IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Five-Run Fourth Lifts Tribe over Knights 5-3

June 14, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


FORT MILL, S.C. -- In a matchup between the International League's West and South division leaders, the Indianapolis Indians used a five-run fourth inning, keyed by a clutch two-out three run double by shortstop Chase d'Arnaud, to take down the Charlotte Knights 5-3 on Thursday evening at Knights Stadium.

Charlotte jumped out to a quick advantage by manufacturing a single score in the bottom half of the first inning. CF Greg Golson led off the bottom of the first a with a double to left, and after a sacrifice bunt from 3B Ray Olmedo moved him to third, Golson trotted home when 1B Dan Johnson lifted a sacrifice fly to right.

However, after being held to just a single hit over the first three frames the Indianapolis offense would break out with five scores in the top of the fourth to take over the lead for good.

CF Starling Marte began the rally with a base hit to left, before moving up to second with 15th stolen base of the season, which at the time tied him for the team lead with d'Arnaud. The base knock for Marte also extended his hitting streak to six games during which he is batting .346 (9-for-26) with three runs, two doubles, a triple and six RBI.

Later in the frame, Tribe 1B Jeff Clement would bring Marte home from second with a double to right field to even the score at 1-1. The RBI two-bagger for Clement was his team-leading 18th of the season and broke him out of a three-game hitless streak.

Following Clement's RBI base knock, RF Jeff Larish and 2B Anderson Hernandez would draw back-to-back base-on-balls to load the bases. C Tony Sanchez would then fly out to center to bring 3B Brian Friday to the plate with two out and the bases loaded.

Friday, who entered the contest batting .571 (4-for-8) with nine RBI in a team-high seven at-bats with the bases loaded this season, would come through yet again lining a base hit to left to plate Clement and give the Tribe a 2-1 lead.

Friday's base knock left the bases loaded with two outs for d'Arnaud, who rose to the occasion and sealed the victory for the Tribe by ripping a bases clearing double to left. After collecting just four RBI in 18 games in the month of May, d'Arnaud now has 11 RBI in just 13 games in the month of June.

Former Indians C/INF Hector Gimenez would bring the Knights with-in two by belting a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth and connecting on an RBI base hit in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 5-3.

However, it wouldn't be enough as Tribe reliever Bryan Morris stepped in an shut down the Knights over the final three frames. Morris (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO) earned his fourth save of the season with three scoreless innings of relief in support of starter Jeff Locke (5.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO), who scattered eight hits over 5.2 innings of work to earn the win and improve to 5-3 on the season.

Charlotte starter Dylan Axelrod (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO), who entered the contest with one of the IL's best ERAs, surrendered all five Tribe runs on all six hits over just five innings to suffer the loss and fall to 5-4. The Knight's bullpen was fantastic in a losing effort as relievers Deunte Heath (2.0 IP, 5 SO), Leyson Septimo (1.0 IP, 2 SO) and Brian Omogrosso (1.0 IP, 3 SO) combined for 10 strikeouts over four hitless innings of relief.

With the victory the Indians improve to 39-27 on the season and maintain their eight-game lead over the Columbus Clippers in the IL's West Division. Indianapolis and Charlotte now continue their series on Friday night at 7:15 p.m. with the Tribe expected to send RHP Daniel Cabrera to the mound and Knights scheduled to counter with RHP Charlie Shirek

The game will be carried on WNDE 1260 AM-WFBQ-HD2, WNDE.com and via iheartradio, a mobile application for iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones with Howard Kellman and Will Flemming on the call. The pre-game show begins at 6:55 p.m.

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