IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Indians End Streak by Outslugging Bats, 9-7

Published on July 6, 2010 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Indianapolis Indians' offense plated nine runs on 10 hits led by first baseman Jeff Clement and right fielder Brandon Moss, who combined to go 5-for-10 with five runs and five RBI to help the Tribe end their eight-game losing streak with a 9-7 victory over the Louisville Bats on Tuesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

With the victory, Indianapolis improves to 45-42 on the season, while Louisville falls to 41-46 with the loss. The win also ends the Tribe's eight-game skid and improves their record to 5-6 overall this season against the Bats.

After plating a total of six runs over their first six games in the month of July, the Indians' offense exploded for nine runs on 10 hits, including scoring multiple tallies in the second, third, fifth and seventh frames.

Indianapolis was able to get on the board first thanks to Moss, who led off the second inning with a double to center, moved to third on a single by CF Alex Presley and came around to score on a Louisville' balk. Presley would also come around to score later in the frame on an RBI groundout by SS Argenis Diaz to give the Tribe a 2-0 lead.

However, the Bats powered back to even the score at two in their half of the second when 3B Juan Francisco blasted a solo shot to right and 2B Chris Valaika lifted a sacrifice fly to center to plate RF Daniel Dorn, who reached on a double following Francisco's longball.

But the Indians' offense continued to roll thanks to Clement and Moss, who each came plateward in the top of the third thanks to a two-run bomb off the bat of Moss that plated Clement, who began the rally with a clutch two-out single. The home run for Moss was his team leading 11th on the season and improved his team best RBI total to 46.

Though the Bats would once again pull even with single tallies in the third and fourth on an RBI single by 1B Yonder Alonso and another solo blast by Francisco, the Tribe would offense would not be stopped as they took over the lead for good with three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh.

The longball was again key in the Tribe's three-run fifth as 3B Akinori Iwamura began the fireworks show with his first home run in an Indians' uniform with out in the frame, before Clement put a bow on the festivities with a two-run roundtripper two batter's later. The homer for Clement was his fifth with the Tribe this season and plated 2B Jim Negrych, who drew a base on balls in between the two blasts.

In the seventh the Indians tacked on two more tallies with some help from two Bats' miscues as Negrych would reach on an error with one out in the frame and following a single by Clement that moved him to third, would come around to score when Moss reached on another Bats' miscue. Indians' All-Star catcher Erik Kratz then capped the scoring with a single that brought home Clement to give the Tribe a 9-4 advantage.

Though Louisville would draw with-in two runs thanks to an RBI single by Valaika in the eighth and solo home runs by CF Gary Matthews Jr. and Alonso in the ninth, the Tribe bullpen would hold on for the streak stopping victory.

Along with Clement (3-for-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Moss (2-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Kratz (2-for-4, 1 RBI) also collected multiple base knocks for the Tribe, while Negrych (1-for-4, 2 R) also scored multiple runs. The Bats suffered the loss despite their top six batters, Matthews Jr. (2-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI), C Ryan Hanigan (2-for-5, 1 R), Alonso (2-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI), Frazier (2-for-5, 1 R), Francisco (2-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 2 RBI) and Dorn (2-for-3, 1 R) all turning in multi-hit efforts.

Not to be overlooked in the offensive explosion was Tribe starter Jeremy Powell (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO), who allowed just three earned runs on seven hits and no walks, while striking out five over six innings to earn the victory and improve to 5-7 on the season. On the other side in his Triple-A debut, Louisville stater Mark Serrano (5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 SO) was pinned with the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits over five innings of work.

Indianapolis now wraps up its six-game home/road series with the Louisville Bats on Wednesday, July 7 at 7:05 p.m. RHP Hayden Penn is the probable starter for the Tribe, while RHP Matt Klinker is expected to get the start for the Bats.

The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and www.IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley on the call. The pre-game show begins at 6:45 p.m.

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International League Stories from July 6, 2010


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