INDIANAPOLIS - Mitch Keller fanned eight and threw 6.0 innings of two-run ball, Ke'Bryan Hayes drove in two runs and Jason Martin scored twice from the leadoff spot as the Indians dropped Scranton/WB on Tuesday night, 4-2. The victory was Indy's fourth straight overall and third consecutive triumph to open
INDIANAPOLIS - Mitch Keller fanned eight and threw 6.0 innings of two-run ball, Ke'Bryan Hayes drove in two runs and Jason Martin scored twice from the leadoff spot as the Indians dropped Scranton/WB on Tuesday night, 4-2. The victory was Indy's fourth straight overall and third consecutive triumph to open a homestand.
Indianapolis (19-16) scored single runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth frames to account for its four runs in the contest. The decisive tally came in the bottom of the fourth after Scranton/WB's Kyle Higashioka homered in the top half to even the score at 2-2. Kevin Kramer provided the go-ahead knock for Indy, lining his second single of the game into center field to bring home José Osuna.
One inning later, Hayes plated Martin from first base with his league-leading 15th double to the wall in right-center.
Keller (W, 4-0) cruised through the first three innings, facing one over the minimum while racking up five strikeouts. He endured slight damage in the fourth, when his one-out walk to Mike Ford preceded Higashioka's two-run homer. The 23-year-old Keller settled back in quickly, retiring eight of the last 10 batters he faced. The right-hander yielded just three hits, two walks and one hit batter with his eight punchouts.
Geoff Hartlieb, Sean Keselica and Dovydas Neverauskas combined for 3.0 scoreless innings in relief of Keller. Neverauskas (S, 3) struck out four, two coming in the eighth after he inherited a bases loaded, one-out jam.
Kramer put Indy on top in the second inning with a single up the middle that scored Jacob Stallings. The throw from center fielder Billy Burns beat Stallings home, but his slide kicked the ball free from Higashioka's glove for an error. Then in the third, Martin tripled and sprinted home on a Hayes groundout.
Scranton/WB (18-15) lost for just the third time in 11 games in the month of May. Daniel Camarena (L, 0-1) suffered the loss after surrendering four runs (three earned) on eight hits in 5.1 innings pitched.
The Tribe and RailRiders meet for game two of the series Wednesday morning at 11:05 a.m. ET. IL Pitcher of the Week Alex McRae (3-2, 5.40) will oppose Scranton/WB righty David Hale (3-1, 2.93).
