Tribe Wins Fourth Straight, Knocks Off Chiefs 8-5
May 15, 2007 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Designated hitter Luis Matos clobbered his first homer of 2007, while third baseman Chris Truby went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI in his first Triple-A contest of the season as Indianapolis posted its fourth straight victory -- an 8-5 decision over Syracuse -- Tuesday night at Alliance Bank Stadium.
The Indians improve to 23-14 overall and 11-4 on the road, while the Chiefs fall to 15-22 on the season and 9-8 at home. Indianapolis, which has also won 11 of its last 16 affairs, continues to lead the International League's West Division by four games over Louisville.
Truby's big night led the way for Indianapolis, while LF Chris Aguila and 2B Luis Ordaz collected two hits apiece. The Indians, who entered the tilt with the International League's top batting average (.292), collected 12 base knocks in the road trip opener, just one day after pounding out a season-best 20 in the homestand finale.
Matos' dinger -- a two-run shot to center after Aguila roped an RBI double to right -- broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth and gave Indianapolis a lead it would not relinquish.
The Tribe added an insurance run in the fifth and three more in the sixth. SS Brian Bixler walked and eventually scored on C Humberto Cota's single to left in the fifth. Truby's two-run double plated Matos and Ordaz in the sixth, while Bixler's RBI single brought CF Rajai Davis around to the dish.
Indianapolis RHP Bryan Bullington (6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO) improved to 6-1 with the win, while RHP Brian Rogers (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO) got out of a ninth-inning jam for his second save of the campaign.
Syracuse RHP Ty Taubenheim (5.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) fell to 2-3 with the loss. SS Ray Olmedo, DH Chad Mottola and C Curtis Thigpen registered two hits apiece for the Chiefs.
The home team enjoyed an early lead in the second when LF John-Ford Griffin walked and came around to score on Thigpen's double to right. The contest went back and forth over the next two frames until Matos drilled his first long ball in 28 games this season.
The two clubs return to Alliance Bank Stadium on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m., for game two of the four-game series. LHP Shane Youman is scheduled to start for Indianapolis, while RHP Michael MacDonald is expected to get the nod for Syracuse.
The contest will be carried by ESPN-950 AM and IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley. The pre-game show begins at 6:55 p.m.
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