Rojas Jr.'s Career Night Paces Indians
LOUISVILLE, KY -- Mel Rojas Jr. came off the bench and collected a career-high five RBI helping the Indianapolis Indians (48-39) snap a five-game skid with a 9-3 win over the Louisville Bats (44-43) in front of a sellout crowd at Louisville Slugger Field on Thursday night.
Indy actually entered the fifth frame down by a slim 2-1 margin, before breaking out for the three runs which gave them their second and final lead of the ball game.
Tribe starter Jay Jackson helped his own cause massively with a leadoff single in the fifth, before three consecutive singles by Rojas Jr., Matt Hague, and Chris Dickerson plated the three go-ahead runs that gave the Indians a 4-2 lead.
Ahead but unrelenting, Rojas Jr. (who came off the bench to replace Jose Tabata after he was hit by a pitch in the third)also brought home two more scores in the top of the sixth on another single up the gut to extend the Indians lead to 6-2. Continuing the momentum, Hague plated Rojas just one batter later for his second RBI of the evening and International League leading 58th of the season.
The 7-2 lead was more than enough for Tribe starter Jay Jackson, who extended his team leading scoreless innings streak to 15.2 consecutive IP before allowing Louisville's lone pair of runs in the fourth. Jackson, however would recover quickly, going 6.2 innings to earn the win and lower his ERA to an impressive 2.13 since May 1.
Rojas also capped his dominant night in the eighth inning, with a two-run double that gave him seven RBI over his last four at-bats and which secured the Tribe's 9-3 victory.