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Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 21

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Syracuse at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday, May 21. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Syracuse Chiefs (17-27) at Toledo Mud Hens (15-31)

First pitch: 10:30 a.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

STARTING LINEUPS

SYRACUSE: Leading off and playing RF is Chris Rahl, followed by Jeff Kobernus in LF, Will Rhymes at 2B, Chris Marrero at 1B, Corey Brown in CF, Mike Costanzo at DH, Zach Walters at SS, Carlos Rivero at 3B, Brian Jeroloman at C and RHP Ryan Tatusko as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing CF is Quintin Berry, followed by Kevin Russo at 3B, Jordan Lennerton at DH, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn at 1B, Ben Guez in RF, Bryan Holaday at C, Corey Jones at 2B, Gustavo Nunez at SS and RHP Derek Hankins as the starting pitcher.

POST-GAME NOTES

• The move is not official yet, but the Mud Hens are going to activate IF Brandon Douglas Thursday when the team begins a series in Gwinnett. RHP Michael Morrison has been sent to Double-A Erie to make room for Douglas on the roster.

• RHP Al Alburquerque is expected to be available on Thursday. He had not thrown in a game since May 15, so the Hens wanted him to throw on the side before seeing game action.

• Losing today's game means the Mud Hens lost the series to Syracuse 3-1. Toledo now is 2-9-2 in its 13 series this season. ... As for the homestand, the Hens finished 4-4, which is the team's best homestand so far this season. Toledo was 4-5 in its April homestand and 3-5 in the homestand that started the month.

NINTH INNING

The Mud Hens make things interesting in the ninth, scoring twice on singles by Quintin Berry and Kevin Russo and a two-run double by Jordan Lennerton. Nick Castellanos also drew a walk, but Toledo couldn't push any more runs home. You'll hang this 7-5 loss on the bullpen, which gave up the lead with three runs in the eighth and then ruining a potential comeback with three runs in the ninth. Heading to the clubhouse ... I'll post a few notes when I return!

The Chiefs blow the game open with a three-run rally off Kenny Faulk and Brayan Villarreal. Faulk allowed Syracuse to load the bases on two walks and an infield single, and Villarreal did get one out -- on an infield grounder that scored a run -- and a two-run double off the wall in left by Jeff Kobernus. The Hens now trail 7-3 as they enter their last at-bats.

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens got a leadoff double by Jordan Lennerton -- who now is 3-for-3 with a double, two singles and a walk -- and a one-out walk to Danny Dorn along with a two-out walk by Bryan Holaday (in a 10-pitch at-bat), but Syracuse reliever Mike Crotta got a groundout by Argenis Diaz to escape a bases-loaded jam. We got to the ninth with Syracuse in the lead 4-3.

Evan Reed came on and walked the first batter he faced, Chris Rahl -- although, in fairness, his 2-2 pitch has been called a strike all day and wasn't in this situation. Then Reed found himself in a 3-2 count against Jeff Kobernus and the Chiefs sent the runner as Kobernus hit a grounder that Gustavo Nunez, who moved to second base, misplayed for an error that put runners on first and third. Rahl scored on a groundout by Will Rhymes, with Kobernus moving to second, and Kobernus took third on a Chris Marrero groundout. Then Kenny Faulk came out of the bullpen, and Corey Brown slammed a two-run homer to straight-away center. Suddenly Syracuse is back in front by a 4-3 score as the Hens come to bat in the bottom of the eighth.

SEVENTH INNING

Toledo gets a two-out walk to Quintin Berry, who stole second base but was stranded there when Kevin Russo struck out to end the inning. The Mud Hens lead 3-1 as we move to the eighth.

Mud Hens starter Derek Hankins pitches another strong inning, getting the Chiefs 1-2-3. Hankins has thrown 101 pitches, 62 for strikes. As the Hens come back to the dugout, Evan Reed continues to warm up, so I would assume Hankins' day is done. And it was a pretty good day: Hankins allowed just five hits and three walks while striking out five. Seventh-inning stretch, with Toledo still leading 3-1.

SIXTH INNING

The Mud Hens get on the board thanks to a BIG hit by Nick Castellanos. The rally began when Kevin Russo blooped a one-out single to center that knocked Syracuse starter Ryan Tatusko out of the game. Jordan Lennerton worked the new pitcher, Jeremy Accardo, for a walk, and Castellanos slammed the first pitch he saw from Accardo over the fence in right-center for his fifth home run of the season. Toledo now leads 3-1.

Toledo starter Derek Hankins got a little help from Bryan Holaday behind the plate to retire Syracuse. Hankins gave up a leadoff walk to Chris Marrero, who then was sacrificed to second. Then Holaday threw down to second and picked Marrero off. Terrific throw by Holaday to shut down the threat.

FIFTH INNING

Syracuse starter Ryan Tatusko mows down the Mud Hens again, getting two more strikeouts in a 1-2-3 inning. Tatusko has nine strikeouts, almost double his season's high. The only good news: Tatusko is probably reaching the end of the pitching line, since he already has thrown 81 pitches. Before today, Tatusko's season high in pitches is 71 ... so we will see how much longer. It's still 1-0 Chiefs as we move to the sixth.

Toledo starter Derek Hankins found a spot of trouble by giving up a single to Brian Jeroloman and then throwing a wild pitch that moved Jeroloman to second base with two outs. Hankins walked Jeff Kobernus to put two runners on base, but Hankins was able to strike out Will Rhymes -- and that's not easy. Rhymes came into the game striking out once every 15.73 plate appearances, making him the second-toughest player to strike out in the International League. Chiefs still lead 1-0 as Toledo comes to bat in the bottom of the fifth.

FOURTH INNING

The red-hot Jordan Lennerton led off the inning with a single -- he now has both of Toledo's hits today -- but he never moved past first as Syracuse starter Ryan Tatusko then struck out the next three hitters. It's worth noting that, while Tatusko has seven strikeouts, four have been called third strikes -- let's call it an "inconsistent" strike zone by home plate umpire Andy Dudones. In the interest of full disclosure, Toledo starter Derek Hankins has four strikeouts, and two of them have been called, so it has gone both ways. As we move to the fifth, Syracuse leads 1-0.

Mud Hens starter Derek Hankins got the first two outs of the inning before issuing a walk to Mike Costanzo. But Hankins got a popout to end the inning. ... Think Little Leaguers are the only ones who lose track of how many outs there are? Costanzo stayed just a couple of steps away from first base when teammate Zach Walters hit that two-out popout. Even if the Hens would have dropped the ball, it would have been easy to throw Costanzo out at first.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens got a two-out walk from Quintin Berry, and Toledo manager Phil Nevin tried to make something happen by "sending" Berry on a 1-1 pitch to Kevin Russo. Russo nearly took advantage of the hit-and-run by hitting a grounder towards second, but Syracuse second baseman Will Rhymes was able to track the ball down and get the out at first. Still Syracuse 1, Mud Hens 0 as we move to the fourth.

The Chiefs get on the board with a run off Derek Hankins. Carlos Rivero led off with a double off the wall in left-center, and he came home on a double off the base of the wall in right-center by Brian Jeroloman. But Hankins kept Jeroloman at second base by getting three outs on the infield, including a strikeout. The Hens come to bat, trailing 1-0.

SECOND INNING

Syracuse starter Ryan Tatusko mowed down the Hens in 1-2-3 order in the bottom of the second. Because of the Chiefs' perilous pitching situation -- they are down two pitchers, see the pre-game notes below for details -- it is important that Tatusko has thrown just 31 pitches so far. That puts him in a good position to go a little deeper into this contest and save the Syracuse bullpen from extra work. We move to the third in a scoreless game.

Toledo starter Derek Hankins retired the Chiefs in 1-2-3 order in the second inning, and needed just 11 pitches to do it. He's at 32 pitches through two innings, which isn't a bad pace. ... A note courtesy of one of the Hens' official scorers, John Malkoski: This is the first game of this series where we had a scoreless contest moving into the second. In each of the previous three games, at least one team scored in the first inning.

FIRST INNING

Syracuse starter Ryan Tatusko struck out the first two Mud Hens he faced before Jordan Lennerton singled up the middle to extend his current hit streak to 11 games. That was it for the Hens in the first, though, so we move to the second in a scoreless game.

Mud Hens starter Derek Hankins gave up a leadoff single to Chris Rahl -- giving Rahl a 14-game hit streak -- but Toledo catcher Bryan Holaday threw Rahl out trying to steal. Holaday now has thrown out 14 of the 30 opponents who have tried to steal on him; 14 is tied for the most in the International League, and that 46.7 percent success rate for Holaday is the best in the IL. ... But Hankins then gave up a two-out single to Will Rhymes, and Rhymes stole second before Hankins struck out Chris Marrero to end the inning. Update on Holaday: 14 of 31 caught stealing, 45.2 percent.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Let’s start with an update on the Mud Hens roster, which has added a pair of pitchers. One is RHP Al Alburquerque, who is with the team. Alburquerque was optioned to the Hens from Detroit on May 16 (Thursday). The other new pitcher is RHP Evan Reed, who was optioned to the Hens today as RHP Luke Putkonen was promoted to Detroit.

• Two changes by Syracuse, also involving pitchers. The Chiefs' parent club, Washington, called up today's scheduled starter, RHP Yunesky Maya, and also called up LHP Fernando Abad. Starting in place of Maya is RHP Ryan Tatusko, and the Chiefs will be pitching a "bullpen" contest, so the back end of the game could be crazy.

