Lee’s Ninth‑Inning Sinks Clippers!

Facing elimination in the closing frame, the Mud Hens rallied in dramatic fashion for a 5–4 win over the Clippers, clinching a three-game sweep and their third consecutive victory over their rival Triple-A affiliate.

Key moment: With Toledo trailing 3–2 in the ninth inning, Hao‑Yu Lee delivered the knockout blow. After Brian Serven drew a leadoff walk and Riley Unroe followed with a walk, Lee crushed a three‑run homer into left-center field—his ninth of the year—putting the Mud Hens ahead 5–3 with only one out remaining.

Toledo’s closer Drew Sommers came on to seal the save. Columbus managed to tally one run in the bottom half but could not mount another rally. Sommers struck out the final batter for the second consecutive win of the series.

Offensive Spark: Brewer Hicklen tied the game in the sixth with a clutch two‑run homer, delivering the first run of the game for Toledo. 

Pitching rundown:

Toledo opened with Jordan Balazovic making his return from the injured list. He went one inning, surrendering a run on two hits before being relieved. A parade of relievers followed, including Brendan White, Alex Lange, Woo‑Suk Go, PJ Poulin, Beau Brieske, and Ryan Miller, keeping the game within reach. Miller set up the ninth, and Sommers earned the final save. Columbus starter Austin Peterson held Toledo scoreless through five but took the loss. 

Columbus contributors:

Christian Cairo, C.J. Kayfus, and Jhonkensy Noel each recorded two hits in the loss. In the bottom of the ninth, Yordys Valdes brought in a run with an RBI single, but that was all Columbus managed in the final inning.