INDIANAPOLIS - Willi Castro hit a two-run homer with two away in the third inning and the Mud Hens handed the Indians another series defeat, 4-0, in a heated affair that saw four players ejected during a Sunday afternoon brawl. The Tribe enter the All-Star break with a .500 record
INDIANAPOLIS - Willi Castro hit a two-run homer with two away in the third inning and the Mud Hens handed the Indians another series defeat, 4-0, in a heated affair that saw four players ejected during a Sunday afternoon brawl. The Tribe enter the All-Star break with a .500 record after dropping 21 of their last 31 contests.
Toledo (40-49) used a three-run third and one run in the fourth off Alex McRae (L, 5-6) to take three of five in the series. The No. 8 and No. 9 hitters, Daz Cameron and Danny Woodrow, strung doubles together to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. After McRae retired Jacob Robson and Dawel Lugo, Castro lined an 0-2 pitch onto the right field grass berm to push their advantage to 3-0.
In the fourth, Mikie Mahtook and Cameron again collected doubles to complete the scoring. With two outs in the inning, McRae beaned Robson to stir tempers that carried over from Saturday night's ballgame.
It didn't take long for the tempers to boil over. Toledo's starter Beau Burrows immediately retaliated in the bottom of the fourth, beaning Ke'Bryan Hayes in the back of the helmet with a 91 mile-per-hour fastball. Burrows was promptly ejected as the dugouts emptied. When the dust settled, Cameron and Ronny Rodríguez were also tossed, along with Tribe reliever Blake Weiman.
Indy (44-44) didn't record a hit until Jake Elmore singled with two away in the fifth, but he was thrown out at second base trying to stretch for a double. The Tribe put their first two men on in seventh but couldn't push a run across in their sixth shutout loss of the season. The Indians left nine runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Tyler Alexander (W, 3-9) threw four scoreless innings in relief of Burrows to earn the win. He scattered three hits and fanned three.
The Indians are off for the All-Star break through Wednesday and pick up their second-half schedule with a four-game series in Columbus on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. ET. The Tribe return to Victory Field on Monday, July 15 for a seven-game homestand against Syracuse and Durham.