• The other move made by Syracuse is placing former Mud Hens and Tigers RHP Ryan Perry on the disabled list. Perry is a STARTER for the Chiefs, but he has a 1-4 record and 7.68 ERA in eight starts for Syracuse.

• Finally, here are some links from Monday's 10-inning loss to Syracuse. Click here to read the game story from Monday's game. Click here to read a notebook from Monday's game, which includes a look at starter Shawn Hill. Click here to read the in-game blog from Monday's game. And click here to view the photo gallery from Monday, with photos courtesy of The Blade's Dave Zapotosky.

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 20

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Syracuse at Fifth Third Field on Monday, May 20. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Syracuse Chiefs (16-27) at Toledo Mud Hens (15-30)

First pitch: 10:30 a.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

STARTING LINEUPS

SYRACUSE: Leading off and playing RF is Chris Rahl, followed by Jeff Kobernus at LF, Will Rhymes at 2B, Chris Marrero at 1B, Corey Brown in CF, Micah Owings at DH, Mike Costanzo at 3B, Brian Bocock at SS, Brian Jeroloman at C and RHP Chris Young as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at C, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn at DH, Ben Guez in RF, Quintin Berry in CF, Kevin Russo at 3B, Corey Jones at 2B and RHP Shawn Hill as the starting pitcher.

TENTH INNING

The Mud Hens got a leadoff walk by Jordan Lennerton, but he never was able to move off second and Toledo falls to 1-7 in extra-inning games this season. Down to the clubhouse ... thanks for following along!

Mud Hens reliever Bruce Rondon gives up his first International League run of the season, and the prime cause was one of Rondon's spring training teammates. Jeff Kobernus drew an eight-pitch walk, then stole second and third base on the first two pitches to the next batter, Will Rhymes. With the infield in (Kobernus was on third base with no one out), Rondon got Rhymes to ground out, but Chris Marrero smoked a line drive down the right-field line that Ben Guez kept from becoming a double by making a fine diving catch. Still a sacrifice fly, and Toledo needs a run if it wants to retie a game that now is 4-3 Syracuse.

NINTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order ... so extra innings are on tap. Toledo is 1-6 in extra innings (.143 percentage, worst in the International League). Syracuse is 3-6 in extra innings, and that .333 percentage is the second-worst in the IL. And away we go ...

It could have been an easy inning for Mud Hens reliever Matt Hoffman, who gave up a one-out groundball to shortstop off the bat of Mike Constanzo that got past Argenis Diaz (bad hop? not sure) and ended up being a double. Hoffman also gave up a two-out walk but avoided further trouble. If Toledo wants to avoid extra innings, the Hens need to score a run in the bottom of the ninth ...

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens got a leadoff walk by Nick Castellanos, who was sacrificed to second by Danny Dorn. But a pair of flyouts sandwiched a walk to Quintin Berry to keep the score tied at 3-3. On to the ninth we go ...

Mud Hens reliever Jess Todd gets the first two outs in the inning before giving up a bloop single to right by Chris Marrero. So with two outs and a runner on first base, Matt Hoffman comes on to face left-handed hitting Chris Brown ... and struck him out on four pitches. Nice effort by Hoffman, and a solid effort by Todd as well. Mud Hens need a run, as the score remains tied 3-3.

SEVENTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order in the seventh ... Jordan Lennerton's long fly to left didn't have the distance for a home run. We'll move to the eighth in a 3-3 tie.

The Mud Hens call on Jess Todd in the seventh, and he dominated the Chiefs in a 1-2-3 inning. Todd threw seven of his 10 pitches for strikes, and he struck out two and Syracuse really had poor swings against his slider. We move to the seventh-inning stretch with the game still tied 3-3.

SIXTH INNING

Syracuse brings in Tanner Roark to pitch to the Hens, and Roark walks Ben Guez to lead off the inning. But Roark gets the next three outs -- although Quintin Berry hit a fly ball to DEEP center -- and we move to the seventh in a 3-3 game.

Another good inning of work by Shawn Hill, who retired the Chiefs in 1-2-3 order for the second inning in a row. Good effort by Hill after struggling through a 29-pitch first inning; he covers six innings and gives up just three runs to keep the Hens in the contest. Hill has thrown 102 pitches, though, so his day probably is over.

FIFTH INNING

Toledo finally gets to Syracuse starter Chris Young, tying the game with a three-spot that took advantage of a Chiefs error to get the rally started. Quintin Berry reached second base on an error by Syracuse first baseman Chris Marrero, and the Hens collected three doubles to tie the game. A nice at-bat by Argenis Diaz, who fell behind 0-2 and fouled off four pitches before doubling into the left-field corner. Kevin Russo and Jordan Lennerton also doubled, and a nifty walk by Ramon Cabrera (got ahead 2-0, worked Young for seven pitches to draw the walk) helped keep the inning moving. As we move to the sixth, we've got a brand-new game because of a 3-3 tie.

A good inning for Shawn Hill, who used just 12 pitches to retire the Chiefs in 1-2-3 order. But Hill probably won't be going a whole lot longer, since he's at 90 pitches (54 strikes) through five innings. But Hill has rebounded nicely from a rocky start to keep the Hens in the contest. Syracuse leads 3-0.

FOURTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order by Chris Young, who needed just eight pitches despite getting two strikeouts. At this point, Young has thrown 56 pitches, 35 for strikes, so he is on a good pace to pitch deep into the game. We move to the fifth inning with Syracuse leading 3-0.

The Chiefs add a run in the fourth off Shawn Hill, who gave up a double to Mike Costanzo and a two-out RBI single to Brian Jeroloman. Hill has thrown 78 pitches through four innings, which obviously is a lot. Syracuse now leads 3-0.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens got a one-0ut single by Corey Jones and a walk to Argenis Diaz, but Young got the next two outs to keep Toledo scoreless. It has been amazing to watch 6-10 Syracuse starter Chris Young pitch. At 6-10, you would imagine Young throws pretty hard, right? You would be wrong. The fastest pitch Young has thrown so far has traveled at just 84 mph. Toledo starter Shawn Hill threw 21 pitches that were faster than that -- in the first inning. Still, the Hens are scoreless against Young as we move to the fourth.

Toledo's Shawn Hill got two quick outs before giving up a single to Corey Brown. But Hens catcher Ramon Cabrera threw out Brown trying to steal second to end the inning. That was the second potential base-stealer Cabrera has thrown out in eight attempts while in Toledo. The International League leader? The Hens' Bryan Holaday, who has thrown out 13 of 29 he has faced (44.8 percent).

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens got a one-out single by Ben Guez, but Quintin Berry erased him with a double play. The Chiefs will take a 2-0 lead into the third.

Toledo starter Shawn Hill gave up a leadoff double to Brian Bocock, but pitched around it. Still 2-0 Syracuse as we move to the bottom of the second.

FIRST INNING

The Mud Hens got a one-out double from Ramon Cabrera, but that was it. Chiefs lead 2-0 as we move to the second.

Mud Hens starter Shawn Hill struggled in the first inning in his second straight morning game, although this time he gave up just two runs (he gave up five in the first to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday). Hill seemed poised to pitch around a leadoff single to Chris Rahl, who quickly stole second and moved to third on a groundout. But back-to-back two-out walks loaded the bases, and Micah Owings lined a two-run double to left. Syracuse leads 2-0 as the Hens come to bat for the first time.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• There aren't a lot of notes that come before a 10:30 a.m. start, but here is an update on the Mud Hens RHP Al Alburquerque. The Mud Hens expect him to join the team today ... but as I type this he has not arrived in the Toledo clubhouse. I will check again and update as soon as I know something new.
  

• The Mud Hens have made some decisions about the rotation for the next few days. Tuesday's finale with Tuesday will feature RHP Derek Hankins, followed by Wednesday's off day. On Thursday. when the Hens begin a series in Gwinnett, LHP Ramon Garcia will start, followed by LHP Jose Alvarez on Friday and Shawn Hill on Saturday. With the off day, Toledo is able to skip the spot that RHP Luke Putkonen filled for Casey Crosby. Garcia and the other starters will start on normal rest.

• Finally, here are a few links from Sunday’s game. Click here to read the game story. Click here to read the in-game blog.

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 19

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Syracuse at Fifth Third Field on Sunday, May 19. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Syracuse Chiefs (16-26) at Toledo Mud Hens (14-30)

First pitch: 2 p.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

STARTING LINEUPS

SYRACUSE: Leading off and playing RF is Chris Rahl, followed by Jeff Kobernus at 2B, Corey Brown in CF, Chris Marrero at 1B, Micah Owings in LF, Zach Walters at SS, Carlos Rivero at 3B, Mike Costanzo at DH, Kris Watts at C and RHP Ross Ohlendorf as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at DH, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn in RF, Bryan Holaday in C, Quintin Berry in CF, Kevin Russo at 3B, Corey Jones at 2B and LHP Jose Alvarez as the starting pitcher.

NINTH INNING

Bruce Rondon mows down the Chiefs in the ninth to close out the Hens' 4-3 win. Rondon threw seven pitches, all for strikes, for his ninth save. Rondon struck out two and got Will Rhymes to line out to end the game. Rondon's fastball sat at 96-99 mph; he threw a filthy change-up at 89 for a swing-and-miss, then threw two sliders at 82-83 mph (one was a swing-and-miss, the other was Rhymes' lineout). Thanks for following along!

