MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com -LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Down 2-0 the Indianapolis Indians scored in the sixth, seventh and eighth to take the lead, while their bullpen tossed three scoreless innings to beat the Louisville Bats 4-2 in the season finale on Monday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field.

With the win the Indians finish the season 70-73 overall and 34-37 on the road, while the Bats finish 84-58 overall and 45-27 at home with the loss. The win gives Indianapolis a series split with Louisville, who now heads to the International League playoffs, where they will face Durham.

The win on Monday helped the Indians avoid their second straight series sweep to Louisville, while it also put an end to their longest losing streak of the season, five games. After falling behind early 2-0 in the contest the Tribe mounted a comeback in the later innings with a score in both the sixth and seventh and then two more in the eighth.

With two outs in the sixth the Indians ripped three straight singles to put up their first run of the game. 3B Tagg Bozied first slapped a single to left field before C Erik Kratz moved him to second with another base knock to left field.

Bozied then came plateward for the first Indianapolis run after LF Hector Gimenez collected the third straight base hit in the inning, an RBI single to left-center field. The Tribe then tied the game up in the very next inning when starting pitcher Eric Hacker helped his own cause.

Hacker led off the seventh with a double to right and moved to second when 2B Brian Bixler singled to right field. Following the single CF Jose Tabata hit into a 6-3 double play, but Hacker was able to sprint home knotting the score at two apiece.

With the score now tied the Indians again struck for more runs in the eighth, taking advantage of a Louisville defensive miscue. Bozied led off with a single, but was tagged out in the very next at-bat when Kratz grounded into a fielder’s choice.

The next two Tribe hitters then reached base to load the bases when Gimenez went to first on a base on balls and RF Robinzon Diaz singled to left field. SS Chris Barnwell, in his third at-bat with the bases loaded in the contest, then brought two runs plateward thanks to a error by the Bats’ defense during a double play attempt.

Barnwell hit the ball to third base where Bats’ 3B Juan Francisco threw to second for a force out, but Louisville was unable to turn the double play as 2B Todd Frazier made a throwing error to first. Kratz scored a run during the force out at second, while Gimenez was able to come plateward on the throwing error by Frazier to put the Indians ahead 4-2.

The Tribe bullpen then continued to dominate the Louisville hitters with a scoreless eighth and ninth. In relief of Hacker (6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO, 1 HBP), right handers Juan Mateo (2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) and Jean Machi (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO) tossed three shutout innings out of the bullpen.

Mateo earned his seventh win of the season after he struck out one and gave up just one hit in two shutout frames, while Machi picked up his sixth save of the season with a strikeout in a scoreless ninth. Hacker recorded a no decision after he gave up both Bats’ runs on six hits, but struck out five in six innings of work.

Bats’ starter Tom Cochran (6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO) didn’t receive as much help from his own relief corps as he earned a no decision after he struck out six and allowed just one earned run in six innings of work. Cochran was replaced by RHP Jeff Kennard (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER) who blew his second save of the season after he gave up a run in the seventh before RHP Greg Atencio (1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) was pinned with the loss giving up both runs in the eighth.

Louisville was able to jump out to an early lead off of Hacker in the second inning when LF Danny Dorn launched a solo home run to right field. The long ball was Dorn’s 14th of the season, while it was the first roundtripper hit off Hacker in his last three outings.

The Bats struck again off the Indians’ starter with another run in the sixth when Francisco led off with a double and was followed by Frazier who singled. Francisco then trotted home in the very next at-bat on an RBI single by SS Chris Valiaka to push Louisville’s advantage to 2-0.

However, it would the only runs the Bats would score as the Indians bullpen dominated for the remainder of the game and their offense came through in the clutch during the late innings.

Bixler (2-for-5), Bozied (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB), Kratz (2-for-5, 1 R) and Diaz (2-for-2, 2 BB) all recorded multiple hits for the Indians, while Bozied reached base three times and Diaz reached safely in all four of his plate appearances. The Bats received multi-hit efforts from Dorn (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and RF Jay Bruce (2-for-4) who both collected two base knocks.

Louisville ended up winning the season series against Indianapolis -- 15 games to 7. The Bats finish the year 41-21 against IL West Division foes, while the Indians wrap up 28-35 in that same category.

The Indians finish this season third in the IL West with a 70-73 record and will be begin play next season on Thursday, April 8 at Columbus with their season opener taking place on Friday, April 16 against Toledo. 

Post-game quote -- 3B Tagg Bozied

(on all the Tribe hitters using the same bat during the beginning of the game)
“To be honest with you it’s the first time I’ve been on a team that it has taken this long for that to come up. It was kind of a last minute deal and Frank (Indians Manager Frank Kremblas) chose the chosen one, the chosen bat. Then the bat boy, who is from Louisville by the way, after we had only three hits through the first four or five innings mentioned that we should switch it up a little bit. After that we then went to our own bats and that’s when we got the hits and made the comeback. At the very least the whole thing made us very comfortable for the second half of the game.”

(on it possibly being teammate and friend Chris Barnwell’s last game)
“Yea I think this was his last game. You know Barn (Tribe INF Chris Barnwell) is one of my best friends in the whole world. For him to battle through what he has gone through and the friendship he has given me means a lot.”

(on his time playing with the Indians this season)
“It was great. Victory Field is a great atmosphere. One of the best places to play obviously in the Minor Leagues and everyone knows that. The organization with both the Pirates and the Indians in general have made it a great experience for me. I’m just sorry that I didn’t get to experience it for the whole season and I definitely hope that I am back.”

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