Cimillo’s grand slam leads Indianapolis to 11-1 rout of Columbus
Cimillo’s two-out grand slam in the sixth capped Indianapolis’ three-homer barrage and turned an 11-1 win over Columbus into a statement night.
Indianapolis turned June 10 into a power showcase, pounding out three home runs and racing past Columbus 11-1 at Victory Field. What had started as a tight game changed fast once the Indians strung together a decisive swing sequence in the third and sixth innings, then kept pouring on runs until the score became a blowout.
Columbus struck first when CJ Kayfus delivered an RBI single in the second, but Indianapolis answered immediately with four runs in the third. Termarr Johnson jump-started the comeback with a two-run homer, giving the Indians their first real momentum and shifting the tone of the night before Columbus could settle in.
The biggest blow came in the sixth. Nick Cimillo came up with two outs and the bases loaded and launched a grand slam off Austin Peterson, the kind of swing that does more than pad a lead. It emptied the tension from the ballpark, buried Columbus’ hopes of a comeback, and turned a comfortable advantage into a runaway.
Enmanuel Valdez added the final home run in the seventh, stretching the margin into double digits and completing a night in which Indianapolis got 10 RBIs from Johnson, Cimillo and Valdez alone. That kind of production stood out for a club that has spent much of the first half grinding for offense rather than living off the long ball. On this night, the lineup did both: it worked into good counts and punished mistakes when they came over the plate.
José Urquidy gave the Indians the platform they needed by allowing just one run over five innings. With the starter controlling the early damage and the bullpen handling the rest, Indianapolis never let Columbus turn that second-inning run into pressure. The win mattered beyond the final score because it showed a different version of the Indians, one built not only on contact and speed but on middle-of-the-order impact power. Against a Columbus club that has spent stretches near the top of the International League, Indianapolis answered with one of its most complete offensive games of the season.
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