Mud Hens earn series split with 8-3 win over Charlotte

CHARLOTTE — The Toledo Mud Hens grabbed the lead at the midway point of the game and never relinquished it, besting the Charlotte Knights 8-3 at Truist Field on Sunday.

Toledo (57-62) put a bow on the victory with a three-run top of the ninth, highlighted by Ryan Kreidler’s two-run home run. Following Ryan Vilade’s RBI single that scored Riley Unroe, Kreidler lifted a two-run homer over the wall in left-center field to make it 8-3.

Miguel Diaz, who pitched the seventh and eighth for the Mud Hens, earned the win. Devin Sweet worked a scoreless ninth, striking out a pair.

Toledo’s Casey Mize started the game and pitched 3⅓ innings on a rehab assignment as he works his way back to the Detroit Tigers.

Earlier in the game, the Hens broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fourth.

Stephen Scott led off with a single and later scored on Unroe’s sacrifice fly. Then Vilade’s two-out RBI single put them ahead 3-1.

Toledo added to its lead in the sixth against new pitcher Josimar Cousin. First Stephen Scott reached with a base hit, followed by Justice Bigbie’s fourth home run of the season that extended the lead at 5-1.

The Knights responded in kind in the bottom half as Rafael Ortega hit a two-out, two-run homer to right center that pulled Charlotte within two at 5-3. But their efforts would be all for naught as the Hens put it out of reach in the ninth.

Trey McGough pitched 2⅔ innings of relief to take the loss for Charlotte (54-63).

Toledo went 3-3 in the six-game series with Charlotte. The Hens are off on Monday before returning home for a six-game set with Iowa beginning Tuesday at Fifth Third Field.

First pitch for Tuesday’s game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.