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order in the eighth. It's Bruce Rondon time as we head to the ninth ... and former Hen/Tiger Will Rhymes entered the game as a defensive sub -- and will bat third in the ninth. Hang onto your hats ...

Brayan Villarreal retired the Chiefs in order in the inning, collecting a strikeout along the way. Villarreal threw the ball pretty well, throwing eight of his 12 pitches for strikes. Of those 12 pitches, 10 were fastballs (seven of which were strikes) that sat in the 94 mph range until he got rolling and upped the velocity to 96-98. Fastball command was better today, and so was the result for Villarreal.

SEVENTH INNING

The Mud Hens got a pair of runners on base thanks to singles by Jordan Lennerton and Danny Dorn, but a pair of flyouts to center kept Toledo from scoring. The Hens still lead 4-3 as we move to the eighth.

For the fifth consecutive half inning we have a run scored, and obviously that's not good for the Hens. Toledo starter Jose Alvarez gave up a one-out home run to Mike Costanzo -- a well-struck ball to right -- but did get two outs before Brayan Villarreal came out of the bullpen and got the final out. The Mud Hens still lead, but it's a 4-3 advantage as we move to the seventh-inning stretch.

SIXTH INNING

The Mud Hens get the run back in the bottom of the sixth, and Kevin Russo had a terrific at-bat that played a big role in the rally. Bryan Holaday singled to lead off, and one out later Russo fell behind 1-2. Russo then fouled off five two-strike pitches -- and took a pair of pitches for balls -- before lining a single to right that sent Holaday, who was running on the pitch, to third. Toledo's Corey Jones greeted new pitcher Fernando Abad with an RBI single. The Hens lead 4-2 as we move to the seventh.

The Chiefs get one of those runs back off Jose Alvarez, who with two outs gave up a double to Chris Marrero and an RBI single by Micah Owings. But Alvarez got the third out to make sure the Hens stayed in front, although the lead is cut to 3-2. One warning to sound: Alvarez has thrown 94 pitches through six, so he may go a little longer -- but not a lot longer.

FIFTH INNING

Simply put, the at-bat of the season for the Mud Hens' Jordan Lennerton. Here's the situation: Argenis Diaz led off with a single and was still at first when Lennerton came to the plate with one out. Here was the pitch sequence: called strike, ball, ball, foul, foul, foul, foul, ball (3-2 count), foul, foul, foul (runner going), HOME RUN to straight-away center. Just a terrific at-bat by Lennerton. Mud Hens lead 3-1 as we move to the sixth.

The Chiefs finally nick Toledo starter Jose Alvarez for a run, and Alvarez nearly escaped unscathed after giving up a LONG leadoff double to Micah Owings. Alvarez gave up a one-out infield single that sent Owings to third, then got a second out and two strikes on Kris Watts, who blooped a single to center to score Owings. Alvarez now has thrown 72 pitches through five innings, and the game is tied 1-1.

FOURTH INNING

Bryan Holaday leads off the inning with a single, but he never advances past first as the next three batters are retired. The final out came on a nifty leaping play by Jeff Kobernus at second base. Toledo's Corey Jones hit a grounder up the middle that Kobernus gloved and threw to first in a play reminiscent of Derek Jeter throwing out a batter on a grounder in the hole at shortstop. Hens still lead 1-0 as we move to the fifth.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Jose Alvarez, who has retired 12 Chiefs in a row. Alvarez has thrown 51 pitches through four innings and the shutout remains intact.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens again fail to take advantage of a scoring opportunity as Argenis Diaz doubled to lead off the inning, then moved to third on a groundout -- and was stranded at third. Jordan Lennerton walked, but Nick Castellanos popped out and Danny Dorn struck out. Toledo still leads 1-0 as we move to the fourth.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Jose Alvarez, with an assist to Kevin Russo at third base. The leadoff hitter this inning, Mike Costanzo, hit a soft liner to shallow left, but Russo made a fine over-the-shoulder catch to record the out.

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens got a two-out single by Kevin Russo, but that was it. Toledo leads Syracuse 1-0 as we move to the third.

The Hens' Jose Alvarez retired the Chiefs in 1-2-3 order, and needed just 13 pitches to do it. Nice inning for Alvarez.

FIRST INNING

The Mud Hens get on the board first when Jordan Lennerton slammed his sixth home run of the season off the base of the scoreboard in left. Nick Castellanos also singled sharply, but that was it for the Hens, who lead 1-0 as we move to the second.

Mud Hens started Jose Alvarez gave up an infield single to Chris Rahl to open the game, but Alvarez pitched around that single. Alvarez threw just 13 pitches, 10 of which were strikes. The Hens are hoping Alvarez can cover a number of innings to allow the bullpen to get a day of rest.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Toledo still is a pitcher short on its staff because LHP Al Alburquerque still has not arrived at Fifth Third Field. Alburquerque was optioned to the Hens on May 16, and it has been 72 hours since his demotion -- normally players are required to report in 72 hours. Mud Hens manager said he did not know when Alburquerque would join the Hens.

• The Mud Hens still have not determined who will start when the team begins its next road trip Thursday at Gwinnett. The Hens could skip the position that Luke Putkonen filled on Friday and keep the other four members of the rotation in line, or they could move Putkonen back to the bullpen and keep the rest of the rotation in line.

• Finally, here are a few links from Saturday’s game. Click here to read the game story. And click here to view Katie Rausch’s photo gallery from the game.

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 17

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Fifth Third Field on Friday, May 17. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (20-19)
at Toledo Mud Hens (14-28)

First pitch: 7 p.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

TENTH INNING

The Mud Hens had a chance in the bottom of the tenth, as Bryan Holaday and Kevin Russo opened the inning with singles and a sacrifice, but a strikeout and a groundout left Toledo a run short. Heading to the clubhouse ... thanks for following along!

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre takes advantage of a poorly timed Toledo error to take the lead in the top of the tenth inning. With two outs and a runner on first base, Zoilo Almonte hit a grounder to Danny Dorn at first base. But the ball got through Dorn for an error that kept the inning alive, and Ronnier Mustelier made the Hens pay for the mistake with an RBI single. The Mud Hens need a run in the bottom of the tenth to stay alive as they now trail 4-3.

NINTH INNING

After two quick outs the Mud Hens got back-to-back walks to Jordan Lennerton and Nick Castellanos, but former Hen Clay Rapada came on and got Danny Dorn to fly out. Extra innings on tap at Fifth Third Field ... Toledo and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tied at 3-3 as we move to the tenth.

Jess Todd gets the job done in the top of the ninth, striking out the first two hitters and getting a groundout. The Hens come to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with a chance to win ... and it's important they get the job done, because the Toledo bullpen really isn't in great shape, and extra innings would be a burden. Top of the order coming up for the Hens ...

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order in the eighth, with two strikeouts. Only good news: Top of the order will lead off the ninth. For now the RailRiders will bat against reliever Jess Todd in a 3-3 contest.

Toledo's Matt Hoffman gave up a two-out single to Ronnier Mustelier, but avoided further trouble to keep the game tied at 3-3. The third out was a little tricky, because it was a come-backer to the mound that Hoffman blocked, chased down, then seemed to trip as he threw to first. But he seemed fine as he left the field.

SEVENTH INNING

The Mud Hens get a two-out opposite-field home run by Jordan Lennerton, his fifth home run of the season, off Scranton/Wilkes-Barre reliever Sam Demel, to tie the game at 3-3. Well-struck ball by Lennerton -- to the opposite field, which is his style. Nick Castellanos drew a walk -- which should be his third of the game, but now I'm just sounding bitter -- and Danny Dorn singled him to second, but Bryan Holaday flew out to right to end the inning. The game is tied as we move to the eighth.

Matt Hoffman gives up a one-out walk -- Hoffman's third walk in five batters faced -- but then got a double play to end the inning. How unusual is Hoffman's three walks? In his previous 14 games he allowed just four walks in 10.2 innings, never more than one in any of those 14 appearances. We hit the seventh-inning stretch with Toledo trailing the RailRiders 3-2.

SIXTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order in the sixth ... and it look as if they may wish they would have taken greater advantage of earlier opportunities. Toledo stranded seven runners in the first four innings -- and five of those seven were in scoring position at the time. We move to the seventh with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leading 3-2.

Long half-inning for Mud Hens pitchers as Michael Morrison gives up a walk, a single, and a two-run double by Ronnier Mustelier before he was relieved by Matt Hoffman. Hoffman struggled with his command -- and, truth be told, with home-plate ump Andy Dudones -- to walk the first two batters he faced to load the bases before striking out Melky Mesa to leave them loaded. But Scranton/Wilkes-Barre now leads 3-2.

FIFTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order, but this one comes with asterisk: Nick Castellanos was called out on strikes on a simply dreadful third strike. The pitch was low, and should have been ball four. Castellanos took two steps to first, then stopped and put his hands on his helmet before eventually moving back to the dugout. Only one person in the ballpark thought the pitch was a strike: home-plate ump Andy Dudones, who has struggled with the strike zone at times tonight. We move to the sixth with the Hens still leading 2-1.

