INDIANAPOLIS -- Starting pitcher Tobi Stoner allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven, while going a career-high eight innings to lead the Buffalo Bisons past the Indianapolis Indians 2-1 Sunday afternoon at Victory Field.With the loss the Indians drop to 48-52 on the season and 25-26 at home, while the Bisons improve to 37-60 overall and 20-26 on the road with the win. The victory for Buffalo moves the season series to 4-3 in favor of Indianapolis and gives them a 2-1 edge in the current series with the season finale set for tomorrow at 7 p.m.
Stoner (8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) dominated the Tribe over his eight innings of work as he struck out a season-high seven and did not surrender a walk to pick up the victory and improve to 3-4 on the season. The eight innings tied the longest outing by a hurler against the Indians this season matching Louisville's Sam Lecure's eight inning effort on July 6.
The Buffalo offense got Stoner an early lead as they mounted a first inning two-out scoring rally with back-to-back base hits by CF Jesus Feliciano, 1B Mike Lamb and LF Nick Evans that gave them an early 1-0 lead. Feliciano, who trotted home on Evans' base knock collected three base hits on the afternoon to push his season total to 104, which ranks him among the top four in the International League.
Lamb later gave the Bisons the lead for good when he plated RF Andy Green with an RBI single in the third inning. Green led off the frame with a base-on-balls and moved into scoring position on a balk, before Lamb brought him home with what turned out to be the game-winning base hit.
Indianapolis did all their scoring in the first as they quickly tied the score off the bat of SS Brian Bixler, who led off the bottom half of the frame with a longball to deep right field for his sixth home run on the season, all of which have come in the month of July. The six homers in the month are the most in any single month for Bixler, while the lead-off shot was his team best third lead-off longball on the season.
However, Bixler's roundtripper would be the only run the Tribe would push across as Stoner and reliever Tim McNab (1.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB) would shut out the Indians the rest of the way to give the Bisons their second straight victory. The Indians did load the bases against McNab in the ninth, but he would escape to earn his second save of the season.
LF Lastings Milledge led of the Tribe's bottom of the ninth rally attempt with a single, but was retired when RF Brian Myrow grounded into 4-6-3 double play. 3B Tagg Bozied and 1B Hector Gimenez then roped back-to-back two out singles and C Erik Kratz drew a base-on-balls to load the bases for CF Chris Barnwell, who chopped the ball down the third base line, where Buffalo 3B Javier Castillo made an excellent running catch and throw to nail Barnwell and give the Bisons the 2-1 victory.
Milledge (2-for-4) and Bozied (2-for-4) each collected multiple hits for the Tribe, while Feliciano (3-for-5, 1 R) and Lamb (3-for-5, 1 RBI) each turned in three-hit efforts for the Bisons.
Indianapolis starter Ian Snell (5.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) surrendered a season-high nine hits, but worked his way out of several jams to only give up the two earned runs. Snell was however, pinned with the loss to drop him to 2-2 on the season, while his ERA remains at a miniscule 0.96 with the Tribe this season.
Relievers Steven Jackson (3.0 IP, 2 BB, 4 SO) and Mike Koplove (1.0 IP, 1 H) dominated out of the bullpen for the Tribe as the duo combined to allow just one hit in four scoreless innings of relief. The three innings and four strikeouts were both season-highs for Jackson, while Koplove extended his scoreless streak to 10.2 innings over his last six outings.
Indianapolis will finish their four-game series against Buffalo on Monday at 7:00 p.m. LHP Tom Gorzelanny is scheduled to start for the Indians, while a starter has yet to be announced for the Bisons.
The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and www.IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley. The pre-game show begins at 6:40 p.m.
Post-game quote -- INF Brian Bixler
(on his sixth home run in the month of July)
"I was just able to get a good pitch to hit. I was just looking for a good pitch to hit early in the count and I put a good swing on it. There is nothing special or extra I have done to have the power happen now rather than earlier. It's just how it worked out, I'm just trying to stay with my approach and put good swings on the ball."
(on hitting home runs to the opposite field)
"I've been able to refine my swing a little bit to extend over the plate and just drive it that way. It is just something I have been able to do and I've kind of just found it lately so hopefully I can stay with it."
(on splitting time between second base, shortstop, and center field)
"Different positions don't have that much of an affect at all on me as a hitter. During the game it's really the same at the plate and on defense it is not too different. I've been a shortstop my whole career and I feel like going to second or center isn't too difficult from there. It's just kind of a change, but it hasn't been too hard."
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