Reyes, Polanco and Kramer Combine for Dozen Ribbies in 17-5 Rout

COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Tribe offense exploded for five runs in the third inning, seven in the seventh and tied a season-high with nine extra-base hits - including four home runs - to bury Columbus on Saturday night, 17-5. Pablo Reyes hit two of Indy's four homers as he, Gregory Polanco and Kevin Kramer each had four-RBI performances.

The top two teams in the International League West played scoreless through two innings before the floodgates opened in the third. Columbus starter Shao-Ching Chiang struck out the side in the first and second and recorded each of his first seven outs via strikeout, but a Ke'Bryan Hayes one-out walk drove Chiang's wheels off the track. Polanco laced a double into the right field corner to plate Steven Baron and Hayes - Hayes' first of four runs scored in the game - and the rout was on. Kramer doubled home Polanco to make it 3-0, and Reyes lined his first two-run homer of the game into the left field bleachers.
In the fourth, Polanco followed a two-out walk and fielding error with another two-run double to give the Indians (46-45) a 7-0 cushion. His four runs driven in marked the second time in his career where he's had four RBI with the Tribe, the other coming on April 22, 2014 at Toledo.
Darnell Sweeney joined the parade in the fifth with his first home run in a Tribe uniform. His two-out blast to right-center had Jake Elmore along for the ride and made the score 9-0. Elmore finished with a game-high three hits and was one of six Indians with multi-hit games.
Columbus (56-35) showed life in the bottom of the fifth against Indy starter James Marvel. The right-hander, making his second career Triple-A start, put up zeros through four innings but couldn't put the Clippers away in his last inning of work and exited after a Ka'ai Tom two-run double brought the home team within four, 9-5.
Indy's offense couldn't be stopped, however. Hayes lined a solo home run to left in the sixth, and Reyes' second two-run homer of the night sparked the seven-run seventh. Cole Tucker also scored two on a single, and Kramer cleared a bases-loaded situation with a ringing double to the wall in center. The Tribe sent 11 batters to the plate in the seventh, the second time they've batted around in the series after failing to do so through their first 88 games.
The 17-run output and 12-run margin of victory were the highest marks for the Tribe since April 27, 2018 at Columbus. Indy defeated the Clippers that day by the exact same score, 17-5.
Reyes' two-homer night was the second of his eight-year career and first since July 15, 2017 vs. Bowie with Double-A Altoona. He also logged the fourth four-RBI game of his career thanks to the pair of home runs.
Montana DuRapau (W, 2-1) struck out four in 1.1 innings of relief to earn the win. Chiang (L, 6-6) surrendered five earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched to take the loss.
The Indians seek a series win over the Clippers on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET. The game is Indy's last at Huntington Park in 2019. Alex McRae (5-6, 5.00) and Mitch Talbot (2-1, 6.59) are expected to square off on the mound.