IL1 Indianapolis Indians

The Red Wings Score Five Runs in the Eighth Inning to Steal the Win

Published on July 14, 2007 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Pinch runner Tommy Watkins scored the go-ahead run in the eighth inning off left fielder Trent Oeltjen's double to right as Rochester tallied five runs in the big inning to score an 8-4 victory over Indinapolis in front of 10,935 Saturday night at Frontier Field.

The Red Wings improve to 50-42 overall and 30-21 at home, while the Indians fall to 48-44 on the season and 20-27 on the road. The Tribe now trails Rochester by two games in the International League's Wild Card race.

Rochester fought back from a four-run deficit by scoring eight unanswered runs between the sixth and eighth frames.

The Red Wing's sixth at bat started with CF Denard Span's (2-for-4, 2 R, 2 RBI) lead-off triple to right, while SS Alexi Cassilla (1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI), 2B Matt Tolbert (1-for-4, 1 R) and RF Darnell McDonald (1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) followed with three straight singles. Span, Cassilla and Tolbert each crossed the plate, making it 4-3.

Rochester sealed the deal with five runs in the eighth. McDonald ignited the big inning when he reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. 1B Glenn Williams (0-for-3, 1 RBI) then took a free pass and Watkins replaced him before 3B Brian Buscher (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI) knotted the contest with a base knock to right, scoring McDonald. Oeltjen (1-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) followed with his seventh two-bagger of the year. Span drove in Buscher and Oeltjen with a single to left and was then pushed around the diamond by three-straight walks.

RF Brad Eldred (3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) put Indianapolis on the scoreboard in the fifth with his ninth dinger of the season -- a solo-shot to left.

The Indians added three runs to their advantage in the sixth. CF Luis Matos (1-for-3, 1 R) led off with his team-high 20th double of the season and moved 90 feet closer on 2B Luis Ordaz's sacrifice bunt. 3B Don Kelly (1-for-3, 1 R, 1 RBI) brought Matos plateward on another sacrifice bunt before LF Michael Ryan (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) hammered his seventh roundtripper of the season -- a two-run bomb to right.

Red Wing's RHP Brian Bass (3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 SO) worked the final three innings to earn the win, improving to 3-2.

Tribe RHP Josh Sharpless (1.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) was tagged with the loss, falling to 1-3. RHP Franquelis Osoria (0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) entered with one out in the eighth and suffered his fourth blown save of the campaign.

Indianapolis has now lost a season-high six straight games and eight consecutive road affairs.

The two clubs wrap up their four-game series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. RHP Kip Bouknight is slated to start for Indianapolis, while LHP Dave Gassner is expected to get the nod for Rochester.

The contest will be carried by ESPN-950 AM and IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley. The pre-game show begins at 1:15 p.m.

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International League Stories from July 14, 2007


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