Bats rough up Bonine in victory over Mud Hens

6/7/2008

LOUISVILLE - The Louisville Bats spoiled Eddie Bonine's 27th birthday last night.

The Bats roughed up the Toledo starting pitcher on their way to an 8-2 win to salvage a split in the four-game series.

The Bats scored five runs on eight hits over six innings against Bonine (9-2), who entered leading the IL in victories.

"He didn't [have his usual stuff]," Toledo manager Larry Parrish said. "He had some times tonight where he'd get a couple strikes, then he couldn't make his pitch."

The Mud Hens' batters didn't fare much better.

Toledo mustered only four hits - its lowest total since recording three hits in a 14-4 loss to Durham on May 14 - in its first game without Brent Clevlen and Michael Hollimon, both called up by the parent Detroit Tigers earlier in the day.

Toledo also lost designated hitter Timo Perez in the third inning when he pulled a calf muscle running to third base.

The Mud Hens scored the first two runs of the game thanks to the 1-2 punch of Freddy Guzman and Perez.

Guzman continued his sizzling start to the month by leading off the game with a stand-up triple. He scored on Perez's groundout one batter later.

Then in the third Guzman delivered a two-out double down the first base line before scoring on Perez's double off the top of the fence in right field.

Perez, however, pulled up lame later in the inning on Matt Joyce's two-out, broken-bat single. Afterward Parrish said Perez would likely be out "five to 10 days."

But then the Bats got their offense going.

In the bottom of the third Louisville's No. 8 hitter Jerry Gill slugged a solo home run - his first of the season.

Alvin Colina followed with a single, then Chris Dickerson tripled to the left-centerfield gap to score Colina.

The Bats took a 3-2 lead in the fourth on Gil's two-out, RBI-double.

Louisville added a pair of runs in the fifth inning. The Bats quickly loaded the bases - thanks to two Bonine walks - before Ryan Hanigan delivered a one-out sacrifice fly, then Drew Anderson followed with an RBI-single under the glove of Toledo first baseman Ryan Roberson.

Fernando Rodney relieved Bonine to start the seventh, but didn't last long. He walked the first batter he faced, hit the second and walked the third to load the bases. After striking out Hanigan he gave up an RBI-single to Drew Anderson.

Anastacio Martinez relieved Rodney, but things didn't get any better. Martinez hit the first batter he faced to score a run, then gave up an RBI-single to Gil.

"We were really short on pitching tonight," Parrish said.

Justin Mallett (2-1) picked up the win and combined with two relievers to allow only one Toledo baserunner after the third inning.

Toledo will begin a 10-game homestand today against Columbus. The probable pitchers are right-hander Virgil Vasquez (4-5, 5.91 ERA) for the Hens and righty Garrett Mock (3-2, 3.06) for the Clippers.