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MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Toledo, OH - What started out as an absolute pitchers' duel turned into a  grueling game for the home team. The game was scoreless for the  
 first five and two thirds innings until a series of srange plays and  
 cold pitching turned the face of the game around.

 RHP Yorman Bazardo (4-12) took the mound for the Hens, whose offense  
 had been having a tough time scoing runs as of late. Entering play  
 Tuesday, Toledo had scored just 11 runs in the last five games.

 Unfortunately for the Hens, the game began with similar struggles.  
 RHP Brian Lawrence (5-6) kept the home team scoreless through six  
 innings. The first hit for Toledo belonged to 3B Mike Hessman - his  
 first game back since July 27.

 The home team, however, seemed to have benefited from Bazardo's  
 strongest start to an outing all season long. In fact, as Lawrence  
 scattered six hits through six, Bazardo held he Braves to only two  
 through 5.2 innings. He retired the first two batters faced in the  
 fifth but then gave up a single to 1B Scott Thorman. The innings  
 appeared to be over though when Bazardo made DH Barbaro Canizares  
 hit a lazy fly ball.

 However, after OF Freddy Guzman lost that lazy fly ball in the  
 lights, the defense caved. Thorman scored on what was ruled a double  
 and the Braves jumped on a 1-0 lead. The play was not an error, but  
 the it certainly changed the dynamic of the inning. They would pile  
 on two more before loading the bases and chasing Bazardo from the  
 game.

 LHP Ian Ostlund relieved his starting pitcher and retired the first  
 batter he faced while stranding the runners. Ostlund just did  
 everything he could to give his team a chance to win. While he threw  
 2.1 perfect innings, the Hens cut the deficit to one. SS Erick  
 Almonte drove in a run and later scored after a sacrifice as C Max  
 St-Pierre brought him home.

 Toledo made a threat in the eighth when the Hens loaded the bases.  
 RHP Jorge Julio came in and closed the books on that inning. Toledo  
 had one last shot: with two outs and a runner on second, Hessman  
 stepped up to the plate. Julio would earn the save, but not by  
 getting the slugging Olympian out. The closer picked off OF Timo  
 Peez to end the game before the home run king could take his shot.

 News & Notes
 Record Breaking: The Mud Hens are approaching some single-season  
 records and milestones. They currently have 149 stolen bases, the  
 most since 1994 (145). The Hens' batters have struck out a total of  
 1,149 times this year, the all-time record is 1,194 (2006). Toledo's  
 pitching staff has struck out 1,007 batters - the franchise record  
 is 1,036 (2005).

 Welcome Back Guys!: RHP Blaine Neal and 3B MIke Hessman were  
 welcomed in a pre-game ceremony Tuesday night. The two players were  
 in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games and took the Bronze  
 Medal. In his first appearance since July 27, Hessman singled  
 sharply in his first at-bat and fininshed the night 2-3. Neal also  
 made his first appearance since July 25 and threw a scoreless ninth.

 He Can Run AND Hit: OF Freddy Guzman just broke the modern-era  
 stolen base record a few days ago, but he has also had five multi-
 hit games in his last eight, batting .344 (11-32).

 Severe Outage: Toledo has not had a home run since August 16, a bomb  
 sent out by OF Brent Clevlen at Richmond. The team's 168 total has  
 fallen to second in the league behind Pawtucket's 170.

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