Mud Hens avoid shutout, but fall 5-2 to Louisville

Toledo Mud Hens catcher Kade Scivicque gets set to throw to third base during Friday's game against the Louisville Bats at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo.

BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH

The Toledo Mud Hens avoided being shut out for the first time of the season, but Louisville won the series opener 5-2 on Friday night at Fifth Third Field. It is the fourth straight loss for Toledo, the team’s longest losing streak of the season. 

Louisville starter Jose Lopez was dominant in his seven innings, allowing just four hits and walking one with two strikeouts. 

What happened: Louisville scored two runs in the top of the first inning on an infield single from Gabriel Guerrero and a run-scoring double by D.J. Peterson. The Bats added two runs in the third when Dilson Herrera scored on a passed ball and Phillip Ervin added a sacrifice fly. Peterson added an RBI single in the top of the ninth to make the score 5-0.

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Edwin Espinal snuck a double down the the first base line that scored Dawel Lugo and Jim Adduci to make the final score 5-2.

Mud Hens starter Josh Turley struggled with his command as he walked five batters in his five innings of work. He gave up four earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts.

Paul Voelker pitched two scoreless innings in relief and Zac Reininger gave up a run in his two innings pitched. . 

VIDEO: Mud Hens fall to Bats

Toledo Mud Hens catcher Kade Scivicque gets set to throw to third base during Friday's game against the Louisville Bats at Fifth Third Field in downtown Toledo.

Game MVP: Lopez gets the nod here as he earned his third win of the season as he shutout the Mud Hens over his seven innings of work. D.J. Peterson had a big night at the plate for Louisville with three hits and two RBIs.

PHOTO GALLERY: Bats 5, Mud Hens 2

He said it: “There’s not one bit of concern. We just have to pitch better and our starters have to give us a better chance early in the game. We’re going to go through spurts where we don’t hit well. We’re in that right now. Our brains weren’t in it tonight and that happens throughout the course of the summer. We had a long night last night. It’s a combination of a lot of things. We just have to start off better than we are getting off to” - Mud Hens manager Doug Mientkiewicz

Comings and goings: The Tigers announced that Jordan Zimmermann will start on Saturday...Detroit will have to make a corresponding roster move to open up a spot for Zimmermann in Saturday’s game.

Make a note of it: Espinal made his second start of the season at third base.. He has played third base at least once in each of the seven previous seasons, but never more 14 games in a season.

A look ahead: Toledo will host Louisville in the second game of a three-game set. The Mud Hens will start right-hander Jacob Turner (0-0, 0.00 ERA), while the Bats will start LHP Brandon Finnegan (2-4, 4.36 ERA).

Contact Brian Buckey at bbuckey@theblade.com, 419-724-6110, or on Twitter @BrianBuckey.