Hens fall to Clippers as woes continue

7/27/2012

COLUMBUS -- The Mud Hens suffered a 16-2 loss at Columbus Thursday, giving up double-digit runs for a second-straight defeat. Toledo now has dropped six of its last seven contests.

After a scoreless first inning, the Clippers sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven times in the second inning. Columbus took advantage of two walks by Toledo starter Thad Weber as well as eight hits, including a two-run triple by Ezequiel Carrera.

Weber gave up six hits and three walks and was charged with seven earned runs in 1⅔ innings to fall to 6-8 on the season.

The Clippers added a run in the third when Jared Goedert doubled, took third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly by Carrera. Then Columbus took a 10-0 lead in the fourth on a two-run homer by Tim Fedroff, with both rallies coming against Toledo's Matt Hoffman.

The Mud Hens avoided the shutout with two runs in the fifth inning as John Lindsey drew a leadoff walk from Clippers starter Chris Seddon, and Jerad Head hammered a two-run homer to center, his sixth home run of the season.

But those were the only runs Toledo scored off Seddon, who allowed six hits and two walks in six innings to raise his record to 11-5.

Columbus got those two runs back with interest in the sixth, scoring four times off Hens reliever Collin Balester, and the Clippers closed the scoring with a pair of runs in the seventh.

Andy Dirks was back in the starting lineup after missing Wednesday's doubleheader. Dirks, who is on a rehab assignment with the Hens, was 1-for-4 on the night with a single and now has at least one hit in all four games he has played with Toledo.

The Mud Hens and Columbus will complete this five-game series with a single contest tonight starting at 7:05 p.m. LHP Ramon Garcia will start for Toledo against Clippers RHP Corey Kluber.

NOTE: The Tigers have signed C Brad Davis as a free agent and added him to the Mud Hens' roster. Davis began the season with Triple-A Tucson in the Pacific Coast League and hit .155 with two homers and 12 RBIs in 39 games.