Indians and Mud Hens Split Doubleheader
Published on July 21, 2012 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
TOLEDO, Ohio -- Indianapolis and Toledo split a doubleheader on Saturday night with the Mud Hens taking game one 3-1 behind a complete-game effort from starter Thad Weber, before the Indians exploded for seven two-out runs in the second inning and first baseman Matt Hague collected five RBI in a 9-3 win in game two on Saturday night at Fifth Third Field.
Game one of Saturday evening's doubleheader was pitcher's duel as both Weber (7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO) and Tribe starter Rudy Owens (6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) each turned in complete game efforts and held both offenses off the board for the first four frames. However, Weber would weave a masterful outing striking out seven and walking none, while allowing just a single score over seven innings to earn the win and improve to 6-8 on the season.
The lone score off Weber came in the top of the sixth when Tribe 2B Anderson Hernandez and SS Chase d'Arnaud connected on back-to-back two-out two baggers. The single score by the Indians evened the score at 1-1 after the Mud Hens jumped out the game's first lead on a two-out RBI base knock by 3B Audy Ciriaco in the fifth.
The base hit by Ciriaco scored 1B Danny Dorn, who drew a hit by pitch earlier in the frame, however C Bryan Holaday, who followed Dorn's HBP with a double, would be nailed at the plate on a laser from LF Starling Marte to end the threat. Yet after Indianapolis evened the score at 1-1, the Mud Hens responded with what proved to be the game-winning rally in the bottom of the sixth.
The eventual game-winning run came home quickly as after a one out double by SS Argenis Diaz, RF Ben Guez ripped a triple to right to plate Diaz and put the Mud Hens ahead 2-1. A base hit by LF Jerad Head later in the frame would bring home Guez for the final score and help send Owens to the loss, dropping his record to 8-5 on the season.
Game two would be a much different story as in a "bullpen" game the two offenses would combine for 12 runs on 22 hits.
The key play of game two came with two outs in the top of the second where after a lead-off single by Hague and two strikeouts, RF Brandon Boggs looked to have grounded into an inning-ending play when he rolled a ball out to the usually sure-handed Diaz. However, the Mud Hens' second baseman would misplay the ball, allowing Boggs to reach and setting the stage for a two-out offensive explosion.
Following the error, the Indians would string together five hits and a walk on their way to a seven-run two-out rally that ultimately proved to be the difference in the contest. C Eric Fryer began the two-out rally when he lined a single to center to plate Hague for the game's first score.
2B Brian Friday then followed Fryer with a two-run double to left, before back-to-back base hits by Hernandez and CF Jose Tabata brought him plateward to extend the Tribe lead to 4-0. LF Startling Marte then drew a base-on-balls to set the stage for Hague, who came up to bat for the second time in the inning and came through with a bases clearing double to left to extend the lead to an insurmountable 7-0.
Toledo would attempt to chip away at the 7-0 advantage with single scores in the second, third and fifth frames, however Hague would put it completely out of doubt with a two-run single in the seventh, plating both Tabata and Marte, who reached on singles earlier in the frame. All-in-all, Hague finished the contest with an impressive five RBI, which matches a season-high by an Indians batter, most recently accomplished by Marte on June 28 against Toledo.
Indianapolis reliever Bryan Morris (3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) allowed just a single score over three strong innings of relief to earn the win in game two and improve to 2-2 on the season. Toledo starter Rob Waite (2.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) would suffer the loss despite not allowing a single earned run, while Indians' starter Kris Johnson (3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) would not figure in the final decision.
Despite the doubleheader split the Indians (62-40) saw their lead in the International League's west division fall to 9.5 games as second place Columbus earned their third straight victory with a 4-3 win over Lehigh Valley. Indianapolis will now look to even the series when they take on Toledo on Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. RHP Daniel Cabrera is expected to take the mound for the Indians, while the Mud Hens are scheduled to counter with LHP Ramon Garcia.
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 5:40 p.m.
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