IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Indians Sweep Bats in Double-Header

Published on July 5, 2009 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS -- Right handed pitcher Ian Snell tossed a complete game shutout to give the Indianapolis Indians a 1-0 victory in game one, while shortstop Brian Bixler's grand slam led the Tribe past the Louisville Bats 5-3 in game two of Sunday's doubleheader at Victory Field.

With the doubleheader sweep the Indians improve to 39-43 on the season and 21-22 at home, while the Bats fall to 45-38 overall and 20-22 on the road. The doubleheader sweep for Indianapolis gives them the 2-0 series lead and brings them to within one game of Louisville in the season series which is now at 5-4.

In his second outing for the Indians this season, Snell (7.0 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 SO) continued his Triple-A dominance as he struck out six hitters in seven shutout innings en route to a complete game victory. The righty hurled his second straight seven-inning contest and also laid down a sacrifice bunt that helped the Tribe score the only run of the game.

Sunday's win is Snell's first victory of the season with the Indians as he scattered five hits and walked just one Louisville hitter to claim his first win in Indianapolis since 2005. The 2005 International League All-Star has now allowed no earned runs on just seven total hits, while striking out 23 in 14.0 innings over two starts for the Indians.

The only score of the contest came in the third inning when LF Jonel Pacheco came plateward on a squeeze bunt to first base. Pacheco, who was playing in his first game with the Tribe, led off the frame with his first career Triple-A base knock, a single to center field. Pacheco was then moved to second base on a textbook sacrifice bunt by Snell to give the Indians their first runner in scoring position.

Snell was followed by SS Brian Bixler who beat out an infield single to put runners on first and third with one-out. OF Chris Barnwell then brought home the only score of the contest as he laid down a suicide squeeze bunt to first base to bring Pacheco plateward and give the Indians the only run they would need.

Louisville starting pitcher Matt Maloney (5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO, 1 HBP) gave up only three hits and one base on balls, but was handed the loss to drop to 5-5 on the season. Maloney was followed by RHP Zach Stewart (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 SO) who allowed just one hit and struck out two in an inning of relief.

Bixler (2-for-3, 1 SB) turned in the only multi-hit performance for either team in game one of the doubleheader as he collected another infield single in the fifth to give him two in the contest.

The Indians' infielder then carried his hot bat into game two as he would launch what proved to be the game-winning hit with a grand slam to right field in the fifth. The bases-clearing longball was Bixler's first homer of the season and was the Indians first grand-slam as a team in the 2009 campaign.

Bixler (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI) was also the only hitter to record multiple hits in game two as he added an infield single in the fourth inning to give him multi-hit performances in both of Sunday's contests. The right hander went a combined 4-for-6 with one run, four RBI and a stolen base on Sunday and has now collected three consecutive multi-hit games.

C Erik Kratz led off the Tribe's four run rally in the fifth with a walk and was later followed by RF Chris Snelling who also reached on a base on balls. LF Chris Barnwell then slapped a single to center field, which loaded the bases with one-out. After pinch-hitter Pedro Lopez flied out for the second out of the inning Bixler followed with the game-winning base knock as he launched a 2-0 offering into the right field lawn for a four-run round-tripper.

After the shortstop's homer in the fifth the Indians went on to add an insurance run in the very next inning as Snelling plated 1B Bryan Myrow, who led off with a double. Myrow's run would give the Indians the 5-3 advantage, but it was the four-run blast that led the Tribe back from a three-run deficit as the Bats struck first with a run in the second and two scores in the third.

Louisville SS Adam Rosales tallied the first score of the game on 3B Wes Bankston's sacrifice fly to center field. Rosales led the inning off with a single to right and followed with his fourth stolen base of the season. He later moved to third on a single by RF Danny Dorn that put himself in position to score on Bankston's sac fly.

The Bats' added to their lead with two more scores in third inning as LF Darnell McDonald, 2B Chris Valaika and CF Chris Heisey began the frame with back-to-back-to-back singles to give Louisville the bases loaded with no-outs.

Two of those runners would come plateward as McDonald scored on a passed ball and Valaika trotted home on a sacrifice fly by Rosales. The two-run inning gave Louisville the 3-0 lead, while the Indians remained hitless until the fourth.

Starting pitcher Justin Lehr (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) was dominant for the Bats early in the game as he didn't allow a single runner to reach base before the fourth inning. However, Lehr, who leads the International League with 11 wins, was handed his first defeat as a member of the Bats after serving up the grand slam to Bixler in the fifth.

Indianapolis starter Daniel McCutchen (5.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO) picked up his team-leading seventh victory after he escaped the Bats' rallies and gave up just two earned runs, while also striking out four through five innings of work. Right handers Denny Bautista and Mike Koplove then came in to replace McCutchen and shut down Louisville with neither reliever allowing a single base runner.

Bautista (1.0 IP) picked up his fifth hold of the season after he tossed a perfect sixth, while Koplove (1.0 IP, 1 SO) hurled a perfect inning of his own with a strike out in a scoreless ninth en route to his seventh save of the season.

Indianapolis wraps up their short three-game series with Louisville on Monday at 7:00 p.m. RHP Brad Lincoln is scheduled to start for the Indians, while RHP Sam LeCure is expected to get the nod for the Bats.

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.

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International League Stories from July 5, 2009


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