Sulser Shuts Down Redbirds In Quality Start

INDIANAPOLIS – Led by Anthony Alford’s 450-foot leadoff home run and Beau Sulser’s first career Triple-A quality start, the Indianapolis Indians took a 2-0 lead in the six-game series over the Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday night, 6-1.

Sulser (W, 3-2) tossed six scoreless innings with four hits allowed, two walks and five strikeouts to earn his third win of the season. His quality start was the first for the Indians as a team since Chase De Jong’s gem on May 22 at St. Paul and the fifth overall this season.

The Indians (20-17) scored in the first inning for the fourth consecutive game on Alford’s second leadoff home run in the past three games. In the fifth inning, they extended the lead past the Redbirds reach, 4-0, with a three-run, two-out shot off the bat of Chris Sharpe.

Jason Delay continued Indy’s roll of home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning with his first of the season off the Yuengling Landing roof in the left-field corner.

After major league rehabber Justin Williams singled off Blake Weiman in the eighth inning to drive in the only run of the game for Memphis (15-23), T.J. Rivera extended the Indians lead back to five runs with a sacrifice fly to score Will Craig in the next half inning.

Thomas Parsons (L, 1-3) got the start for the Redbirds and surrendered four runs on six hits in five innings. The final Indians run of the night was scored off Garrett Williams without a hit being recorded in the eighth inning.

The Indians and Redbirds face off again on Thursday night in another 7:05 PM ET start. RHP Cody Ponce (0-2, 6.66) will try for his first win of the season vs. LHP Connor Thomas (1-0, 5.28).