COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Indianapolis Indians and Columbus Clippers battled to a 4-4 stalemate through nine innings on Friday night, but Yu Chang singled home Mike Freeman in the 11th as Columbus sent Indy to a second straight defeat to open the season, 5-4.
COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Indianapolis Indians and Columbus Clippers battled to a 4-4 stalemate through nine innings on Friday night, but Yu Chang singled home Mike Freeman in the 11th as Columbus sent Indy to a second straight defeat to open the season, 5-4.
Just as they did on opening night, Indianapolis (0-2) clubbed multiple home runs as a team. Cole Tucker led off the first inning and sent the second pitch of the game into the batter's eye for his first Triple-A long ball. The Indians doubled the lead when Kevin Kramer doubled home Patrick Kivlehan.
The lead was erased in the second inning by Columbus (2-0). With two runners aboard, Yu Chang doubled to right field to tie the game. After an error and hit batter, Tim Federowicz hit a sacrifice fly to right field to put the Clippers ahead.
Will Craig, who belted 20 home runs last season for Double-A Altoona, hit his second home run in as many games to start the sixth inning. The blast tied the game, and Craig was hit by a pitch in the seventh with the bases loaded that gave Indy another brief lead.
The Clippers tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Mark Mathias in the eighth, and after neither team scored in the ninth the game went to extra innings. Neither team scored in the 10th, as Montana DuRapau (0-1) struck out Oscar Mercado and Freeman to get out of a bases-loaded jam. Despite the momentum, Indy did not score in the top of the 11th before Chang delivered his hit in the bottom half.
Indianapolis will go for its first win of the season in game three of the series on Saturday evening, first pitch in Columbus is set for 6:05 p.m. Alex McRae will make his 2019 debut on the mound for the Tribe.
