IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Mandel Man-Handles Tribe in 6-2 Loss

August 19, 2013 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Left fielder Felix Pie launched a solo shot for the Tribe's first homer in its last 10 games, but it wasn't nearly enough as opposing starter Jeff Mandel allowed just one run through 7.0 innings to pilot the Syracuse Chiefs (61-71) to a 6-2 win over the Indianapolis Indians (73-58) on Monday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Despite the defeat, the Tribe's Magic Number to clinch the International League West Division still dropped to four courtesy of Columbus' loss to Norfolk.

Indianapolis' bats never quite got it going against opposing righty Mandel (W, 7.0 IP, 6 H, ER, 6 SO), who allowed just six hits through his 7.0 frames of one-run ball. The starter was in control from his opening pitch and mowed through the first 10 Tribe batters before ever allowing a baserunner. Even then, Mandel induced an inning-ending twin killing to face the minimum amount of batters through the first 13 outs, and just one batter over the minimum through the opening 5.1 innings.

Mandel's lone blemish in his first four nearly perfect frames came via a one-out single from SS Robert Andino. Though the base knock didn't cause any damage in the big scheme of the game, it gave Andino hits in 12 of his first 15 games with the Tribe, and 20 overall in that span.

Syracuse matched Andino's base knock with two far bigger one of their own in the home half of the fourth. CF Corey Brown marked the first of three straight Chiefs batters to reach base as he doubled to right in front of a walk from 1B Chris Marrero, before 2B Will Rhymes put the game out of a reach with a towering two-run blast that gave the home team a 3-0 lead.

The Tribe then attempted to make it respectable by mounting quality opportunities to plate their first run of the game in both the fifth and sixth innings. 3B Jared Goedert blasted a one-out double off the right-field wall in the top of the fifth, but was left stranded by consecutive strikeouts, and in similar fashion, CF Alex Presley knocked a one-out single with a man on first in the sixth, but both runners were abandoned thanks to a flyout and strikeout.

Presley's knock was his first of two on the night, and the outfielder has now hit safely in all 11 of his career games at Alliance/NBT Bank Stadium since 2010. He has also collected multi-hit efforts, including tonight, in six of the 11 contests.

Indianapolis' starter Godfrey (L, 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 7 SO) held the Chiefs at their three-run lead throughout the rest of his outing before departing as the sponsor of a runner on first. Aside from surrendering the homer, the right-hander authored an otherwise effective outing in which he fanned a season high-tying seven batters with three walks through 5.0 innings of work. Godfrey's start marked his second consecutive game with seven whiffs, giving the hurler 14 punchouts over his last 12.0 frames on the mound.

After Godfrey gave way to LHP Atahualpa Severino (1.0 IP, H, ER, BB) in the bottom of the sixth, the Chiefs hung another crooked number on the scoreboard beginning with a walk from Rhymes that moved Marrero over to second. One batter later, 3B Zach Walters padded Syracuse's cushion by lacing a two-run double to center that brought Marrero and Rhymes plateward to make the score 5-0.

In the seventh, Indianapolis finally broke through Mandel's then-scoreless start with three consecutive singles from LF Felix Pie, C Kelly Shoppach and 2B Ivan DeJesus, the latter of which scored Pie to bring the Tribe within 5-1. DeJesus finished the contest 2-for-4 and his season's average of .325 would rank second in the IL if he had enough at-bats to qualify.

Before all was said and done, the Chiefs and Tribe traded a run in their respective final at-bats with Kriss Wats knocking a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth, prior to a solo homer from Pie in the ninth that gave the game its final score of 6-2.

Indianapolis and Syracuse will conclude their four-game series on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at NBT Bank Stadium. The Tribe is scheduled to give the ball to RHP Stolmy Pimentel (2-5, 3.30 ERA), while the Chiefs are expected to send RHP Caleb Clay (4-2, 2.42 ERA) to the mound.

The game will be carried on WNDE 1260 AM, 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 6:40 p.m.

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