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Cruz Ties Career High with Four RBI as Indians Snap Three-Game Slide 

Indy dropped Thursday’s suspended game 7-5 in 10 innings before winning the nightcap, 8-2
Oneil Cruz belted his second home run of the season and matched his career high with four RBI in Indianapolis' 8-2 win over Louisville on Saturday night. (Photo by Adam Pintar)
May 7, 2022

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis tallied 14 hits and Oneil Cruz launched his second home run of the season en route to a career-high tying four RBI as the Indians earned an 8-2 win over the Louisville Bats on Saturday night. The victory snapped Indy’s three-game losing streak.

INDIANAPOLIS – Indianapolis tallied 14 hits and Oneil Cruz launched his second home run of the season en route to a career-high tying four RBI as the Indians earned an 8-2 win over the Louisville Bats on Saturday night. The victory snapped Indy’s three-game losing streak.

The Indians (14-13) never trailed in their first win of the series and scored in five of their eight half innings at the dish. Mason Martin – named as Indianapolis’ April Player of the Month during a pregame ceremony – gave Indy a 1-0 lead with a first-inning sacrifice fly. Cruz then capped a two-out rally in the second inning with a ringing two-run double into right-center field to score Jason Delay and Ji-Hwan Bae who had tripled and walked moments prior.

Bae pushed the margin to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Cruz followed with a towering solo home run into the shrubs near the batter’s eye. Cruz’s home run and double were both tracked with 113-mph exit velocities.

Leading 6-1 in the seventh, the Indians peppered the scoreboard two more times thanks to five consecutive singles by Cal Mitchell, Hunter Owen, Bligh Madris, Delay and Bae ahead of Cruz being hit-by-pitch to force home Indy’s final run.

Roansy Contreras got the nod for Indy and threw 4.0 shutout frames, yielding one hit and two walks with six strikeouts. Through three Triple-A starts this season, the right-hander has compiled 10.1 innings of one-run ball with 16 strikeouts. Duane Underwood Jr. (W, 1-0) recorded two strikeouts in 2.0 innings of relief while Louisville starter Randy Wynne (L, 1-4) was charged with five earned runs over 4.0 innings.

Cruz’s four-RBI performance was the third of his career and first since June 2, 2021 with Double-A Altoona at Richmond. Delay’s second-inning triple was his first since May 4, 2019 with Altoona at Richmond and just the third of his professional career.

Thursday’s suspended game – which started in the bottom of the ninth inning – was completed in 10 frames with the Bats (11-17) prevailing, 7-5. With a chance to walk it off, the Indians went quietly in the ninth before Louisville plated two runs off Cristofer Melendez (L, 1-1) in the 10th on a bases-loaded single by Michael De Leon.

Ryan Hendrix (W, 1-0) tossed 2.0 scoreless innings despite issuing four walks, and Fernando Cruz (SV, 6) pitched around a walk during a scoreless bottom of the 10th.

Indianapolis and Louisville conclude their series on Mother’s Day at 1:35 PM ET at Victory Field. RHP Miguel Yajure is set to make his first appearance for Indy this season against RHP Graham Ashcraft (1-1, 1.99).