walk which left the bases loaded. A game’s fourth strikeout got the righty out of the jam clean. In the home half, Cubs starting pitcher, Andrew Wantz, advanced two Hens to scoring position on a balk before a sac fly off the bat of Corey Julks put Toledo on the board. (1-0)
Carl Edwards Jr. took over on the bump to start the third. In between two doubles, the pitcher picked off a cub on an attempt for second. A couple more base hits allowed the Cubs to tie the number at one (1-1). Toledo was on a mission to take back the advantage in its third time at the plate. Gage Workman singled, Eduardo Valencia doubled, and Brett Callahan sacrificed one to pull ahead (2-1).
Edwards Jr.’s two swinging strikeouts led off the fourth as defense shut out the opponent. Clark tallied a hit before a Cub’s mid-inning pitching change slowed the pace of the frame. Workman made some contact, with two strikes and two outs, for an RBI-single. (3-1)
A fielding error from the Hens defense in the fifth caused a duo of runs to come home (3-3). With two outs to go, the Cubs sent a sacrifice out for another run in and the lead. (3-4)
Back at the top of the order in the sixth, Clark sped from the dish to second for a ground ball double. Anderson knocked one for runners on the corners. Callahan shot one to the left that bobbled in the glove of Iowa's short stop which allowed Clark to bring in the tying run. (4-4)
Yilber Díaz made his debut with the Mud Hens in inning seven. The Cubs snatched the lead back in the frame as a result of two walks and a sacrifice (4-5). Tyler Gentry knocked a double to the left in a non-injury pinch-hit for Cal Stevenson but Toledo failed to end the inning with a run.
Gentry stayed in at left field, Jace Jung switched to first, Trei Cruz shifted to third in the eighth. A solo shot into the bleachers extended the visitor’s lead one more. (4-6)
Two bullpen arms followed Díaz for the final outs of the matchup. Toledo could not catch Iowa with the three outs they had left.
The Hens are home again Friday, July 3, at 7:05p.m. where they seek to bounce back and even the series.
Notables
G. Workman – 3/5, R, RBI
M. Clark – 2/3, R, 2B, 2BB
B. Callahan – 2/3, R, 2RBI