Toledo Mud Hens Hit Em Hard, Beat Indianapolis Indians 7-1 - AAA, International League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - TOLEDO, Ohio - Third baseman Mike Hessman, first baseman Jeff Larish and second baseman Mike Hollimon crushed home runs as Toledo rolled to a 7-1 victory over Indianapolis Sunday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.

The Mud Hens improve to 15-8 overall and 8-5 at home, while the Indians fall to 13-11 on the season and 5-7 on the road.  Toledo also improves to 23-6 against Indianapolis in games at Fifth Third Field over the past four years.

Hessman put Toledo on the board with his International League-leading eighth dinger -- a solo shot to center -- in the first.  He has now whacked 91 homers and collected 244 RBI in just over three years with the Mud Hens.

Larish, who stroked a game-winning triple in game one of the series on Saturday night, followed with his seventh roundtripper -- a two-run blast to right -- in the fourth.  Hollimon capped the long ball parade with his second big fly -- a two-run shot to right -- in a three-run fifth.

Toledo tacked on an insurance run and rounded out the scoring in the eighth when LF Timo Perez trotted home on RF Matthew Joyce’s single to right.

Hessman (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI), Hollimon (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI), Perez (2-for-4, 1 R), Joyce (2-for-4, 1 RBI) and C Nick Trzesniak (2-for-3, 1 R) all registered multi-hit games for the Mud Hens.

Toledo RHP Jeremy Johnson (7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO) earned the win, improving to 4-0.  Indianapolis RHP Mike Thompson (4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO), who allowed all three home runs, was pinned with the loss in his first decision of 2008.

Thompson was making his second spot start of the season after RHP John Van Benschoten was recalled by the Pirates just hours before the contest.  Van Benschoten was tied for the league lead in wins (4-0 record) and ranked 10th in ERA (1.88).

The Tribe scored its only run on a pair of doubles in the seventh.  C Michel Hernandez (2-for-4, 1 RBI) traded places with 3B Neil Walker after the Pirates’ No. 2 prospect roped a lead-off two-bagger to left.

Indians RHP Brian Rogers, who started the season with Double-A Altoona (Pa.) and arrived near game time on Sunday, struck out five of the 10 batters he faced.

For Box Score, see:  IND-TOL Box Score

For Play-by-Play, see:  IND-TOL Play-by-Play
 

Post-game quotes -- RHP John Van Benschoten

(on being called up to Pittsburgh)
"I’m really feeling good about this (call up).  I was really feeling good in Indianapolis and it’s good to be back in Pittsburgh.  This level just seems a little more upbeat and it’s a different feel."

(on what he must do to be successful in the big leagues)
"There’s a mental hurdle that I must overcome.  I have to trust my stuff, and attack the lower portion of the strike zone.  That’s what I did at the start of this year (in Indianapolis) and it’s been effective so far."

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