Mitchell’s Two-Home Run Night Lifts Indians Over Knights in Extras, 7-5

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Indianapolis Indians built a 5-0 lead through the first three innings before defeating the Charlotte Knights in 10 innings on Friday night, 7-5, thanks to a pair of two-run homers by Cal Mitchell. The win evens the series with the Knights and brings the Indians back to .500 on the season.

After Charlotte (14-20) tied the game courtesy of a Seby Zavala one-out solo homer over the left-field wall to send the game to extras, Mitchell rocketed the first pitch of the 10th inning to deep right for his second two-run shot of the night, putting the Indians up 7-5. The multi-home run effort was the second of his career and first since June 30, 2021 with Double-A Altoona at Hartford.

Indianapolis’ (16-16) offense got going early against Charlotte hurler Wes Benjamin. Ji-Hwan Bae started the game with a leadoff single and took second on an Oneil Cruz groundout. Mitchell followed with a grounder that was misplayed by second baseman Yolbert Sanchez, allowing Bae to reach home safely for the game’s first run. In the top of the second, Bligh Madris worked a leadoff walk and touched home on a two-out double by Jason Delay. Indy then went up 5-0 in the third – a three-run burst that was ignited by Sanchez’s second fielding error of the contest. Following the miscue, Mitchell smacked his fourth home run of the year, doubling the lead to 4-0, and Mason Martin later scored on a wild pitch.

In the bottom of the third, the Knights tallied a pair of runs. Roansy Contreras walked Zavala to start the inning, and a triple off the bat of right fielder Mark Payton put Charlotte on the scoreboard. Romy Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring groundout before a leadoff solo shot from Yermin Mercedes in the the fifth cut the Indians’ advantage to 5-3.

The Knights crept within one run in the seventh. Blake Rutherford reached base on a fielding error by Cruz, and following a pitching change, Hunter Stratton sent Sanchez to first on a hit-by-pitch. One out later, Zavala scored Rutherford with a single before tying the game with his fifth home run of the season in the ninth.

In his fourth start with Indianapolis this season, Contreras tossed 4.1 innings, surrendering three runs on two hits and three walks with four punchouts. Yerry De Los Santos (W, 2-0) threw 2.0 innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits and a walk with one strikeout.

Benjamin yielded five runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks while fanning three. Brody Koerner (L, 0-1) allowed Mitchell’s decisive blast in the 10th while tallying one strikeout.

The Indians and Knights will meet again in the penultimate game of the series tomorrow night at 7:04 PM ET. RHP Miguel Yajure (0-0, 0.00) is set to make his second start of the season for Indianapolis and southpaw John Parke (1-3, 7.20) will be on the mound for Charlotte.