Baseball Game Preview: Toledo Indians vs. Rainier Mountaineers

After both having extra time off, the Toledo Indians and the Rainier Mountaineers will shake off the rust and duke it out at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Toledo made easy work of Toutle Lake and carried off a 10-2 victory. Considering the Indians have won seven matchups by more than seven runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.

Meanwhile, Rainier scored the most runs they've had this season last Friday, but it wasn't enough. They fell just short of Onalaska by a score of 11-10.

Peyton Sheaffer was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over 3.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and five unearned) runs off six hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while getting on base in two of his five plate appearances. Those stolen bases were his first of the season.

Sheaffer wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Dayton Gardner, who scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. That run was Gardner's first of the season. Another was Blake Fennel, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-3.

Toledo is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-3 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Rainier, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost seven of their last eight games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 2-9 record this season.

Toledo came out on top in a nail-biter against Rainier in their previous meeting back in April of 2022, sneaking past 7-5. Will the Indians repeat their success, or do the Mountaineers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.