Luke Putkonen is given the opportunity to get through the fifth -- and earn a win -- but gives up a leadoff single to Dan Johnson and then walks Josh Bell. Newcomer Michael Morrison comes on to replace Putkonen ... two on, no one out, here in the fifth. ... Morrison blunts the rally by getting Melky Mesa to hit into a double play, but Morrison then threw a wild pitch that allowed Johnson to score from third. Hens lead is cut to 2-1 as they come to bat.

FOURTH INNING

The Mud Hens get another run with a two-out rally. It started when Quintin Berry was hit by a pitch, Corey Jones singled Berry to third, and Argenis Diaz singled Berry home. Ramon Cabrera drew a walk to load the bases, but Jordan Lennerton hit a rainmaker to end the inning. Toledo now leads 2-0 as we move to the fifth.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Luke Putkonen, who needed just nine pitches -- seven of which were strikes -- to get through the inning. Putkonen has thrown 53 pitches, 35 of which were strikes. Terrific effort for Putkonen ... I would guess Putkonen's day is done, but he certainly has done his job.

THIRD INNING

Toledo threatened but did not score in the third off the RailRiders starter Graham Stoneburner. With one out Ramon Cabrera doubled into the right-field corner, and with two outs Nick Castellanos drew a walk, but Danny Dorn grounded out to end the threat. The Hens still lead 1-0 as we move to the fourth.

Mud Hens starter Luke Putkonen finally gave up a baserunner on a one-out walk to Jeff Farnham, but Farnham never left second base. Putkonen threw 19 pitches that inning and has thrown 44 pitches through three innings. I would expect Putkonen won't be going much further ... but good work so far.

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens break through for a run against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Graham Stoneburner, who gave up a one-out double to Bryan Holaday -- who moved to third when the throw to second base was wild -- and an RBI double to Kevin Russo. Toledo leads 1-0 as we move to the third.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Luke Putkonen, who threw 12 pitches and collected a second strikeout. Putkonen has two strikeouts, two groundouts and two flyouts and has throw 25 pitches so far.

FIRST INNING

The Mud Hens get a two-out walk from Jordan Lennerton, but that is all in the bottom of the first. No score as we move to the second.

So far, so good for Mud Hens starter Luke Putkonen, who retired the RailRiders in 1-2-3 order ... and needed just 13 pitches, 10 of which were strikes, to get the job done. Putkonen notched a strikeout and two weak-contact swings.

STARTING LINEUPS

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: Leading off and playing 2B is Corban Joseph, followed by Brennan Boesch in RF, Zoilo Almonte in LF, Ronnier Mustelier at 3B, Dan Johnson at 1B, Josh Bell at DH, Melky Mesa in CF, Jeff Farnham at C, Addison Maruszak at SS and RHP Graham Stoneburner as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at DH, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn in RF, Bryan Holaday in C, Kevin Russo at 3B, Brad Davis at C, Gustavo Nunez at 2B and RHP Derek Hankins as the starting pitcher.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Let’s start with an update on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster, which has added another player: Josh Bell has joined the RailRiders and is starting at DH. Bell came to the RailRiders from Charlotte, and he had success against the Hens: in four games he batted .444 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored.

• The Mud Hens made a pair of roster move Thursday, putting IF Brandon Douglas and LHP Casey Crosby on the disabled list. Douglas has a shin contusion and Crosby is experiencing shoulder soreness. Toledo manager Phil Nevin said, "I don't think [Crosby's] injury is anything serious. It has felt better the last couple of days."

• Toledo promoted a pair of players from Double-A Erie to fill out the roster for tonight’s game. IF Corey Jones and RHP Michael Morrison are with the Mud Hens – and the chances are good we’ll see both play today. Jones is starting at second base for the Hens, while Morrison may see action in relief (more on that later). Jones played in 14 games for Double-A Erie and hit .200 with no home runs but five RBIs, seeing action primarily at second base but also at shortstop. Morrison was 2-1 with a 5.28 ERA in 11 relief appearances with the SeaWolves, giving up 20 hits and 11 walks in 15.1 innings while striking out 13.

• With Crosby going to the disabled list the Mud Hens have made a change to the rotation. Today RHP Luke Putkonen will take Crosby’s scheduled start; Putkonen has not thrown more than three innings in a game this season. I would expect the Hens are hoping for four innings at the most, and the bullpen will have to pick up the rest.

• An interesting decision looms with the rotation ... The Mud Hens can "skip" Crosby's spot in the rotation because in five days (Wednesday, May 22) the Hens have an "off" day. Nevin said no decision has been made as to whether that spot will be skipped or if Toledo will get another starter and push the rest of the rotation back a day. GUESS ALERT: I have no insider knowledge, but I would guess that the Hens will skip that spot if Crosby is close to returning, then plug him back into the rotation in five days. If Crosby will be out for a longer period, another starter probably will be plugged into the rotation.

• Finally, here are a few links from Thursday’s game. Click here to read the game story. Click here to read the in-game blog. Click here to read a post-game blog that looks at the play of several Mud Hens (including Brayan Villarreal, Bruce Rondon, Nick Castellanos and several others). And click here to view Amy Voigt’s photo gallery from the game.

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Mud Hens post-game -- May 16

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 16

Mud Hens post-game -- May 16

A few post-game notes from the Mud Hens 4-1 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre from Fifth Third Field on Thursday ...

• First, the good news for the Hens: Toledo has won four in a row for the first time this season. After a 7-20 April, the Mud Hens were 10-28 until winning the final game of the four-game series at Indianapolis May 13. That game was the first win in the team's current four-game winning streak.

Here's a taste of how the Hens had struggled to start the season: Toledo has won the first three games of their series against the RailRiders (the Hens go for the sweep Friday night). This is just the SECOND series (out of 12) Toledo will win this season, and the team had lost five of its last six series (splitting one) before this win.

• RHP Brayan Villarreal struggled in his 1.2 innings of work, allowing one hit and three walks with only one strikeout. Here is all you need to know about Villarreal Thursday night: He threw 37 pitches, only 17 of which were strikes.

Want to know more? Of course you do ... He came on in the seventh with runners on first and second with one out and Toledo leading 3-1. Villarreal struck out Brennan Boesch, then walked Zoilo Almonte (on four pitches) before getting Ronnier Mustelier on a groundout to shortstop (where Argenis Diaz made a nice play in the hole and threw Mustelier out at first on a bang-bang play). Of the 10 pitches Villarreal threw that inning, all 10 were fastballs in the 96-98 mph range (three at 98, five at 97, two at 96), and five were strikes.

Then Villarreal came on for the eighth and threw 27 pitches, only 12 of which were strikes. He gave up a single and a walk, then got a grounder to third that had a chance to be a triple play -- instead the Mud Hens turned two and got runners out and second and third. With two outs and a runner on first Villarreal gave up another walk, then a flyout.

The pitch speeds for Villarreal were all over the place in the eighth. Most of the fastballs sat at 95-97 mph, although the breakdown was one at 93, one at 94, five at 95, 10 at 96, four at 97, one at 98. I theorized that Villarreal may be throwing a sinker, but I was told after the game he does not: His repertoire is four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball and slider. His slowest pitch was at 88 mph, with two at 89, one at 90 and one at 91. That is awfully fast for the slider, and obviously there weren't many of them.

In short, Villarreal struggled and pitched his way into jams, but he also managed to pitch his way out of jams.

NOTE: I was also told after the game not to believe all of the pitch speeds I saw on the scoreboard. So use them at your discretion.

• Bruce Rondon came on in the ninth and nailed down his eighth save with the Mud Hens. Rondon hit the first batter he faced -- more on that in a minute -- then got a groundout, a strikeout and a groundout to end the game.

Rondon threw just 11 pitches, eight of which were strikes. Of those 11 pitches, eight were fastballs that ranged between 94-97 mph (two at 94, three at 96, two at 97, one at 100). Of the eight fastballs, seven were strikes (two taken, three fouled, two put in play). Notice the number that were swung at and missed (zero).

Rondon threw three sliders, interestingly they all came in at 84 mph. One hit Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Corban Joseph, but it was a terrific back-foot slider to a left-handed hitter. The pitch hit Joseph on the top of the shoe, and there was discussion as to whether or not Joseph had swung at the 0-2 pitch (to my untrained eye, it looked as if he did. If he didn't, we all can agree it was close). The second slider was a ball, and the third resulted in a swing-and-miss strikeout.

In short, lately Rondon has had a better slider. He does need to keep throwing it, though, to continue the pitch's development. This is the second time I've seen Rondon have a better slider than fastball -- click here to read a May 6 post-game look at Rondon.

• As you may or may not have noticed if you read the in-game blog, OF Quintin Berry did not start Thursday's game. He is not hurt -- actually, he came on for defense in the top of the ninth inning. It also wasn't a lefty-right situation -- Scranton/Wilkes-Barre started a right-hander, Chien-Ming Wang, and the Hens used a left-handed hitter in the outfield in Danny Dorn.

When I asked Toledo manager Phil Nevin about the situation, he simply said Berry is not hurt. What Nevin didn't have to say is that Berry has been struggling at the plate: Berry hit .206 in April and just .133 in May. He also has 35 strikeouts in 36 games.

Something to remember about Berry, who has disappointed some people who thought he might make the Tigers Opening Day roster: Before last season, Berry had never played more than four games above Double-A and had never played above Triple-A. He is not extremely experienced at this level. But he does need to figure some things out at the plate.

• As a team, the Mud Hens offense is on a roll. In the team's last 10 games, the Hens have hit .294 and scored 61 runs (6.1 runs per game). In the last five contests, Toledo has hit .337 as a team and scored 34 runs (6.8 runs per game).

