IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Phegley Homers as Knights Beat Tribe 8-1

September 5, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS -- Charlotte's balanced offensive attack on Wednesday night was capped by a long two-run home run off the bat of catcher Josh Phegley, a native of Indiana, as the Knights beat the Indianapolis Indians 8-1 at Victory Field to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five opening round of the International League playoffs.

Phegley, who grew up in Terre Haute and went to Indiana University, hit his two-run homer beyond the left-field fence in the seventh inning to put the Knights up 8-1. Coming into the at bat, Phegley had gone 0-2 with a walk in the game; during the regular season, Phegley batted just .185 (5-for-27) against the Indians.

The Hoosier backstop had been hot in the final month-plus of the regular season, however. In August, Phegley batted .304 with five home runs and 15 RBI. He finished Wednesday night's contest 2-for-4.

Phegley wasn't the only Knights batter to homer in the game. 1B Seth Loman capped a three-run first inning with a home run into the right-field corner of the stadium, also scoring 3B Brent Morel. 2B Drew Garcia and Morel had teamed up for back-to-back doubles prior to Loman's home run as Morel drove in Garcia with the game's first run.

Charlotte also scored three runs in the top of the sixth inning as RF Brandon Short tripled past the diving Indianapolis right fielder to plate both CF Trayce Thompson and SS Carlos Sanchez. Short then scored the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Indianapolis starter Rick VandenHurk was charged with all of the first- and sixth-inning runs and took the loss for the Indians. VandenHurk (5.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1 HR) did not face to Knights during the regular season and had not faced Charlotte since August 15, 2011, as a member of the Norfolk Tides.

On the other side, LHP Charlie Leesman was stellar for Charlotte, allowing just one earned run in eight innings pitched while picking up the win. Leesman (8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K) had gone 1-0 with a 0.75 ERA in two regular season starts against the Indians.

The lone earned run Leesman allowed came in the bottom of the first inning. After rehabbing major league CF Starling Marte led off the game with an infield single, SS Chase d'Arnaud floated a soft single into center field to put runners on the corners with none out. Marte then scored on a fielder's choice, but that would be the only run the Indians could manage.

Leesman worked into the ninth but was pulled after d'Arnaud and 3B Hector Luna led off the inning with back-to-back singles. In support of Leesman, Knights RHP Brandon Kloess (1.0 IP, 2 K) recorded two strikeouts in a scoreless frame.

Looking to even the series, Indianapolis is expected to send Pittsburgh's No. 1 prospect, RHP Gerrit Cole, to the mound for Thursday's 7:05 p.m. game two. Cole won his Triple-A debut on Saturday, Sept. 1, and is 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA with the Indians. Charlotte, meanwhile, will likely counter with RHP Charles Shirek (11-5, 3.65).

The contest will be televised on HTSN (Hometown Sports and News), available via cable or over-the-air on digital channel 6.2. The game will also 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 6:45 p.m.

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