Article published May 21, 2008
Mud Hens score early, not often enough against Columbus
Bullpen can't hold on as bats cool off
First baseman Jeff Larish hit his 15th home run in the third as the Hens took a 4-1 lead which the relievers couldn't hold.
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THE BLADE/JETTA FRASER
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By JOHN WAGNER
BLADE SPORTS WRITER
The Mud Hens built leads of 3-0 and 4-1 during the first three innings of their morning game with Columbus yesterday.
But some bad things were happening in those early innings - problems that eventually snowballed into a 7-5 loss to the Clippers.
Toledo stopped hitting after the third, collecting just three hits and six baserunners. And a high pitch-count by starter Chris Lambert resulted in an early appearance by the bullpen, which surrendered five runs in 31/3 innings.
Those troubles proved lethal in ending Toledo's three-game win streak over Columbus.
"It was disappointing," Hens manager Larry Parrish said. "It was one of those games that, as a manager, you do a lot of second-guessing."
Early on the Toledo offense did more than its share, scoring twice in the first inning and adding runs in the second and third.The Mud Hens wasted little time jumping to a two-run lead in the opening inning. They collected four hits in the opening frame, including an RBI double by Clete Thomas and a run-scoring single by Erick Almonte.
Michael Hollimon's single in the second scored Derek Wathan, who had doubled, and Jeff Larish blasted his 15th home run of the season in the third.
But only one Toledo hitter made it past second after that, and that runner was Hollimon. He homered in the ninth off Columbus southpaw Mike
Bacsik, who pitched the final three innings to claim the win.
"We didn't mount a whole lot after early in the ball game," Parrish said. "With [Mike] Hessman and [Brent] Clevlen out of the lineup, we were very susceptible to a left-handed pitcher. We figured that somewhere in the game we'd have to hit [Bascik], and we didn't."
The Clippers got one scoreless inning from Brian Sanches, and
Bacsik followed by allowing just two hits in his three innings.
"Pitchers can dictate momentum," Hollimon said. "[Their pitchers] did a good job of getting their guys off the field and back into the dugout, and in the seventh they finally capitalized on that."
Meanwhile the Toledo pitching staff struggled all day. Lambert allowed just two runs but covered only 52/3 innings, eventually exiting after a walk on his 114th pitch of the game.
Anastacio Martinez got the final out in the sixth, but allowed two singles in the seventh.
Lefty Ian Ostlund came on and got ahead of the left-handed Kory Casto 1-2 before Casto lined a two-run double to center to tie the game at 4.
"Wallace started it off with a shank down the right-field line," Parrish said. "But with Casto up there we didn't make any pitches. We threw him about four fastballs in a row about chest high, and he finally hit one of them."
Ostlund gave up a one-out double and a walk in the eighth, but Preston Larrison got pinch-hitter Ryan Langerhans to hit into a rally-killing double play.
Larrison wasn't as lucky in the ninth, giving up four walks to force home one run, then surrendering a two-run double to Yurendell de Caster to put the game out of reach.
Contact John Wagner at:
jwagner@theblade.com
or 419-724-6481.
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