• There are a lot of guys who are rolling offensively, but one who should not be overlooked as C Bryan Holaday. Holaday hit .231 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs in 19 games in April, but the offense has picked up in May. This month Holaday is hitting .355 with no homers and four RBIs in just nine games. He went 4-for-4 in the 12-11 win Wednesday and is 7-for-12 in his last three games. Holaday's season numbers now are a .271 batting average with two homers and eight RBIs.

It's worth noting that Holaday has thrown out 13-of-29 would-be base stealers this season (44.8 percent). That's the second-best mark in the International League this season.

• Another hitter who seems to be figuring some things out is OF Nick Castellanos. Castellanos has hit .375 in his last 10 games with a home run, 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored. In the first three games of this homestand he has gone 7-for-12 (.583) with his first Fifth Third Field home run of the season.

His recent at-bats have been very strong, full of solid contact -- his two hits today were a solid single up the middle and a line drive off the pitcher, followed by a groundout and flyball to medium depth right. Here's the best news, though: Castellanos has struck out just three times in his last 29 at-bats (a span of eight games), or one strikeout every 9.7 at-bats. Before that the 21-year-old had struck out 33 times in 34 games, or 179 at-bats (one strikeout every 5.4 at-bats).

• The Mud Hens will need to make a move after placing IF Brandon Douglas on the disabled list. Douglas did not play Thursday after suffering a shin contusion in Wednesday's win over the RailRiders.

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Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 15

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 14

Mud Hens post-game -- May 6

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 16

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Fifth Third Field on Thursday, May 16. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (20-18)
at Toledo Mud Hens (13-28)

First pitch: 6:30 p.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

NINTH INNING

Bruce Rondon hit the first batter he faced, but he got the next three out to nail down his eighth save. Rondon threw 11 pitches, eight strikes. He threw one fastball at 100

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens get a two-out double by Kevin Russo, but that is it. Bruce Rondon comes on in the ninth in an attempt to nail down a 4-1 victory.

Brayan Villarreal returns for a second inning of work and gives up a leadoff single to Dan Johnson, a good 4-A hitter who worked a 3-2 count and lined the eighth pitch of the at-bat to right for a solid hit. Then Villarreal gave up a five-pitch walk to Thomas Neal to put the first two runners on base. Then Villarreal got a huge break when Melky Mesa hit a grounder right to third baseman Kevin Russo, who stepped on third and then threw to second base with a 5-4 double play that left a runner on first base. Then another walk for Villarreal before a flyout ends the inning. Entertaining, to say the least. Interesting, absolutely. Major-league ready? Ah, no.

SEVENTH INNING

The Mud Hens get that run back in the seventh, thanks in part of a nifty two-out at-bat by Jordan Lennerton. With two outs and runners on first and second, Lennerton fell behind 1-2, but managed to work the count full so the runners would be going on the pitch. Then he went with an outside pitch and grounded the ball through the hole at shortstop that scored the run. We move to the eighth and Toledo leads 4-1.

QUICK SCOUT ON VILLARREAL: Brayan Villarreal threw 10 pitches, five for strikes. Every pitch he threw was the fastball, which sat at 96-98 mph (two at 96, five at 97, three at 98). No breaking pitches.

The shutout by Derek Hankins ended on the first pitch of this inning, as Melky Mesa lined a home run just over the fence in left field. Hankins then gave up a couple of singles and a flyout to put runners on first and second with one out ... and Brennan Boesch coming up to face a new pitcher, Brayan Villarreal. Villarreal struck out Boesch, then walked Zoilo Almonte on four pitches to load the bases, then got a good defensive play by shortstop Argenis Diaz to get the final out. Toledo's lead over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is now 3-1 as we hit the seventh-inning stretch.

SIXTH INNING

Toledo is retired quickly by Chien-Ming Wang, who needed just nine pitches in a 1-2-3 frame. Still Mud Hens 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 0 as we move to the seventh.

Hens starter Derek Hankins got two outs before finding a little trouble as Ronnier Mustelier singled and Dan Johnson drew a walk. But Hankins got Thomas Neal to fly out to end the threat. For those wondering, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Brennan Boesch is 0-for-3 with a foul out on the infield, a groundout and an infield popout.

FIFTH INNING

The Mud Hens add another run, and again see a chance for a bigger inning wasted. With one out, a walk to Argenis Diaz, a single by Ramon Cabrera and an RBI single by Jordan Lennerton brought home the run. With runners on first and second, Chien-Ming Wang bounced a pitch up to the plate and the runners tried to advance, but Scranton/Wilkes-Barre catcher Jeff Farnham threw to second to catch the trail runner, Lennerton. Nick Castellanos grounded out to end the inning. Toledo leads 3-0 as we move to the sixth.

In game full of fast half-innings, Derek Hankins just posted the fastest so far. Hankins needed just six pitches to record a 1-2-3 inning. Hankins is at just 50 pitches through five innings, which is a fantastic pace -- if he keeps it going, which would be hard, he could easily throw a complete game. But that's down the road ... Hens come to bat, leading 2-0.

FOURTH INNING

A 1-2-3 inning for the RailRiders' Chien-Ming Wang, his first of the game. And he needed just 12 pitches to do it. Hens do have seven hits off Wang through four innings and lead Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 2-0 as we move to the fifth.

Another quick inning for Toledo's Derek Hankins, who needed just eight pitches to retire Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Hankins did give out a two-out double to Dan Johnson and then hit Thomas Neal with a pitch but got a popout to avoid trouble.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens scored a run in the third, but it could have been more except for a nifty double play by the RailRiders that ended the inning. Back-to-back leadoff doubles by Argenis Diaz and Ramon Cabrera scored one run, and a one-out single by Nick Castellanos -- off pitcher Chien-Ming Wang -- put runners on first and third with only one out. Danny Dorn hit a grounder to first base that Dan Johnson caught, touched first, then threw to the plate to cut down Cabrera. Toledo leads 2-0 as we move to the fourth.

A good inning for the Mud Hens' Derek Hankins, who retired the RailRiders 1-2-3 and needed only eight pitches to do it. Hankins is at only 36 pitches through three inning, which is a terrific pace.

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens break through for a run off Chien-Ming Wong as Ben Guez singled, took second on a wild pitch, took third on a single by Kevin Russo, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brad Davis. Toledo leads 1-0 as we move to third.

The RailRiders get runners on first and third after a single and an error. But Derek Hankins struck out both Melky Mesa and Jeff Farnham to keep the game scoreless. Hankins still has thrown 28 pitches through two innings, which isn't a bad pace. NOTE: Farnham is the starting catcher for the RailRiders, not Bobby Wilson as was posted on the original lineup. Wilson was a late scratch -- no reason was given.

FIRST INNING

The Hens got hits by Argenis Diaz and Nick Castellanos -- Castellanos lined a single to center -- but no runs. Toledo was aggressive at the plate, with the last three hitters swinging at the second pitch. We are scoreless as we move to the second inning.

Mud Hens starter Derek Hankins retired the RailRiders 1-2-3 in the first inning. Brennan Boesch got ahead of Hankins 2-0 but lifted a foul popout caught by Hens third baseman Kevin Russo. It took Hankins just nine pitches to retire Scranton/Wilkes-Barre -- good start for him.

STARTING LINEUPS

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: Leading off and playing 2B is Corban Joseph, followed by Brennan Boesch in RF, Zoilo Almonte in LF, Ronnier Mustelier at 3B, Dan Johnson at 1B, Thomas Neal at DH, Melky Mesa in CF, Bobby Wilson at C, Reegie Corona at SS and RHP Chien-Ming Wang as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at DH, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn in RF, Ben Guez in CF, Kevin Russo at 3B, Brad Davis at C, Gustavo Nunez at 2B and RHP Derek Hankins as the starting pitcher.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Let’s start with an update on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster, which has another familiar face: OF Brennan Boesch has joined the RailRiders and is starting in right.

• The Tigers made a move late Wednesday, calling up RHP Evan Reed to Detroit while optioning RHP Al Alburquerque to the Mud Hens. Reed is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 14 appearances, allowing 18 hits and seven walks in 21 innings while fanning 28. After an implosion against Charlotte May 3, Reed has thrown 6.1 scoreless innings in his last three appearances, giving up three hits and two walks while collecting eight strikeouts.

• Alburquerque comes to Toledo with an 0-1 record and 3.14 ERA in 15 games with the Tigers. He allowed 13 hits and 13 walks (along with six wild pitches) in 14.1 innings, although he did have 26 strikeouts. Alburquerque gave up runs in each of his last three appearances, surrendering six hits and three walks that resulted in three runs in 2.1 innings.

• You will notice that Quintin Berry is in the starting lineup. Manager Phil Nevin said Berry is not injured, and since Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter Chien-Ming Wang is a right-hander, this isn’t a righty-lefty matchup. Berry has struggled at the plate all season, hitting .206 in 25 April games before struggling even more in May, hitting .133 in 10 contests this month. The one good thing Berry is doing is drawing walks; he has eight walks this month and has 17 in 35 games, helping him overcoming a .189 season’s batting average to post a .293 on-base percentage.

• Finally, here are a few links from Wednesday’s game. Click here to read the game story. Click here to read the in-game blog. Click here to view Dave Zapotosky’s photo gallery from the game.

