Smith-Njigba Homers Late, Indians Drop Back-and-Forth Contest with Bats

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Canaan Smith-Njigba launched a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning, but the Louisville Bats responded with two runs in the bottom half to defeat the Indianapolis Indians on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field, 6-5.

With the game knotted at two runs apiece after six innings, Smith-Njigba launched his first home run of the campaign to right field to give Indianapolis (17-18) its first lead since the top of the first. The lead was short-lived, however, when Edwin Ríos matched the effort with a two-run shot off Ben Heller (L, 1-1) in the bottom of the seventh, scoring the series-clinching run.

The Indians jumped out to an early lead courtesy of an RBI single off the bat of Henry Davis and run-scoring groundout by Gilberto Celestino. That lead didn’t last long, either, with the Bats (20-18) plating two in their first trip to the plate.

Louisville then took its first lead in the sixth when P.J. Higgins – who drove in the first Bats run on a double in the first – singled home Ríos. Two batters later, Austin Wynns doubled to bring home Higgins.

A pair of walks in the fifth inning began Indianapolis’ comeback, with Billy McKinney singling home Smith-Njigba to cut the deficit to one run. After a leadoff double by Celestino in the sixth, Matt Gorski punched a soft grounder through the right side of the infield to tie the game.

J.C. Flowers got the nod for Indianapolis to start and allowed four runs through 2.0 innings. Entering in relief was righty Chris Gau, who staved off the Louisville offense as Indy worked its way back to a tie game.

Evan Kravetz (W, 4-0) pitched Indianapolis into another possible comeback attempt with the bases loaded and no outs in the eighth, but Brooks Kriske shut down the threat. Sam Moll (S, 1) then stranded the game-tying run at third base in the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts to win the game.

Making his Triple-A debut, Matt Fraizer joined Smith-Njibga, Celestino and Liover Peguero as one of four Indians batters to record two hits in the contest. Davis reached base safely in three of five plate appearances with a single and two walks.

The Indians and Bats finish off the six-game series tomorrow afternoon in a 1:05 PM first pitch at Louisville Slugger Field. In a rematch of the series opener, LHP Eric Lauer (2-1, 3.95) will take the mound against RHP Carson Spiers (2-1, 2.86).