Indians Surge to Series Victory Over G-Braves

INDIANAPOLIS -Gift Ngoepe and Jason Rogers hit solo home runs, and Austin Meadows finished 3-for-4 with two doubles as the Indianapolis Indians held off the Gwinnett Braves, 5-3, Sunday afternoon at Victory Field. Indy has won 14 of its last 17 home affairs to improve to 19-13 at the Vic this season.

Indianapolis (31-24) twice climbed back against Gwinnett (28-27) in the series finale. The Indians trailed 1-0 until the third when a two-base fielding error by G-Braves center fielder Xavier Avery led to eventual sacrifice fly by Christopher Bostick.
The G-Braves regained the lead in the fifth without recording a hit. Indians starter Clay Holmes walked Jace Peterson who promptly swiped second base. Mel Rojas Jr. then chopped a grounder to Joey Terdoslavich at first, but Holmes couldn't haul in the toss to the bag, allowing Peterson to trot home for the go-ahead run.
Indy wasted little time in leveling the score for a second time, as Ngoepe drilled a 1-0 fastball from Matt Wisler well beyond the left-field wall for his second long ball of the season. Meadows followed with a double to left-center and later raced home on a two-out single to right by Danny Ortiz.
Meadows' second double and third hit of the game came with two outs in the sixth, giving the Indians breathing room at 4-2. Peterson crushed his first home run to deep right in the top of the seventh to make it 4-3, but Rogers' two-out, pinch-hit blast in the eighth - his seventh dinger of 2017 - provided the final margin.
Dovydas Neverauskas prevented the Braves from tying the game in the eighth after surrendering consecutive singles to start the frame. He struck out Kyle Kubitza and Lane Adams swinging before retiring Ozzie Albies on a popout to Ngoepe at short.
Pat Light stranded the tying runs on the bases in the ninth by striking out Avery for his fourth save. Holmes (4-1) earned the win after yielding two runs (one earned) on three hits, four walks and three strikeouts in five innings pitched. Wisler (1-4) was handed the loss.
The Indians improved to 11-8 in day games and are now a remarkable 15-0 in each of catcher Jacob Stallings' last 15 starts.
The first-place Indians hit the road for five games, beginning with a four-game set at Toledo Monday night. The Tribe will send right-hander Tyler Eppler (4-2, 2.91) to the mound, opposite Mud Hens left-hander Matt Boyd. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.