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Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 15

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 14

Mud Hens win slugfest 12-11

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 15

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday, May 15. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest. Scroll to the bottom for lineups and pre-game notes and links.

GAME INFORMATION

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (20-17)
at Toledo Mud Hens (12-28)

First pitch: 10:30 a.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

NINTH INNING

Bruce Rondon struck out the leadoff batter, then hit Thomas Neal with a 95 mph fastball. But Rondon gets a pair of groundouts to finish off the victory ... and Mud Hens win their third game for first time this season. Heading to the clubhouse ...

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens get a home run from Danny Dorn to take a 12-11 lead. Dorn hit a high, DEEP line drive down the rightfield line that stayed fair and landed in The Roost. Toledo got two more hits but weren't able to add an insurance run. We move to the ninth, and Bruce Rondon will come on and try to close out the victory.

Mud Hens reliever Jess Todd has given his team a great chance for the win by shutting out the RailRiders for a second straight inning. Todd walked a batter but pitched around it. Toledo will now have a second chance to break an 11-11 tie.

SEVENTH INNING

Holy mackerel we are going fast now ... The Mud Hens are retired in 1-2-3 order by Scranton/Wilkes-Barre reliever Jim Miller. We move to the eighth inning in an 11-11 tie.

Congratulations to Mud Hens reliever Jess Todd for retiring the RailRiders in 1-2-3 order. Not only is he the first pitcher in this game to accomplish that feat, he's the first pitcher in the game to retire the first TWO batters in an inning. That note does come with an asterisk: In two innings there was an out and an error to start the inning. Toledo will take a shot at taking the lead in an 11-11 game.

SIXTH INNING

The Mud Hens tie the game AGAIN with three runs in the sixth. The first three Mud Hens -- Jordan Lennerton, Nick Castellanos and Danny Dorn -- singled, with Dorn's hit plating Lennerton. Bryan Holaday hit a sacrifice fly that scored Castellanos, and a clutch two-out double by Quintin Berry brought home Dorn with the tying run. So we move to the seventh with the score tied 11-11.

Kenny Faulk got the RailRiders out in the sixth without giving up a hit, but an error and a walk made it a stressful inning. Still Scranton/Wilkes-Barre leading 11-8 as Mud Hens come to bat in the bottom of the sixth.

FIFTH INNING

Toledo gets a leadoff single by Bryan Holaday and a two-out walk from Argenis Diaz but fail to score in the fifth. Even though Hens have scored eight runs, they are just 3-for-11 (.273) when batting with runners in scoring position in the game. By comparison, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is 9-for-16 (.563) with runners in scoring position. Still 11-8 RailRiders as we move to the sixth.

Hens reliever Robbie Weinhardt gave up one-out walks to Corban Joseph and Thomas Neal set the wheels in motion for a three-run inning for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. A single brought home one run, and a two-run double by Ronnier Mustelier was the key hit in the inning. Another deficit for the Mud Hens to overcome, this one 11-8 as Toledo comes to bat in the bottom of the fifth.

FOURTH INNING

The Mud Hens get the run back in the fourth and knock Chris Bootcheck out of the game. Leadoff singles by Argenis Diaz and Brandon Douglas forced Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to replace Bootcheck with side-arming lefty Josh Spence, but lefties Jordan Lennerton and Danny Dorn both have good swings against Spence. Lennerton fell behind 0-2 but hit a grounder to first to move the runners up a base, and Dorn hit a fly to deep right that was a sacrifice fly. The two teams are tied at 8-8 as we move to the fifth.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre wastes no time jumping back into the lead as Dan Johnson pounds a home run onto the batter's eye in straight-away center to give the RailRiders an 8-7 lead. Robbie Weinhardt struck out the next three hitters, but the Mud Hens need to mount another comeback.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens get a one-out double from Bryan Holaday, but that's it for the third. We move to the fourth inning in a game in which Toledo and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre are tied 7-7.

Well, we're back to square one as Scranton/Wilkes-Barre scored twice while knocking Shawn Hill out of the game. Hill gave up four more singles, and reliever Robbie Weinhardt allowed a sacrifice fly to Zoilo Almonte that tied the contest. Considering Weinhardt came in with the bases loaded and one out and limited the RailRiders to a single run, that's not bad. But we're knotted at 7-7 as the Mud Hens come to bat in the bottom of the third.

SECOND INNING

Well, well, well ... the Mud Hens sent 10 batters to the plate and scores SEVEN runs off former Hen Chris Bootcheck. What's more, ALL seven runs scored with two outs. Toledo seemed poised to squander a bases-loaded, none-out situation when Quintin Berry and Gustavo Nunez struck out. But Argenis Diaz singled in two runs, Brandon Douglas hammered a three-run home run -- his second in as many days -- and after a four-pitch walk to Jordan Lennerton, Nick Castellanos pounded a two-run homer to deep center. We move to the third, and Toledo suddenly leads Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 7-5.

Shawn Hill pitched around a leadoff single and a two-out walk in the second, getting another strikeout (this one on a breaking ball at eye level to Melky Mesa. Hill has already thrown 57 pitches through two innings.

FIRST INNING

The Hens fail to take advantage of a Scranton/Wilkes-Barre error, although Nick Castellanos did hit a long drive to straight-away center off RailRiders starter Chris Bootcheck. The 'Riders lead 5-0 as we move to the second.

Mud Hens starter Shawn Hill struggled getting out of the gate as the first six RailRiders reached base on a walk and five straight hits. Before the inning was over, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs on six hits. Hill did strike out two but threw 367 pitches, 23 of which were strikes. Could be a long day for the Mud Hens bullpen.

STARTING LINEUPS

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: Leading off and playing 2B is Corban Joseph, followed by Thomas Neal in RF, Zoilo Almonte in LF, Ronnier Mustelier at 3B, Dan Johnson at 1B, Melky Mesa in CF, Luke Murton at DH, Bobby Wilson at C, Reegie Corona at SS and RHP Chris Bootcheck as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing 3B is Argenis Diaz, followed by Brandon Douglas at 2B, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn at DH, Ben Guez in RF, Bryan Holaday at C, Quintin Berry in CF, Gustavo Nunez at SS and RHP Shawn Hill as the starting pitcher.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Not a lot of updates for a morning game after a night game ... here's one for Tigers fans, though: OF Brennan Boesch has not joined the RailRiders yet. Boesch, who was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Monday, is expected to join Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Thursday.

• Mud Hens fans from last season should recognize the name of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starting pitcher Chris Bootcheck, the Mud Hens closer before he was injured late last season. Bootcheck has had a terrific season so far, posting a 4-0 record and 1.25 ERA in six starts for the RailRiders. Bootcheck has struck out 27 and walked 10 in 36 innings.

• Finally, here are a few links from Tuesday’s game. Click here to read the game story. Click here to read the in-game blog. Click here to view Jeremy Wadsworth’s photo gallery from the game.

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Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 14

Week in review - May 14

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 14

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday, May 14. Scroll to the bottom for lineups and pre-game notes. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (20-16)

at Toledo Mud Hens (11-28)

First pitch: 6:30 p.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

NINTH INNING

Mud Hens reliever Jess Todd pitches a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the 10-2 victory. Toledo now has won two in a row heading into Wednesday's 10:30 a.m. start. Thanks for following along!

EIGHTH INNING

Former Mud Hen Clay Rapada came on and struggled, giving up a leadoff single to Quintin Berry and a walk to Brandon Douglas followed by a one-out single by Ramon Cabrera to load the bases. Then the wheels came off for Rapada, who walked Jordan Lennerton and Nick Castellanos to force home two runs, followed by a LONG sacrifice fly by Danny Dorn. The three runs give the Hens a 10-2 lead as we move to the ninth.

Mud Hens reliever Evan Reed had to dodge some bullets to pitch a scoreless inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Ronnier Mustelier, but Melky Mesa hit a hot shot that Argenis Diaz was able to grab and turn into a double play. Then Zoilo Almonte singled, stole second and went to third on a wild throw. But he was stranded at third on a groundout to end the inning.

SEVENTH INNING

Toledo scored one run, but RailRiders reliever blocked a potential hit to save himself a run. With one out Nick Castellanos singled, then Danny Dorn hit a hard liner to center that Melky Mesa misplayed into a run-scoring triple. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pulled the infield in for Ben Guez, who scalded a line drive off Betances -- straight to shortstop Addison Maruszak for the out. Mud Hens do get one run, thought, and lead 7-2 as we move to the eighth.

The Mud Hens call on Evan Reed to pitch the seventh, and he relied on a LOT of fastballs to retire the RailRiders in the inning. Of the 21 pitches Reed threw, 18 were fastballs -- all sitting in the 93-96 mph range with a high of 97. Reed struck out two and gave up a bloop single in his inning of work.

SIXTH INNING

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre calls on Dellin Betances in relief, and Betances -- once one of the top prospects in the Yankees system -- retires the Mud Hens in 1-2-3 order. No good swings against a guy who threw in the mid-90s and showed pretty good command of a breaking ball -- at least with the 12 pitches he threw in the sixth. We move to the seventh, and Toledo still leads 6-2.

The RailRiders spoil the shutout bid by Jose Alvarez with a two-out, two-run rally. With two outs and no one on, Melky Mesa blooped a single to left and Zoilo Almonte doubled into the right-field corner to score the run. Then Luke Murton blooped a single up the middle to score Almonte. Alvarez has thrown 94 pitches, so his day may be over. The Mud Hens come to bat in the sixth with their lead trimmed to 6-2.

