IL1 Indianapolis Indians

LF Brandon Moss and 1B Steve Pearce Combine For Four RBI in Tribe Win

Published on April 11, 2010 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Left fielder Brandon Moss and first baseman Steve Pearce combined for four RBI on four hits, as the Indianapolis Indians earned their second straight victory over the Columbus Clippers 4-3 on Saturday Night at Huntington Park.

With the win the Indians improve to 2-1 on the season, while the loss drops the Clippers to 1-2. The victory gives the Tribe their first winning streak of the season as they have now won two straight over Columbus.

Pearce helped the Tribe jump out to an early lead with a two-run single in the first, while Moss sealed the victory with an RBI double in the third and the eventual game-winning longball in the eighth.

The Indians jumped out to the early lead in the first when RF Brandon Jones and DH Brian Myrow drew back-to-back one out walks, each moved into scoring position on a wild pitch and came around to score on Pearce's line drive single to left field. The base-on-balls were Jones' first on the season and the fourth in just two games for Myrow, who finished last season with a team best 43 free passes.

Moss then extended the Tribe lead to 3-0 in the third when he doubled home Jones, who had led of the frame with a two-bagger of his own. The RBI double was Moss' first hit and RBI in an Indians' uniform and began a streak of three consecutive base knocks for the left handed slugger, who fell just a triple short of the cycle.

Columbus, would not, however, let this game go quietly as they plated two runs in the fifth on an RBI single by 2B Jason Donald that scored SS Anderson Hernandez and a run scoring double play by the rehabbing Russell Branyan that brought home CF Trevor Crowe. The Clippers later evened the score at three all, when Hernandez singled home RF Brian Horwitz in the seventh inning.

However, Moss after lining a single to center in the sixth, kept rolling and delivered the eventual game-winning tally when he blasted a solo homer over the right field wall in the eighth. The home run was Moss' first on the season and gave the Tribe at least one long ball in three consecutive games to kick-off the season.

After Moss gave Indianapolis the lead, reliever Jean Machi (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 SO) slammed the door with a dominating performance out of the Tribe bullpen. Machi struck out three in two innings of relief two earn his first save of the season, while fellow reliever Anthony Claggett (2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) notched his first victory of the season with two innings of relief work before Machi.

Neither starter figured in the final decision despite Indians' LHP Donnie Veal (5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) allowing just two runs over five innings and Columbus' starter Jeanmar Gomez (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 5 SO) allowing three runs on four hits over five innings of work. Clipper's reliever Steven Wright (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO) instead was charged with the loss to drop to 0-1 on the season.

Moss (3-for-5, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and CF Jose Tabata (2-for-5) turned in multi-hit efforts for the Tribe, while Hernandez (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI) was the only Clipper's batter with multiple base knocks.

Indianapolis will finish their season opening four-game series against division rival Columbus on Sunday at 1:05 p.m. RHP Chris Jakubauskas is scheduled to make his Indians' debut, while RHP Yohan Pino is expected to get the nod for the Clippers.

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 12:45 p.m.

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International League Stories from April 11, 2010


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