This Date In Indians History - September

The Indianapolis Indians have a rich history that dates back to 1902. Take a trip down memory lane as we highlight notable performances that occurred in the month of September for the Tribe.

Sept. 4, 1993 – On Razor Shines Appreciation Night at Bush Stadium, the fan favorite concluded his nine-year career with the Tribe with an eighth-inning single that propelled the Tribe to a nine-run rally and 13-4 comeback victory. Shines ended his career in Indianapolis ranked among Indians franchise leaders with 68 home runs (T-3rd), 404 RBI (4th) and 138 doubles (5th).

Sept. 6, 1989 – The Indians clinched their fourth consecutive American Association title with a 5-0 win in a winner-take-all Game 5 at Omaha. Mark Gardner, the American Association league leader in strikeouts (175) and the Tribe’s team leader in wins (12) that season, threw 8.0 two-hit frames with six punchouts to earn the postseason victory.

Sept. 9, 1986 – With the best-of-seven 1986 American Association Championship Series against Denver reaching Game 7, one of the most memorable moments in franchise history came to life. Trailing 4-3 with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Tribe first baseman Billy Moore lined a 2-2 fastball into left field to score Tom Romano and Casey Candaele. It was the first of four straight championships for the Indians.

Sept. 10, 1954 – Tribe 21-year-old southpaw Herb Score lost a 2-1 decision to St. Paul in his final appearance of the season but still finished 22-5 with 330 strikeouts in 251.0 innings. He led the American Association in wins, winning percentage (.815), ERA (2.62) and strikeouts. His 330 strikeouts shattered the previous league record of 264 strikeouts by Columbus’ Charles Berger in 1906 and was never broken as the American Association disbanded following the 1997 season.

Sept. 10, 1989 – A three-run double off the bat of Darryl Motley sparked a five-run fifth inning that turned a 3-0 deficit into an eventual 7-4 win and Triple-A Classic sweep for Indianapolis at Richmond. The Tribe finished the 1980s with five division titles, five American Association postseason titles and back-to-back Triple-A Classic championships.

Sept. 11, 2015 – Leading the Governors' Cup semifinal series 2-0 but trailing in Game 3, 2-0, through eight innings at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Tribe mounted a comeback with a four-run ninth inning to sweep the series. After a walk, two singles and a hit batter, Josh Bell tied the game with a sacrifice fly before John Bowker gave the Tribe the lead with a two-run single as the Indians sent nine batters to the plate in the inning.

Sept. 18, 2015 – Facing another must-win game in Game 4 of the Governors' Cup Championship Series against Columbus, Indy overcame a 4-1 deficit by scoring one run in the eighth and three in the ninth to force a winner-take-all Game 5. Josh Bell began a 4-for-4 performance with a game-tying homer in the fourth inning and capped it off with a walk-off single to score Gustavo Nunez.

Sept. 21, 2000 – Just three years into joining the International League, the Indians fought their way to the top of Triple-A baseball. Horacio Estrada – the IL leader with 14 wins that season – tossed 8.0 two-run innings in Game 4 of the Triple-A World Series in Las Vegas vs. Memphis to clinch the championship, 3-1. The Tribe’s single-season record holder with 35 saves, Bob Scanlan, closed out the title game with a dominant ninth inning.

Sept. 28, 1956 – In Game 2 of the Junior World Series at Rochester, Indians right fielder Roger Maris belted two home runs and tallied seven RBI on three hits in a 12-4 victory. During his only season in Indianapolis, Maris hit .293 with 17 home runs, 75 RBI and a team-leading 20 doubles. The Indians went on to sweep Rochester in the best-of-seven series, 4-0, after finishing the regular season with 92 wins.