Mud Hens fall to St. Paul in first game back from break

Four late runs for the Toledo Mud Hens were not enough to erase a big deficit from the middle innings as the visiting St. Paul Saints earned an 8-6 win at Fifth Third Field on Friday.

The Mud Hens returned from the All-Star break for the opener of a three-game series against the Saints, taking narrow leads in the third and fourth innings before St. Paul pulled ahead. The Saints’ Chris Williams had a game-high three hits and three RBIs, plus a run scored.

Jace Jung opened the scoring with an RBI double that brought home Akil Baddoo for a 1-0 Toledo lead in the bottom of the third.

Williams led off the fourth with a solo home run, but Justice Bigbie singled home Bligh Madris to make it 2-1 Toledo in the bottom half.

Mud Hens starter Lael Lockhart ran into trouble in the fifth. Payton Eeles led off with a game-tying home run, Dalton Shuffield singled and stole second with one out, and Rylan Bannon walked.

Toledo made the call to pull Lockhart, but Williams singled off reliever PJ Poulin to give St. Paul the lead.

Lockhart (0-3) was charged with three runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks in 4⅓ innings.

Things got worse for Poulin in the sixth as he yielded five runs without an extra-base hit. St. Paul hit five singles and one sacrifice fly, and benefited from a wild pitch and a fielding error to go up 8-2.

Saints starting pitcher Randy Dobnak (8-5) kept the Mud Hens’ lineup mostly in check, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks over five innings.

Toledo got back on the board in the seventh with Jung’s two-run single, scoring Baddoo and Spencer Torkelson. The rally continued with Riley Unroe and Baddoo driving in runs in the eighth to make it 8-6.

The Hens were back within striking distance, but St. Paul’s Jeff Brigham struck out Toledo’s batters in order in the ninth to end the game.

Toledo (42-51, 7-12 second half) has lost six of seven dating back to last week’s series at Omaha. The Hens have not announced their starter for Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. first pitch against St. Paul (45-48, 7-12).