Hens smash 3 HRs; run win streak to 2

7/8/2010

COLUMBUS - The Mud Hens slammed three home runs Wednesday night to claim their second straight victory, a 6-4 win over Columbus.

Toledo scored three times in the opening inning when Scott Sizemore led off with a double, Ryan Strieby drew a one-out walk and Jeff Frazier slammed a two-out home run, his 16th of the season.

Toledo added a pair of runs in the third as Will Rhymes singled and Jeff Larish hammered a two-run homer, his 14th this year.

The Hens' third homer came in the fifth, when Sizemore pounded his fourth home run of the season.

Columbus scored a run in the fourth when Josh Rodriguez doubled off Hens starter Billy Buckner, then scored on a two-out double by Jordan Brown.

Those were the only two hits allowed by Buckner until the sixth, when Rodriguez singled and Luis Valbuena hit his third home run with the Clippers. Jared Goedert followed with his 13th home run of the season, and a double by Brown sent Buckner to the showers.

Brendan Wise came on in relief and got the final two outs of the sixth, then pitched a scoreless seventh and got two outs in the eighth before giving way to Fu-Te Ni, who got that inning's final out.

Casey Fien retired the Clippers in order in the ninth to earn his fourth save.

NOTE: Detroit has purchased the contract rights of LHP Gilbert De la Vera from the Yuma Scorpions of the Golden Baseball League. De La Vera, who was 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA with Yuma, could join the Hens as soon as this weekend, pending him passing a physical.

The Mud Hens' Jeff Frazier and Lehigh Valley's Andy Tracy, a Bowling Green native, were selected to compete in the Triple-A All-Star game's home run derby.

The derby will take place on Monday, starting at 7:05 p.m. at Lehigh Valley's Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pa.

Frazier ranks among the International League leaders with 16 home runs, while Tracy has hit 12 homers for the IronPigs.

Also representing the IL is Durham's Don Johnson, who leads the league with 22 home runs.

The three Pacific Coast League players selected for the event are Brad Eldred of Colorado Springs, J.P. Arencibia of Las Vegas and Omaha's Alex Gordon. Eldred and Arencibia lead the PCL with 22 homers each, while Gordon has hit 12 this year.