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Indians' Presley hits for the cycle

Pirates prospect goes 5-for-6 in third game at Triple-A
June 27, 2010
It didn't take long for Alex Presley to make an impact at the Triple-A level.

The 24-year-old hit for the cycle in just his third International League game Sunday afternoon, going 5-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored as the Indianapolis Indians crushed the Toledo Mud Hens, 15-3.

It was the first cycle at Indianapolis' Victory Field, which opened in 1996.

"My teammates were really pumped for me in the dugout," Presley said after receiving shaving cream in the face and a dousing of cold water from an unknown assailant.

The Pirates outfield prospect hit .350 with six homers and 47 RBIs in 67 games for Double-A Altoona before he was promoted to Indianapolis on Friday. He flirted with the cycle on May 24, going 4-for-5 with two homers, a triple, double and a team-record eight RBIs in the Curve's 11-1 win over Akron.

The Mud Hens got off to a strong start with three runs in the first before the Indians' offense kicked into gear. Presley tripled in the bottom of the frame but was stranded.

Jeff Clement and Brian Myrow opened the second with back-to-back homers and the Indians tacked on four runs in the frame on Brandon Moss' two-run single, Presley's RBI base hit and Steve Pearce's sacrifice fly.

There was no letup in the third as Indianapolis plated six more runs, highlighted by consecutive homers by Moss, Presley and Pearce.

The left-handed-hitting Presley led off the fifth with a looping double to left to complete the cycle, later scoring on a Myrow single. He lined another single in the sixth and hit a long fly ball to the warning track in the eighth for his only out of the day.

"They told me in the dugout that I needed a double, so it was in the back of my mind. But I was trying to keep my same approach at the plate," Presley said. "I think it was a curveball and when it came off the bat I thought I had a chance."

The cycle was the 11th in the Minor Leagues this season and the first in the International League since Michael Taylor had one for Lehigh Valley last Aug. 12.

The Indians set season marks with 15 runs and five homers as each regular collected at least one hit and scored at least once.

Shortstop Doug Bernier collected four of Indianapolis' 15 hits and Moss drove in five runs. Clement's longball was his fourth to go with 16 RBIs in 16 games with Indianapolis.

Starter Hayden Penn improved to 4-2, allowing three runs on six hits over six frames. He struck out five and walked one.

Toledo's Wilkin Ramirez came within a homer of the cycle himself, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.

Billy Buckner (2-3) took the loss after yielding 10 runs on eight hits, including three homers, and four walks in 2 2/3 innings. He fanned three.

The Indians have taken the first three games of the four-game set, totaling 31 runs and coming from behind in each contest. Sunday's win pushed them to a season-high nine games over .500 at 43-34, 3 1/2 games behind first-place Columbus in the Western Division.

John Parker is a contributor to MLB.com.