Indians Hot Bats Lead Doubleheader Sweep

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians came out of the dugout hot and held their momentum through 14 innings of baseball on Friday night to sweep the Columbus Clippers in their first doubleheader of the season, 10-3 and 5-2.

Six extra-base hits and a four-RBI performance by MLB rehabber Colin Moran gave the offense a boost in Game 1 as the Indians tied their season-high with 13 hits in Game 1. The bats continued, with a massive 432-foot home run by Christian Bethancourt giving Indy the edge in the nightcap.

The Indians (14-13) began the first game with three consecutive doubles, capped with Moran’s first RBI hit of the game to drive in Chris Sharpe and Troy Stokes Jr. and take an early 2-0 lead before Columbus could record an out.

The Clippers cut their deficit to one run in the top of the second inning, but Anthony Alford took the run right back with his third home run of the season to lead off the bottom half.

Four consecutive hits to begin the bottom of the fourth inning gave Indy the 6-1 lead it needed for the win. Joe Hudson snuck his second home run of the season inside the left field foul pole to score two, and MLB rehabber Phillip Evans drove in another with a single.

With a 6-2 lead after five, Indianapolis put up another crooked number in the sixth inning as the Clippers bullpen struggled, surrendering four consecutive walks to begin the inning. Moran capped his night with two additional RBI in the inning, and the scoring continued with two-out RBI singles from Bligh Madris and Hunter Owen.

The Clippers (9-18) took an early Game 2 lead in the second inning off Bobby Bradley’s ninth home run of the season and fourth hit of the night, but the lead was short-lived. To lead off the bottom of the third, T.J. Rivera hit his first home run in affiliated ball since 2017 to tie the game, 1-1.

Bethancourt’s long home run out to the concourse beyond the left field lawn gave the Indians the lead they needed for the win and sparked a four-run frame, finished off by RBI singles by Rivera and Jason Delay.

Columbus inched closer with one run in the top of the fifth off a home run by Oscar Mercado but could not overcome the Indians offensive boost for the comeback win.

Alford went 4-for-5 in both games combined and Rivera went 3-for-3 in the nightcap to lead the offense in hits.

The Indians now lead the six-game series against the Clippers, three games to one, with two still remaining on the weekend. In a 7:05 PM ET start tomorrow night, RHP Cody Ponce (0-1, 5.94) will take the mound vs. a piggyback start between LHP Scott Moss (-2, 5.79) and LHP Tanner Tully (0-1, 8.38).