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IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Tribe Powers Past Mud Hens, 9-6

April 18, 2010 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS -- Every Indianapolis Indians' batter collected at least one base hit with third baseman Neil Walker, left fielder Brandon Moss and center fielder Jonathan Van Every all blasting home runs to lead the Tribe past the Toledo Mud Hens 9-6. The attendance of 5,249 on Sunday afternoon pushed the season total at Victory Field to 23,079 so far this season and gave the Tribe its highest attendance through the first three home games of a season since Victory Field opened.

The victory, which was the Indians first at Victory field this season, improves their record to 4-7, while the loss drops the Mud Hens to 6-5. The win was also the Tribe's first in five tries against Toledo this season.

Walker started the game with a bang when he blasted a home run to right field, for his first longball since August 29 at Toledo last season. The longball was the Indians first lead-off home run at home since INF Brian Bixler also accomplished the feat on July 26, 2009 vs Buffalo and their first lead-off home run overall since OF Jose Tabata blasted a lead-off shot on August 19, 2009 in Louisville.

The Indians then extended their lead when 1B Brian Myrow singled later in the inning and eventually came around to score when the Mud Hens committed a throwing error on a single by RF Steve Pearce. The single for Pearce gave him 15 hits on the season, which ranks second to only Toledo INF Brent Dlugach in all of the International League.

The two runs to open up the game for the Tribe was the first time they scored multiple runs in a frame in 23 innings with the last multi-run frame occurring on April 15 when they plated two in fourth inning against Louisville.

The Tribe continued to add to their lead in the following inning when C Erik Kratz led off the frame with a double to deep left-center field, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by SS Brian Friday, and came around to score on a single by 2B Argenis Diaz. The RBI for Diaz and the run for Kratz were both their second so far this season.

The Tribe added on two more in the third, when Pearce reached on a fielder's choice and stole second to set the stage for Moss, who blasted a two-out two-run longball to right field to push the Indians ahead 5-0. The offensive output for the Tribe was just the second time this season they have scored more than four runs in a contest with the first coming on April 9 in Columbus when they took the victory in a 14-12 slugfest.

The Mud Hens did, however, break the scoreless tie in the fourth when 1B Jeff Larish lined a one out double to right for the first Toledo hit on the afternoon, and eventually came around to score on a two-out single by LF Jeff Frazier.

But Indianapolis wasn't finished as they continued their offensive blitzkrieg in the fourth when Walker lined a double to right and came around to score when Van Every blasted a home run that bounced onto West Street and extended the Tribe's lead to 7-1. The longball was Van Every's second in his last four games at Victory Field, with his most recent shot coming on April 18, 2008 when hit a two-run shot as a member of the Pawtucket Red Sox.

The Mud Hens cut into the Tribe lead again in the fifth when 3B Danny Worth led of with a walk and quickly scored on a triple by 2B Will Rhymes. RF Brennan Boesch then brought home Rhymes and chased Indians' starter Kevin Hart from the game when he lined a single to right to bring the score to 7-3.

Following Boesch's RBI single, Indians' left handed reliever Justin Thomas, in his first action in an Indians' uniform, allowed back-to-back singles to Larish and CF Casper Wells, before inducing back-to-back fly outs from Frazier and Leon to escape the jam and maintain the Tribe lead.

The Tribe continued to pile on with a two-out rally in the sixth, started by Walker who lifted a single for his third hit of the game, moved to second on a base hit by Van Every, and to third when Myrow drew a walk to load the bases. 3B Pedro Alvarez then ripped a single up the middle to score Walker and Van Every for his 10th and 11th RBI on the season and put the Tribe ahead for good by the score of 9-3.

However, the Mud Hens would not go away quietly with two runs of their own in the top of the seventh on a two run home-run by Wells that also brought home Boesch, who reached on a hit-by-pitch earlier in the inning. The home run and two RBI for Wells was his first career Triple-A home run and RBI.

Indianapolis and Toledo went on to combine for 15 runs on 22 hits with three players from each team turning in multi-hit efforts for their squads. Walker (3-for-5, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI), Van Every (2-for-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and Moss (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) all collected multiple hits for the Tribe, while Rhymes (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI), Larish (2-for-5, 1 R) and Wells (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) each posted multi-hit efforts for the Mud Hens.

Hart (4.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 6 SO) did not figure in the decision for the Tribe despite striking out six in 4.1 innings of work. In his first action in an Indians' uniform, Thomas (2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) earned the victory after escaping a key jam in the fifth inning, while fellow reliever Jean Machi (1.0 IP, 1 BB) finished off the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Toledo starter Ruddy Lugo (4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) suffered the loss to drop to 1-2 after allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits over four innings of work, while Toledo relievers Casey Fien (1.1 IP, 1 SO) and Josh Rainwater (1.0 IP) combined to allow just one hit in 2.1 innings of excellent work out of the Mud Hens bullpen.

The two teams wrap up their four-game series on Monday at 7:00 p.m. LHP Phil Dumatrait is scheduled to start for Toledo, while RHP Brad Lincoln is expected to get the nod for Indianapolis.

The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and broadcast live on Comcast and Bright House Networks digital channel 81 with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley on the call. The pre-game show on WXLW-950 AM begins at 6:40 p.m.

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