Bats answer Mud Hens rally to salvage final game of series

LOUISVILLE – The Louisville Bats answered a six-run top of the sixth inning by the Toledo Mud Hens with four runs of their own in the bottom half, and went on to win Sunday, 9-6.The Mud Hens saw their six-game winning streak end. They will play again Tuesday when they host the Columbus Clippers, the Cleveland Guardians top farm team.Sunday's game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when the Bats went up 1-0 on a Connor Joe RBI single.In the fifth, Louisville added three more runs against Toledo starter Wilkel Hernandez.Sal Stewart and Rece Hinds each hit RBI doubles in the inning, and the Bats went up, 4-0.In the top of the sixth, the Mud Hens offense had a big inning with the help of some wildness from the Bats pitchers as well as some miscues from the Louisville defense.The Mud Hens loaded the bases with nobody out, thanks to a double by Akil Baddoo and two walks by Bats' reliever Hunter Parks.Parks retired Jace Jung on a lineout, and then was replaced on the mound by Yosver Zulueta.Zulueta promptly walked three batters, and was the victim of a throwing error by Joe, the first baseman, on a fielder's choice.By the time Reiver Sanmartin came in to replace Zulueta, the game was tied at 4.Riley Unroe then gave the Mud Hens the lead, driving in a run with an RBI single and keeping the bases loaded. Hao-Yu Lee walked – for the second time in the inning – forcing in a run and pushing the Toledo advantage to 6-4.But Sanmartin got the next two hitters to avoid further damage.In the bottom of the sixth, the Bats' Will Benson connected on a 2-run single off Drew Sommers to tie the game at 6. A Hinds double pushed Benson to third, and then Edwin Rios brought both home with a two-run single to give Louisville an 8-6 edge.Hector Rodriguez singled in another run in the seventh for the Bats.Sanmartin got the win, while Sommers suffered the loss. Toledo fell to 62-52; Louisville improved to 49-65.