Hens’ 5 homers needed to dump Bulls
Toledo held lead twice, snaps 3-game losing streak; Lennerton hits 2 HRs
4/25/2013DURHAM, N.C. – The Mud Hens held leads of 5-0 and 8-4 early, but still needed five home runs to hang on to a 9-7 win over Durham Thursday.
Toledo’s Jordan Lennerton homered twice while John Lindsey, Danny Dorn, and Bryan Holaday each added round-trippers as the Hens snapped a three-game losing streak.
Those five home runs were the most for the team since last season, when a five-home run game gave the Hens a win at Columbus on April 24.
Toledo broke on top with three runs in the second off Bulls starter Chris Archer, one of Tampa Bay’s top pitching prospects. Lennerton led off the inning with a home run, Danny Dorn and Bryan Holaday had back-to-back one-out singles, and a double by Argenis Diaz scored Dorn before Gustavo Nunez singled to bring home Holaday.
The Mud Hens added two more runs in the third as John Lindsey and Dorn drilled homers.
But Durham scored four times in the third off Toledo starter Pat Misch thanks to a two-run double by Mike Fontenot and a two-run homer by Wil Myers.
The Mud Hens added a run in the fifth, an inning that began with Nick Castellanos and Lennerton drawing one-out walks. Lindsey hit a potential double-play grounder, but the throw to first by the Bulls’ Tim Beckham was wild, allowing Castellanos to score.
Another error played a role in Toledo’s two-run sixth. Holaday led off the inning with a home run off reliever Jim Paduch, and one out later Nunez doubled. Then with two outs Durham’s Chris Gimenez bobbled Kevin Russo’s grounder, and Nunez scored.
In the bottom of the sixth the Bulls cut their four-run deficit to a single run as Brandon Guyer walked and Vince Belnome homered. Luke Putkonen relieved Misch and gave up a double to Beckham and an RBI single to Jason Bourgeois.
But Lennerton got one of those runs back in the seventh by slamming his second home run of the game, and Jose Ortega set down the Bulls without incident for his first save of the season.
Below claimed by Marlins
Mud Hens pitcher Duane Below, who was designated for assignment by Detroit, was claimed off waivers by Miami on Thursday. The Britton, Mich., native was taken off the Tigers’ 40-man roster to make room for Jose Valverde. Below, who was 1-2 with a 2.10 ERA in four starts with Toledo, was assigned to the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans in the Pacific Coast League.