Jace Jung kept finding ways to bring runners home Thursday night at Fifth Third Field. First came a sacrifice fly. Then a drive off the right-field wall. Finally, with Louisville still hanging around in the seventh inning, he ripped a two-run double into the gap that removed the suspense.
Jung drove in four of Toledo’s five runs in a 5-1 victory, finishing 2-for-3 with two doubles as the Mud Hens paired his production with six strong innings from Dylan File.
The Mud Hens managed only six hits, but they made Louisville’s pitchers work. Their first two runs came during a four-walk third inning that forced Bats starter Jose Franco from the game.
Max Burt, Trei Cruz and James Outman drew walks before Max Anderson took another from reliever Kevin Abel with the bases loaded, forcing home Burt. Jung followed with a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Cruz for a 2-0 lead.
That approach was no accident, Jung said after the game.
“Uh, yeah, just trying to go up there with a good plan and try to put a good swing on a good pitch and just try not to chase too much.”
— Jace Jung, Toledo Mud Hens Second Baseman
File protected the lead through four innings before Will Benson drove a ball deep to right-center for a solo homer in the fifth. It was Louisville’s only run, cutting Toledo’s advantage to 2-1.
The response belonged to Jung.
Cruz opened the bottom of the fifth with another walk. Two outs later, with Connor Phillips on the mound, Jung sent a high drive toward right field. The ball struck the wall and kicked down the line as Jung cruised into second and Cruz came around with Toledo’s third run.
The two-run cushion held until Jung came up again in the seventh. Cruz had singled but was erased on Outman’s forceout, and Anderson followed with a single that sent Outman to third. Jung then lined Zach Maxwell’s pitch into right-center. The ball reached the gap, Outman scored easily and Anderson followed without a throw home.
In two swings, Jung had answered Louisville’s lone run and then supplied the final margin. His two doubles were his 25th and 26th, and the four RBIs completed a night in which Toledo’s offense repeatedly funneled through the second baseman.
Jung described both swings in simpler terms.
“Oh, yeah, just trying to stay within myself and not do too much and try to put the barrel in the ball, and just so happy they fell.”
— Jace Jung, Toledo Mud Hens Second Baseman
File did not need much more. The right-hander allowed one earned run over six innings, striking out five and walking one to improve to 7-11. Louisville collected five hits overall, and only Benson’s homer produced a run.
Even after the homer, File limited the damage in the fifth. A walk and Toledo error gave Louisville two more runners, but File finished the inning with a strikeout and a flyout. He worked around a hit batter in the sixth before handing a 3-1 lead to the bullpen.
From second base, Jung had a close view of how File kept Louisville from building anything sustained.
“Yeah, he looks really good. He had all of his pitches working and kept him off balance all night and, you know, was able to go six innings tonight and helped us out.”
— Jace Jung, Toledo Mud Hens Second Baseman
Enmanuel De Jesus followed with two scoreless innings, striking out two without a walk. He stranded runners at the corners in the eighth, preserving the four-run lead Jung had created.
Yilber Díaz issued two walks in the ninth but allowed no run, striking out Garrett Hampson before Edwin Arroyo grounded out to Jung to end it.
Cruz reached three times on a single and two walks and scored twice. But nearly every important Toledo rally ended the same way: with Jung at the plate and another run moving toward home.