FIFTH INNING

The Mud Hens tack on two more runs in the fifth as Ramon Cabrera was hit by a pitch and Nick Castellanos singled in front of Danny Dorn, who lined a double to the wall in right-center to score both runners. Toledo leads 6-0 as we move to the sixth.

A 1-2-3 inning that took Toledo's Jose Alvarez just 10 pitches to accomplish. At this point Alvarez has thrown just 66 pitches, 45 of which have been strikes.

FOURTH INNING

Dr. Longball makes a pair of house calls as the Mud Hens score three times. Danny Dorn led off with a walk, and Ben Guez slammed his second home run in as many days, a high opposite-field fly that is his fifth of the season. Then with two outs Brandon Douglas slamed a 1-1 pitch off the base of the scoreboard in left for his first home run of the season. As we move to the fifth, the Mud Hens lead 6-0.

Two quick outs by Jose Alvarez in the fourth, then two bloop singles put runners on first and second. Alvarez got a weak flyout by Addison Maruszak to end the inning. Alvarez has thrown 56 pitches, 39 for strikes, through four.

THIRD INNING

The Mud Hens get the leadoff man on base, but Argenis Diaz is stranded on third. The final out came on a DEEP fly to center off the bat of Nick Castellanos, but it was caught at the base of the fence in straight-away center. Toledo still leads 1-0 as we move to the fourth.

Two strikeouts for Jose Alvarez, then a single and a flyout get the Mud Hens through the third inning. Alvarez already has four strikeouts through three innings and has thrown just 41 pitches, 28 of which were strikes.

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens broke on top with a run off Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's Caleb Cotham, who gave up a leadoff double to Ben Guez, a groundout by Kevin Russo that moved Guez to third, and a sacrifice fly by Quintin Berry. Toledo leads 1-0 as we move to the third.

Hens starter Jose Alvarez gave up two singles but no runs in the second. The Mud Hens had a chance for a double play -- a tough double play, because it was started by the first baseman -- but no damage.

FIRST INNING

The Mud Hens collected a pair of hits off Joba Chamberlain but did not score. Chamberlain threw 12 pitches, nine of which were strikes. He gave up back-to-back two-out singles to Jordan Lennerton and Nick Castellanos and also gave up a pair of hard-hit fly balls. Of the 12 pitches Chamberlain threw, five were curveballs that sat at 74-75 mph (one at 74, two at 75, one at 77, one at 78) while the four fastballs sat between 90-93 mph (one at each speed). I believe he threw one slider (86 mph) and two change-ups (one at 83, one at 84). No score as we head to the second.

Mud Hens starter Jose Alvarez starts out strong, retiring the RailRiders 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts. Alvarez needed just 12 pitches -- eight of which were strikes -- to finish the inning.

STARTING LINEUPS

SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: Leading off and playing 2B is Corban Joseph, followed by David Adams at 3B, Thomas Neal in RF, Ronnier Mustelier at DH, Melky Mesa in CF, Zoilo Almonte in LF, Luke Murton at 1B, Addison Marusczak at SS, Jeff Farnham at C and RHP Joba Chamberlain as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at C, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn at DH, Ben Guez in RF, Kevin Russo at 3B, Quintin Berry in CF, Brandon Douglas at 2B and LHP Jose Alvarez as the starting pitcher.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Let’s start with an update on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre roster, which has some familiar faces – and is missing a familiar face, too. First, the player who is gone: OF Curtis Granderson, who played for the Mud Hens in 2005, ended his rehab assignment with the RailRiders and was recalled to New York.

• OK, here are the guys who are here: RHP Joba Chamberlain will start today’s game against the Mud Hens. According to the New York media, Chamberlain will throw just one inning in this contest. Also, the Yankees optioned OF Brennan Boesch to the RailRiders. At this point Boesch is not in the starting lineup for tonight – in fact, he is not on the lineup card as we speak.

• And now, a little bad news regarding Toledo LHP Casey Crosby. According to Mud Hens manager Phil Nevin, Crosby felt some soreness after his May 12 start at Indianapolis. Crosby will miss his scheduled Friday, May 17 start against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the extent of his injury is determined.

• UPDATE: When I posted the note above, I said Luke Putkonen would take the start in Crosby's place. I have been told that this is no longer the case: Friday's starter has yet to be determined.

• Still no word on the three injured Mud Hens: IF Danny Worth, RHP Luis Marte and LHP Pat Misch. Worth is basically "waiting out the pain," according to Nevin. Since he has not played in roughly a month, it wouldn't be unusual if Worth had a short rehab assignment before returning to the Mud Hens. Marte is not with the Hens (presumably he is in extended spring training in Lakeland), while Misch still is not ready as well. "Until they are game-ready, there's not much more I can tell you about them," Nevin said.

• The Mud Hens began the day with a 24-man roster after Avisail Garcia was promoted to Detroit. RHP Robbie Weinhardt has been called up from Double-A Erie to fill the Hens roster. Weinhardt wasn't gone long -- the official move sending him to the SeaWolves was dated May 13.

• Here's a link to a look at the Mud Hens' week in review -- and a preview of the coming homestand.

Week in review – May 14

TWITTER POST: Struggling Hens, 4-8 in May and 11-28 on season, begin 8-game homestand w/ 4 v. Railriders and 4 v. Chiefs, including 3 morning games

THREE THINGS I THINK: 1. Jordan Lennerton has been a bright spot for an otherwise dismal offense. Lennerton is batting a solid .294 and solid power as well as an ability to hit to the opposite field. He also has a “plus” glove that has helped limit the errors by the Toledo infield. 2. LHP Jose Alvarez is for real. The 23-year-old has a misleading 2-2 record and a 1.50 ERA that better reflects how well he has pitched this season. He ranks second in the International League in ERA, third in strikeouts (41) and second in baserunners per nine innings (8.79). 3. Toledo needs to find a way to grind out wins in close games. The Hens have played 18 one-run games, second-most in the IL, but their 4-14 record in those games (.222 winning percentage) is easily the league’s worst mark. If a team is going to play close games, it has to find a way to win them.

WHO’S HOT: OF Avisail Garcia hit .432 in his eight games with Toledo before his promotion to Detroit, collecting a home run, four RBIs and four runs scored. … SS Argenis Diaz has batted .310 in his last nine games. … 1B Jordan Lennerton has hit .333 in his last 10 contests with a home run, four RBIs and five runs scored. … LHP Ramon Garcia has been effective in his four starts for Toledo, allowing just 16 hits and three walks while fanning 12 in 21 innings for a 3.86 ERA. … LHP Matt Hoffman has not allowed a run in his last seven outings, giving up just four hits and one walk in five innings. His ERA has dropped to 1.69 for the season.

WHO’S NOT: The Toledo offense has posted a .231 batting average in its last 10 games, producing just 34 runs. … OF Quintin Berry has hit just .133 in his last six games and is hitting just .185 this season. … OF Nick Castellanos has hit just .200 in his last 10 games, although he has produced six RBIs while scoring five times. … OF Ben Guez had hit just .059 in eight games prior to going 2-for-2 with a home run against Indianapolis Monday. … LHP Kenny Faulk has given up at least one run in three of his last four outings, surrendering seven hits and four walks in 6.1 innings. … LHP Casey Crosby has received a loss or no-decision in his last four starts, giving up 24 hits and 14 walks in 17.2 innings. For the season Crosby is 1-5 with a 5.30 ERA and a 1.79 WHIP.

THE WEEK AHEAD: The Mud Hens will start an eight-game homestand Tuesday with four games against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and four versus Syracuse. Toledo will host the RailRiders Tuesday-Friday, May 14-17; the games Tuesday and Thurday start at 6:30 p.m., while the Wednesday game is a 10:30 a.m. School Celebration Day start and Friday’s game begins at 7 p.m. Then the Hens host Syracuse for four games Saturday-Tuesday, May 18-21; Saturday’s game start at 7 p.m., Sunday’s game is a 2 p.m. start, and the games Monday and Tuesday are both School Celebration Day games beginning at 10:30 a.m.

SCOUTING SCRANTON/WILKES-BARRE: The RailRiders are 20-15 overall and are third in the IL’s North Division. The pitching staff has led the way, posting a 3.10 ERA that is second-best in the league. Former Mud Hen Chris Bootcheck is 4-0 with a IL-best 1.25 ERA, while former big leaguer Chien-Ming Wang is 2-2 with a 2.84 ERA. The offense is led by IF Corban Joseph (.270-4-10) and former IL MVP Dan Johnson (.198-3-15). Look for OF Brennan Boesch to join the team after he was demoted by the Yankees Monday.

SCOUTING SYRACUSE: The Chiefs are 14-22 overall and are in sixth place in the IL’s North Division. Syracuse has had some success on offense, where its .266 team batting average is third-best in the league – but its 152 runs score rank only seventh. IF Jeff Kobernus ranks third in the IL with a .356 batting average and is second in the league with 14 stolen bases, while OF Eury Perez is hitting .346, fifth-best in the league. SS Zach Walters is tied for second with eight home runs. The pitching staff is led by LHP Daniel Rosenbaum, who is 3-2 with a 2.27 ERA.

