Indians Launched to Victory Over Mud Hens

INDIANAPOLIS – A leadoff home run by Ji-Hwan Bae on the first pitch of the game gave the Indianapolis Indians an early lead they would not relinquish against the Toledo Mud Hens on Friday night, 5-2.

The Indians (20-18) scored four of their five runs via three long balls over the wall in right field, setting a new single-game high. Bae opened the scoring with his second leadoff shot of the season off Chase Anderson (L, 2-3), a home run that bounced off the right-field foul pole back into the field of play.

Before the Mud Hens (20-18) could get on the board, Indianapolis extended its lead beyond reach. Following a one-out single off the bat of Cal Mitchell, Mason Martin launched his team-leading seventh home run of the season out to right field to plate two. Canaan Smith-Njigba and Travis Swaggerty followed with a double and run-scoring triple, respectively, to complete the team cycle in the frame.

Swaggerty then erased one of two Toledo runs scored in the top of the seventh inning with a solo home run to lead off the bottom half. It was his second homer of the season.

Trey McGough sat down the first nine Mud Hens batters of the game before surrendering his only two baserunners on fourth-inning singles. Cam Alldred (W, 2-1) entered the game in the sixth and erased multiple runners in scoring position to extend his scoreless streak to 15.0 innings. Yerry De Los Santos (S, 3) fanned three batters in the final two frames.

Bae led the Indians offense with three hits and extended his on-base streak to 19 games. Smith-Njigba also extended his on-base streak to a league-leading 22 games.

The Indians will look to clinch a series victory over the Mud Hens tomorrow at 6:35 PM ET at Victory Field. RHP Osvaldo Bido (0-2, 3.76) will take the mound against RHP Elvin Rodriguez (2-1, 3.57).