Hens’ offense falls flat in loss to RailRiders
6/8/2014MOOSIC, Pa. — The Mud Hens failed to figure out a trio of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre pitchers on Saturday night, falling 3-1 in the series opener.
Starter Brian Gordon (4-5) threw six innings, allowing just one run on four hits and striking out three to earn the victory. His no-hit bid was broken up with two outs in the fifth by a Trevor Crowe single.
Reliever Jim Miller pitched scoreless seventh and eighth innings, while Preston Claiborne finished the Hens off in the ninth and picked up the save.
Derek Hankins (2-7) pitched well for Toledo, scattering four hits and two runs across six innings of work. He took the loss.
The Railriders wasted little time and grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a solo homer from Zoilo Almonte.
Corban Joseph singled to right with one away in the second. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took a 2-0 lead two batters later when Carmen Angelini ripped a two-out double to left.
Toledo’s bats finally made an appearance in the sixth. Ezequiel Carrera, Hernan Perez, and Tyler Collins combined for three straight two-out singles to scratch out a run and pull within one.
Carrera was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base, and Perez was 2-for-4.
The RailRiders tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth after Adonis Garcia belted his fifth home run of the year to center.
Ben Guez led off the ninth with a single to left, but the Hens failed to advance him any further.
The two teams will play again today at 1:05 p.m.