India finding his groove for Tortugas

Class A Advanced Daytona manager Ricky Gutierrez figured things had to start going Jonathan India's way at the plate. And after watching the fourth-ranked Reds prospect take batting practice Tuesday, Gutierrez had a feeling those breaks could come sooner rather than later.
He was right. 
India racked up a career-high four hits with a double and run scored Tuesday as the Tortugas defeated Jupiter, 2-0, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Gameday box score
"He had a real good [batting practice], just staying back on the ball a little bit more and just trying to use the other side of the field," Gutierrez said. "Today, he had better balance at the plate and he was able to have good swings on balls and had a good night." 
India's first three hits of the night -- all singles -- came off Marlins No. 15 prospectTrevor Rogers, who scattered seven hits and struck out five over seven scoreless frames.
In the first frame, the No. 5 overall pick in last year's Draft lined a knock to left field on a 2-1 offering, but was erased on an inning-ending double play. India beat out an infield single to load the bases with one out in the third, but the Tortugas couldn't push a run across. In the fifth, the 22-year-old sent an 0-1 delivery up the middle that the left-hander deflected to second baseman Riley Mahan for his third knock of the game. 
"He's a pretty smart guy. He knows himself," Gutierrez said. "He gets with our hitting coach, Alex Pelaez, in the cages and they work a little bit on stuff. It wasn't [anything] major. It was just changing his mind-set at the plate and getting out of that pull mode and try to use the whole field."
With the game scoreless through seven, India strode against right-hander Alejandro Mateo. MLB.com's No. 50 overall prospect welcomed him by ripping a double to left on the second pitch, then scored two pitches later on a base hit by Alejo Lopez.
The balls India drove to left came on pitches middle-in, the manager said, so the pull was natural. His only out of the game -- a ninth-inning lineout to right -- embodied the adjustments he has made to his game. Gutierrez said the out was the hardest ball the Coral Springs, Florida, native hit all night. 
India entered Tuesday in a 1-for-18 funk that dropped his average from .250 on April 10 -- a day after his first multi-hit game of the season -- to .174. But a big night at the dish is the best -- and easiest -- way to put a slump in the past. India boosted his average by 71 points and sports a .720 OPS.
Following a stellar junior campaign at the University of Florida, the third baseman totaled 150 at-bats in 44 games with three Minor League clubs last year. He spent the bulk of that time with Class A Dayton, where he hit .229 with three homers and 11 RBIs. Overall, he batted .240/.380/.433 with six long balls and 23 RBIs.
Given India's prospect status, Gutierrez thinks pitchers are offering their best when he arrives at the plate. That puts him at a disadvantage compared to other players, but the manager appreciates how India accepts the challenge. 
"The league knows him. They know who he is," he said. "He just has to have the right mind-set when he goes up there of what he's trying to look for and what pitchers are trying to do to him. I think he'll be all right, because he's a real good hitter." 

Gutierrez mentioned the possibility that the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder added unnecessary pressure on himself in the box in an effort to show his teammates why he was one of the top talents in last year's Draft. But the skipper and his staff realize India's past success ultimately will ensure he'll overcome any hurdles, so they mostly let him be. 
"He's going to be all right. He's part of our family," Gutierrez said. "We know he's going to be fine. Good hitters get out and today was the other side of it." 
Celebrating his 23rd birthday, Reds No. 21 prospect Packy Naughton cruised through six scoreless frames, yielding two hits -- both singles by second-ranked Marlins prospect Víctor Víctor Mesa. 
"He's been unbelievable since he came up here," Gutierrez said. "Even last year, in the playoffs, he threw like that. He's a bulldog. He gets the ball and he comes right at you. He doesn't back down from any hitters. Every time he goes out there, we expect to win, because we know he's going to give us a quality game."