NEWS WORTH NOTING: The Mud Hens begin this week in fourth place in the International League’s West Division, 16 games behind first-place Indianapolis (after just 39 games – it doesn’t help that Indy’s 27-12 mark is the best in the IL). Toledo is 10.5 games behind second-place Columbus, and 7.5 games behind Louisville in third. … The Hens are 12.5 games behind Durham and Pawtucket, the leaders in the Wild Card chase. … The Mud Hens’ 11-28 record is the worst in the IL. The team begins this homestand three games behind both Charlotte and Gwinnett, the two teams with the next-worst record in the league … RHP Joba Chamberlin is expected to start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre against the Hens Tuesday as part of a rehab assignment from a right oblique strain. 

LAST WEEK’S TRANSACTIONS: May 6-LHP Phil Coke sent to Mud Hens on rehab assignment. May 11-Tigers recall LHP Phil Coke from his rehab assignment; RHP Luke Putkonen optioned to Toledo from Detroit; RHP Robbie Weinhardt reassigned from Toledo to Double-A Erie. May 13-OF Avisail Garcia promoted to Detroit.

Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 9

Here is pre-game and in-game information from the Mud Hens' game vs. Rochester at Fifth Third Field on Thursday, May 9. Make sure to press “refresh” for updates throughout the contest.

GAME INFORMATION

Rochester Red Wings (14-19) at Toledo Mud Hens (9-25)

First pitch: 6:30 p.m.

Television: BCSN. 

Radio: 1230 AM, WCWA. Click here to listen on the Internet.

Gameday: Click here to follow the contest pitch-by-pitch.

STARTING LINEUPS

ROCHESTER: Leading off and playing 3B is Ray Olmedo, followed by Doug Bernier at SS, Chris Herrmann in LF, Chris Colabello at 1B, Joe Benson in CF, Jeff Clement at DH, Nate Hanson in RF, Eric Farris at 2B, Evan Fryer at C and RHP Liam Hendriks as the starting pitcher.

MUD HENS: Leading off and playing SS is Argenis Diaz, followed by Ramon Cabrera at C, Avisail Garcia in RF, Jordan Lennerton at 1B, Nick Castellanos in LF, Danny Dorn at DH, Kevin Russo at 3B, Quintin Berry in CF, Brandon Douglas at 2B and LHP Jose Alvarez as the starting pitcher.

NINTH INNING

Matt Hoffman comes on to pitch the ninth, and he pitched around two singles thanks to a game-ending double play. Mud Hens win 12-2. Heading to the clubhouse ... thanks for following along!

EIGHTH INNING

The Mud Hens are retired 1-2-3 in the eighth -- former Hen Virgil Vasquez retires all six batters he faced. But the horse was out of the barn ... and the barn already had burned down, at least in Rochester's perspective. Toledo leads 12-2 as we move to the ninth.

Phil Coke comes on and gives up a two-out single but nothing else in a very quick inning of work. Coke threw just eight pitches, six of which were strikes, and got three outs on two groundouts and a line-drive to center. Not much analysis to be done here ... but I'll probably over-analyze it after the game.

SEVENTH INNING

Former Mud Hens and Tiger Virgil Vasquez comes on and retires the Hens in 1-2-3 order, although the flyout by Jordan Lennerton was well struck. We move to the eighth with Toledo leading 12-2.

After spending a long time in the dugout, Toledo starter Jose Alvarez isn't quite as sharp as he pitches in the seventh. Alvarez struck out the first batter he faced, then gave up a single, double and single to produce a run. But Alvarez then got a double-play to pitch out of further trouble. Toledo leads 12-2 as we move to the seventh-inning stretch.

SIXTH INNING

The Mud Hens break things open, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring six runs to lead 12-1. Toledo collected five hits, including a two-run single by Nick Castellanos and a bases-loaded walk by Jordan Lennerton. There also was a Rochester error that helped Toledo post a season-high for runs in an inning.

Things are working beautifully for the Mud Hens as starter Jose Alvarez is rolling, having retired 12 in a row -- eight of those by strikeout. Alvarez has allowed just three hits and one walk and has 10 whiffs in the contest. Best of all, he has thrown just 67 pitches, 49 for strikes.

FIFTH INNING

The Mud Hens use a two-out rally to score three times. Jordan Lennerton got things rolling with a single, then moved to third on a double by Nick Castellanos before Danny Dorn hit a towering fly to right that cleared the fence for a three-run homer. Toledo has six runs on 12 hits and leads 6-1 as we move to the sixth.

Another 1-2-3 inning for Jose Alvarez, who needed just eight pitches to dispose of the Red Wings -- and got two more strikeouts along the way. Alvarez has thrown just 54 pitches (39 strikes -- an impressive 72.2 percent of his pitches have been strikes) and has retired nine in a row.

FOURTH INNING

The Mud Hens score twice in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Nick Castellanos drilled a double to deep right-center, and he came around to score on a one-out double that Kevin Russo grounded right off third base. Quintin Berry tried to beat out a bunt, but Russo move to third on that play. Then Brandon Douglas laid down a safety squeeze that he beat out for an RBI single that scored Russo without a play. Good inning for the Mud Hens offense.

Jose Alvarez quickly retired the Red Wings in order, using just nine pitches (eight of which were strikes). He has five strikeouts at this point.

THIRD INNING

Toledo found a way to score the run and tie the game ... but more controversy. Brandon Douglas led off with a triple into the right-field corner, and one out later Ramon Cabrera hit a grounder up the middle to score the run. Rochester had the infield back, and shortstop Doug Bernier grabbed the grounder and threw to first. Cabrera seemed to beat the throw, but was called out. Still, the Hens got a run and tied the game at 1-1 as we move to the fourth. ... One caveat: Even though Rochester starter Liam Hendriks faced five batter, he threw just nine pitches. A lot of first-pitch swinging.

Another call goes against the Mud Hens ... but again it doesn't cost Toledo a run. After a leadoff single and a strikeout, Jose Alvarez got Chris Herrmann to hit a grounder to second. The ball bounced off Kevin Russo right to Argenis Diaz, who pirouetted on the base as he caught the ball, then threw to first. But second-base ump A.J. Johnson said Diaz did not have a foot on the base when he caught the ball, so the runner was safe. No harm, no foul, as Toledo comes to the plate in the bottom of the third.

SECOND INNING

The Mud Hens got a walk and a single, but again did not score. Danny Dorn drew a walk, but Rochester correctly prediced he would be running, pitched out, and threw him out at second. Kevin Russo then singled, but didn't advance past first. The Red Wings lead 1-0 as the game moves to the third inning.

Toledo's Jose Alvarez gave up a one-out walk but pitched around the baserunner without trouble. "Interesting" umpiring decision made Alvarez work a little harder than he should have: With one out and a runner at first, Eric Farris hit a low liner to third base that Kevin Russo either caught or took on a short hop. The problem was the third-base ump, Chad Whitson called it an out, so Russo threw to first to complete a double play. Well, maybe the REAL problem was the second-base umpire, A.J. Johnson, ruled it a trap, so the runner was called safe at second base. It should have been the end of the inning, but instead Alvarez had to throw five more pitches to end the inning. It's a little thing, but it came be a big thing.

FIRST INNING

The Mud Hens did not score in the bottom of the first inning despite a leadoff single by Argenis Diaz. Diaz was running on a groundout by Avisail Garcia with one out, but didn't advance past second. Toledo trails Rochester 1-0 as we move to the second.

Toledo starter Jose Alvarez gave up a run in the first inning on a two-out double in the right-center gap by Chris Colabello that scored Chris Herrmann from first base. Colabello is a right-handed hitter, so the Hens' outfield defense was pulled to left -- except for Avisail Garcia in right, who was pulled over towards the line. There was a bit of a gap, and Colabello plugged it. The Mud Hens come to bat for the first time, trailing 1-0.

PRE-GAME NOTES

• Let’s start with an update on LHP Phil Coke. He will pitch one inning today, and his reaction to that appearance will determine the next step in his rehab. He is returning from a groin injury, and he is able to come off the disabled list Saturday.

• Next, a word about the Mud Hens batting order, which has been flip-flopped. Among the notable moves are Avisail Garcia moving up to third (he is hitting .526 in his four games in Toledo), Nick Castellanos moving down to fifth (he has gone 4-for-31 (.129) in the month of May), and Quintin Berry moving down to eighth (he is hitless in his last 17 at-bats, although he also has seven walks in that span).

"We're just trying to figure something out," manager Phil Nevin said. "Some times you need to take a little bit of the pressure off guys who are struggling, and you want to get guys who are hitting well together (at the top of the lineup).

• Here's an update on injured Mud Hens Danny Worth and Pat Misch. Worth took batting practice today and is "close" after getting a new orthotic to put in his spikes. But he still is not quite ready to return to action. It's worth noting that Worth has not played since April 17, so it may be worthwhile for him to have a bit of rehab assignment first. ... The news on Misch is not promising. He has not thrown recently, so he is not close to returning to the rotation.

• A couple of notes from the Rochester side ... Evan Bigley, who hurt his wrist making a diving catch in right field on Wednesday, was placed on the disabled list. Also, Clete Thomas remains out of the Red Wings lineup after suffering a quadricep injury in Tuesday's 16-inning game. That means Rochester has just one healthy position player on the bench: IF-OF Brian Dinkelman.

• Finally, here are a few links from Thursday’s game. Click here to read the game story. Click here to read the in-game blog. Click here to view Lori King’s photo gallery from the game.

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Mud Hens in-game blog -- May 7

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