Indians Fall Short of Ninth-Inning Comeback

INDIANAPOLIS – Blake Sabol launched his fourth Triple-A home run to lead off the ninth inning and bring the Indianapolis Indians within one run, but they couldn’t overcome a late, tie-breaking two-run frame to lose their fifth consecutive game to the Toledo Mud Hens on Saturday night at Victory Field, 8-7.

With the game tied at 6-6, one out and a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth inning, Josh Lester hit a sacrifice fly out to center field and Daz Cameron followed with an RBI single off Eric Hanhold (L, 4-4) to give Toledo (79-60) the lead it needed for the win. Sabol, playing in just his 16th game with Indianapolis (70-69) since being promoted from Double-A Altoona at the end of August, sent a long fly ball over the wall in straightaway center to counter in the ninth inning.

The two teams traded runs in the first inning courtesy of a two-run double by Brendon Davis and game-tying home run inside the left-field foul pole by Brendt Citta, respectively. The Mud Hens countered with a two-run shot by Corey Joyce – his second in as many nights – and held the lead after the Indians only scored one in the bottom half on a Jared Oliva RBI single.

The Mud Hens extended their lead with one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but the Indians bounced back to tie the game in the sixth. A bases-loaded walk to Josh VanMeter in the fifth cut the deficit to two runs before a Drew Maggi single and run-scoring wild pitch by Angel De Jesus (W, 4-1) knotted the game an inning later.

The Indians will look to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Mud Hens tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 PM ET. Taking the mound for Indianapolis will be RHP Noe Toribio (5-2, 6.08) against RHP Daniel Ponce De Leon (2-3, 4.93).