Indianapolis powers past Columbus 11-6 with three home runs

Indianapolis did not let Columbus keep control for long. After falling behind early and then watching the game level at 6-6, the Indians flipped the momentum with power and then handed the rest to a bullpen that kept the Clippers from getting back into striking distance in an 11-6 win at Victory Field.

Enmanuel Valdez started the damage in the first inning with a three-run homer, giving Indianapolis an immediate jolt after the opening stretch had already tilted toward a slugfest. Derek Berg added the next swing of the bat in the third, lining a 432-foot go-ahead homer that put the Indians back in front. Dominic Fletcher finished the home-run trio with a blast in the fifth, the kind of shot that does more than add runs because it forces the other dugout to chase the game instead of manage it.

Columbus still managed to make things uncomfortable for a while. The teams reached the bottom of the fifth tied 6-6, and Indianapolis had to win the middle innings instead of simply surviving them. Nick Cimillo delivered the first big separating blow with a double to center that scored Jhostynxon Garcia and reclaimed the lead, and Fletcher followed with a two-run homer that stretched the margin to 9-6. From there, the Indians kept piling on with two more runs on a passed ball and a throwing error by third baseman Kody Huff, turning a tight game into a finished one.

The pitching effort mattered just as much as the bats. Cam Sanders opened with a scoreless inning, but Thomas Harrington was tagged for four runs in 1.2 innings before Indianapolis’ relief corps took over and steadied the night. Noah Murdock, Beau Burrows, Justin Meis, Yunior Marte and Derek Diamond each helped absorb innings and keep Columbus from re-entering the game. Ryan Webb took the loss after allowing six runs in 3.0 innings, and Pedro Avila gave up five more over 4.0 innings of relief.

The win pushed Indianapolis to 27-39 and dropped Columbus to 36-29 in the middle of a six-game set. It also gave the Indians back-to-back double-digit scoring games against the Clippers after Wednesday’s 11-1 rout, when Cimino homered and Indianapolis again left the yard three times. The series was set to continue Friday at 7:05 PM, with Khristian Curtis lined up for his Triple-A debut and Logan Allen listed for Columbus.