Valdez homers again, Indians' comeback falls short at Toledo

Enmanuel Valdez kept forcing his way into the conversation, but the Indianapolis Indians could not finish the job at Fifth Third Field. Valdez hit a game-tying two-run homer in the sixth inning, his fourth of the season, yet Toledo answered with a five-run seventh and beat Indianapolis 8-4 on Sunday night in the series finale.

The blast came after Billy Cook drew a walk and stole second with two outs, then Valdez turned on a pitch to make it 3-3 and briefly reset the game. It was the kind of swing that can change the tone of a Triple-A lineup, especially for a hitter coming off another big night the day before. Valdez finished 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBI, and his back-to-back home run streak gave Indianapolis one of its few consistent offensive developments in the series.

Toledo had already landed early punches. Max Clark opened the scoring with a first-inning home run, Corey Julks followed with a two-run shot in the second, and the Mud Hens kept pressure on a Pirates affiliate that had fought back all weekend. Indianapolis got on the board in the fourth when Billy Cook singled home Ronny Simon, then Valdez’s sixth-inning homer made it a fresh game. That was the last time the Indians were level.

The seventh inning decided it. Five straight Toledo batters reached against Carson Fulmer, and the rally ended with Jace Jung’s sixth homer of the season as the Mud Hens blew the game open. Dylan File had given Toledo a strong start, allowing one run over five innings, and Woo-Suk Go protected the lead by striking out five of the seven batters he faced across two scoreless innings.

Indianapolis still scratched out one more run in the ninth on a throwing error after Dominic Fletcher’s infield single, but the deficit was too deep by then. The loss dropped the Indians to 21-30, while Toledo improved to 25-26. The six-game series ended tied 3-3, a fitting split for two teams that traded momentum all weekend.

For Valdez, though, the louder message was personal. He homered on May 23 in Indianapolis’ 5-4, 10-inning win over Toledo, then followed with another impact swing a day later. In a development league where short bursts can push a player’s stock, consecutive-day power is the sort of stretch that can make a hitter harder to ignore. Indianapolis opened its next series on Memorial Day against the Iowa Cubs at Victory Field, with José Urquidy scheduled to start.