Mud Hens rip Indianapolis

6/3/2008

INDIANAPOLIS - The Mud Hens pounded out 19 hits last night, including Brent Clevlen's 10th homer and a bases-loaded triple by Timo Perez, en route to a 17-3 romp past Indianapolis.

"It's a funny game," said Hens manager Larry Parrish. "Three or four games ago, we couldn't buy a run. Tonight we couldn't make an out. You wish you could save some of these [runs] and use them in games when you need them."

The win kept Toledo a game ahead of Louisville in the International League West Division. The Hens open a four-game series with the Bats tonight at Louisville Slugger Field.

Clevlen jump-started the onslaught in the first inning. Indians starter John Van Benschoten (6-1) issued a walk to Perez and, with two out, Clevlen sent a drive down the right-field line that just cleared the fence.

Clevlen went 3-for-6 with a double and five runs batted in. The right fielder, who boasts a .325 average, has now hit in 13 consecutive games and has been on base in 39 straight contests.

"I'm seeing the ball good right now, and I'm getting good swings and finding the holes," said Clevlen.

"We played good as a team tonight. Everybody did a great job of swinging the bats and scoring a lot of runs. Timo did a great job. He was on base every time and that puts pressure on the pitchers."

The Indians made it 2-2 in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of Steve Pearce's sixth homer off Virgil Vasquez.

A four-run fourth inning ended Van Benschoten's night. Erick Almonte led off with a walk and Freddy Guzman beat out an infield hit down the first base line. Almonte alertly took third on the play, and both men scored on Nick Trzesniak's double to right-center. Trzesniak went to third on Derek Wathan's sacrifice and scored on a two-base hit by Michael Hollimon. Perez followed with a line drive single to right that sent Hollimon to third. When Mike Hessman singled past a drawn-in infield, Hollimon breezed home to make it 6-2.

Toledo went up 11-2 with five unearned runs in the fifth.

Perez finished 4-for-4 with a pair of walks.

Guzman chalked up three RBIs and scored four times with a 4-for-5 performance.

Vasquez (4-5) pitched seven innings, doling out five hits and three runs along with a walk, and had five strikeouts.

Denny Bautista blanked the Indians in the eighth and Matt Rusch finished up with a scoreless ninth.

Clevlen's home run was the 99th this season for the Mud Hens.