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IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Clippers Gain Series Split With 9-4 Victory Over Tribe

April 11, 2010 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Designated hitter Carlos Santana blasted his International League leading fourth home run of the season in the first inning and the Columbus Clippers' offense sealed the victory with a sixth run seventh as they gained the series split with a 9-4 victory over the Indianapolis Indians on Sunday afternoon at Huntington Park.

With the loss the Indians fall to 2-2 on the season, while the win improves the Clippers' record to 2-2. The victory for Columbus also snaps the Tribe's two-game winning streak.

Santana, who blasted three home runs in the first two games of series against the Indians, got the Clippers out to an early lead when he launched a two-out solo longball over the right field wall to give him the IL lead in home runs as well as give Columbus the early 1-0 lead.

The Indians, however, battled back to take the lead with two runs in the fourth sparked by a one out triple by 1B Steve Pearce that extended his hitting streak to four games and along with his eighth inning single helped him remain among the IL leaders in batting average at .471. Following Pearce's triple, 2B Neil Walker got the Indians on the board with an RBI line drive single to right field, before stealing second and coming home himself on an single by C Luke Carlin that gave the Tribe a 2-1 advantage.

Columbus quickly responded with two runs of their own in bottom of the fifth inning propelled by a lead-off double by 3B Brian Buscher. The Clipper's third baseman eventually came around to score on a single by C Damaso Espino, before Espino gave Columbus back the lead when he touched home on a sacrifice fly by LF Trevor Crowe.

The Clippers offense then blew the game wide open in the seventh inning just as they did in their Opening Day victory over the Tribe. The Clippers' Opening Day offensive explosion saw them plate eight runs in the seventh inning of their 17-4 blowout win, where as they brought home six runners in the seventh frame of Sunday afternoon's 9-4 series finale victory.

The six-run seventh inning rally was started and ended by former Indianapolis Indians' infielder Brian Bixler, who led off the frame with a double to center and later scored the innings first tally on a single by CF Jose Constanza. Then following a sacrifice fly by SS Anderson Hernandez, a two-run single by RF Shelley Duncan and a run scoring single by Buscher, Bixler capped the rally by bringing home Duncan with his second double of the inning.

The Tribe did mount a come back in the top of the ninth as they plated runs on a single by LF Jose Tabata and run scoring error by the Clippers, but were halted with the bases loaded and the game-tieing run on deck.

Despite plating just four runs, Indianapolis had five players turn in multi-hit efforts, including Tabata (2-for-5, 1 RBI), Pearce (2-for-5, 1 R), Walker (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI), Carlin (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) and Jonathan Van Every (2-for-4). Meanwhile, the Clippers had three batters collect multiple hits, including Buscher (3-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI), Bixler (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) and Constanza (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI).

Columbus starter Yohan Pino (5.0 IP 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO) struck out five in five innings of work to improve to 1-0 on the season, while Tribe starter Chris Jakubauskas (5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) took the loss to drop to 0-1 after allowing three runs on five hits over five innings.

Indianapolis will now head on the road to Toledo for a two-game series with the Mud Hens on April 12 and 13. RHP Alfredo Figaro is expected to get the nod for Toledo in the opener on Monday at 6:30 p.m., while the Indians have yet to name a starter.

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 6:10 p.m.

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