COLUMBUS - Ryan Ketchner made a winner of Mike Hessman in his "managerial debut."
Ketchner threw a complete-game, six-hit shutout in pitching the Mud Hens to a 3-0 victory Monday over Columbus.
Ketchner got 24 batters to fly out with no groundouts and threw just 89 pitches.
Hessman was given the chance to make the decisions in the dugout by Toledo's Larry Parrish.
The Clippers were "managed" by infielder Tony Graffanino
The Hens scored a run in the third inning off Columbus starter Hector Rondon. Mike Gosse led off with a single, but Michael Rockett forced him at second.Will Rhymes then lined a shot to deep center that originally was ruled a home run, then changed to a triple that scored Rockett.
Rhymes scored anyhow when Scott Sizemore followed with a single.
The Hens' only other run came in the eighth, when Sizemore and Jeff Frazier banged back-to-back two-out doubles off Rondon.
That was more than enough offense to support Ketchner, who won his second straight start.
The left-hander allowed just six hits and did not walk a batter while striking out two to earn the complete-game shutout.
Columbus threatened in the third inning when Mickey Hall led off with a triple, but he was stranded at third as Ketchner got an infield lineout, a popout and a strikeout.
The Clippers saw another scoring opportunity squandered in the fifth when, with two outs, Niuman Romero singled before scooting to third on a Donnie Webb double. But Ketchner got Josh Barfield to fly out to end the threat.
Ketchner retired the final 13 Columbus batters he faced, starting with Barfield's fly out.
Rhymes, who started in centerfield for the first time in his professional career, made a fine diving catch on a ball hit by Stephen Head to end the sixth and made nine putouts in all.
The Mud Hens finished with a record of 73-70, good for second place in the International League's West Division.
Toledo will open the 2010 season at home, hosting Louisville at Fifth Third Field on Thursday, April 8.
Search
advertisement
