Tribe Defeats Richmond 11-5, Wins Fifth Straight
Published on April 20, 2007 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
INDIANAPOLIS -- Indianapolis scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth to break open a close game and post its fifth straight win -- an 11-5 decision over Richmond -- Friday evening at Victory Field.
The Indians improve to 10-3 overall and 5-2 at home, while the Braves fall to 7-4 with the setback. At 10-3, the Tribe is off to its best 13-game start since 2002.
Indianapolis sent 11 men to the plate in its most productive inning of the year. The frame included four singles (LF Luis Matos, RF Chris Aguila, CF Nyjer Morgan and C Ryan Doumit), one triple (PH Rajai Davis) and three Richmond miscues. Aguila's two-run single and Davis' RBI triple gave the Indians some breathing room after the contest was nip-and-tuck through seven innings.
Doumit, the International League's top hitter at .463, continued his early-season tear, going 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. His third homer of the season -- a 388-foot solo shot to right field -- got Indianapolis on the scoreboard in the first.
After the clubs traded early runs, the Tribe pulled ahead with a two-run fifth. The Braves answered the call with a run in the seventh to knot the affair at four. Hernandez and 1B Yurendell de Caster managed RBI base knocks for Indianapolis, while LF Willie Harris roped a run-scoring double to even the tilt just before stretch time.
Matos added a 3-for-5 performance with one double, one run and one RBI, while 2B Jose Hernandez threw in a 2-for-4 effort with a pair of RBI for the home team.
Harris finished a long ball short of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI. Richmond CF Gregor Blanco, who entered the contest as a defensive replacement in the sixth, went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs.
Indians RHP Kevin Gryboski (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB) picked up the win in his first decison of 2007, while Braves RHP Rich Scalamandre (0.0 IP, 4 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 BB) yielded seven consecutive baserunners in the nightmarish inning for his second defeat of the campaign.
Neither starter -- Indianapolis LHP Shane Youman (5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 SO) or Richmond RHP Buddy Carlyle (5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) -- figured in the decision.
Indianapolis will look to equal its longest winning streak since May 27-June 2, 2006, when the clubs return to Victory Field on Saturday at 7 p.m. RHP Kevin Barry is scheduled to start for Richmond in game two of the set, while RHP John Van Benschoten is expected to get the nod for Indianapolis.
The contest will be carried by ESPN-950 AM and IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley. The pre-game show begins at 6:40 p.m. The Indians will kick off their 2007 Spectacular Saturday series as the Pirate Parrot is scheduled to perform throughout the evening.
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