Valencia hits for cycle, scorching Mud Hens rout Bats

LOUISVILLE – Toledo Mudhens first baseman Eduardo Valencia had a game to remember Thursday night in Louiville. Valencia cracked a solo homer in the fourth inning, and went 4 for 5 at the plate – hitting for the cycle – in a 9-4 win over the Bats. Valencia is the first Toledo player to hit for the cycle since Nick Maton on Sept. 6, 2023. Valencia finished the game with four runs batted in and two runs scored as the Mud Hens won for the fourth straight time and the eighth time in nine contests. They are 60-51 on the season. The Mud Hens banged out 14 hits Thursday, getting solo homers from Gage Workman and Trei Cruz. While Valencia took a starring role in the win, catcher Tomas Nido also had a great game at the plate, with three hits and two runs batted in. Troy Watson started on the mound for the Mud Hens and allowed an unearned run in the first inning. But that was all the Bats got off Watson in his 4 2/3 innings of work. The Toledo starter allowed three hits and walked a batter, striking out three. He needed one out to qualify for the victory. Instead, the win went to the Mud Hens third pitcher of the game, Drew Sommers. He went a scoreless inning, striking out two and walking one. The Bats managed just six hits off Toledo pitchers; two of them were homers by second baseman Drew Vilade. He has 14 home runs this season; he's split time between Louisville and Memphis, the St. Louis Cardinals top farm team. Veteran starting pitcher Adam Plutko – who spent parts of four seasons with the then-Cleveland Indians – took the loss for Louisville. Plutko went five innings and allowed six runs on five hits. The Bats – whose lineup included former major leaguers Will Benson, Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Rece Hinds --dropped to 48-63. The teams will meet again at 7:15 p.m. tonight.