Mud Hens rally to beat Charlotte

5/15/2018
BY JOHN WAGNER
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
  • SPT-Hens16p-67

    Toledo Mud Hens LF Christin Stewart makes contact and flies out against the Charlotte Knights during a baseball game Tuesday, at Fifth Third Field in Toledo. Toledo won 3-2.

    BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH

  • The Toledo Mud Hens rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to claim a come-from-behind 3-2 victory Tuesday against Charlotte at Fifth Third Field. Toledo won its third consecutive game thanks in part to a strong start by Josh Turley, who struck out nine Knights in allowing just two runs on six hits in seven innings.

    What happened: Charlotte scored both of its runs in the fourth thanks largely to a triple by Mason Robbins.

    Toledo took advantage of an error to score a run in the fifth, then rallied with two outs and none on in the seventh to score the game-winning runs. Kody Eaves hustled a single into a double to get the rally started, Harold Castro singled Eaves home, and Castro scored on a wild pitch.

    PHOTO GALLERY: Mud Hens defeat Charlotte

    Game MVP: Castro went had three singles, including the RBI hit in the seventh, and scored what proved to be the game-winning run.

    He said it: “You’re taught with two outs to push the envelope, and one thing that hasn’t gone by the wayside with Kody is attention to detail and hustle. ... Little things like ‘hustle’ doubles can ignite things, and that’s what happened tonight. Credit to our guys — they keep coming.” — Toledo manager Doug Mientkiewicz

    He said it, version 2.0: “Good teams have a different person who comes through every night. If we have 11 players on the roster, we’re dangerous one through 11. ... Everybody likes to win 7-1, but the mark of a good team is to win a baseball game. This was a baseball game. It was a close game, one-run game, and we needed to come back late. So far we’re checking all the boxes.” — Mientkiewicz

    Make a note of it: The Mud Hens are now 12 games above .500 for the first time since the 2008 team had a 63-51 record on Aug. 1. That team promptly lost its next six games. ... Castro entered the game with just four hits in 23 at-bats with Toledo. He raised his season’s batting average with the Hens from .174 to .269 with his three-hit night.

    Comings and goings: The Detroit Tigers announced they were promoting left-hander Ryan Carpenter to start Wednesday’s game against Cleveland. That will affect the Mud Hens on Thursday, when Carpenter was scheduled to start. ... The Mud Hens are expected to add a pitcher from Double-A Erie before Wednesday’s game, but that pitcher has yet to be announced.

    A look ahead: The two teams will play at 10:35 a.m. Wednesday. Right-hander Artie Lewicki (3-3, 5.06) will start for the Hens against right-hander Jordan Stephens, who will make his first start for the Knights.

    Contact John Wagner at jwagner@theblade.com419-724-6481, or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.