Indy Homers to Take Down Toledo

INDIANAPOLIS – Jared Oliva, Oneil Cruz and Mason Martin each launched home runs as the Indianapolis Indians offense came alive to clinch a series victory over the Toledo Mud Hens on Sunday afternoon, 7-1.

Both of the Indians’ season-high three-homer games have come against Toledo this week. On Friday night, Ji-Hwan Bae, Martin and Travis Swaggerty each homered to set the single-game high.

With both teams scoreless through four innings, Oliva sparked a three-run Indians (21-19) frame with a leadoff home run. Hoy Park and Cruz scored with two outs on a Swaggerty RBI single and subsequent fielding error by right fielder Brendon Davis.

After Toledo (21-19) scored its lone run on an RBI double in the top of the sixth inning, Indianapolis tacked on four insurance runs courtesy of two homers and an RBI double off the bat of Cal Mitchell. With one out, Cruz sent the third pitch of his at-bat 449 feet onto the concourse beyond right-center field. Following Mitchell’s double to score Swaggerty from second, Martin launched his eighth home run of the season to extend the lead, 7-1.

The Indians were firing on all cylinders in the contest, with six Indians pitchers combining for a season-high tying 14 strikeouts of the Mud Hens offense and only three hits allowed. Cody Bolton got the start for Indy and surrendered just one hit with six strikeouts over 3.1 innings. Eric Hanhold (W, 2-0) gave up the only Toledo run of the afternoon.

Garrett Hill (L, 0-1) held the Indians without a hit through the first four innings before surrendering all three runs in the fifth.

Martin has now recorded an extra-base hit in seven of his last eight games, the last three of which have left the yard. Cruz and Swaggerty each notched multi-hit performances, and Canaan Smith-Njigba extended his on-base streak to a league-leading 24 games.

The Indians travel to St. Paul for a Tuesday afternoon game at 12:07 PM ET. Neither team has yet to name a starter.