The rain had just started and the 14,004 fans in attendance for the Indianapolis Indians Opening Night were leaving their seats. In a tied game with the Toledo Mud Hens and one man on and one out in the bottom of the ninth, the Tribe’s Chris Dickerson drove in the winning run.
After starting the season with a seven-game road trip, baseball is officially back in the city of Indianapolis. For a city that is all about Indiana Pacers basketball and Indianapolis Colts football, Victory Field was the place to be on Thursday night.
The Tribe opened the game by scoring in the first inning with the RBI being attribute to Brent Morel. Morel has been on fire to start the 2014 campaign with a six-game hitting streak going into Thursday night.
The Mud Hens got to starter Brandon Cumpton in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring three runs to take a 3-1 lead. Cumpton’s final line was a six-inning outing with three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.
The lead didn’t last for long as the Indians tied things up in the bottom of the sixth with RBIs by Andrew Lamboand Jaff Decker. The Tribe almost had the game locked up in the eighth inning after Gregory Polanco doubled to start the inning, but were unable to score any runs.
For baseball fans it should be a priority to see Polanco, the Pittsburgh Pirates no. 1 prospect according to “Baseball America,” in action this season. He is worth the price of admission.
His impressive 3-for-3 performance against the Mud Hens on Opening Night was proof enough (and it means he might not be here for long – a Major League call-up is definitely in his future).
Polanco was called out at home in the eighth when Matt Hague hit into a fielder’s choice. Tribe manager Dean Treanor was not pleased with the call by the home-plate umpire and his argument resulted in an ejection from the game.
Carlos Paulino started off the ninth inning with his second hit of the night, for his first multi-hit game of the season, and was driven in after a sacrifice bunt by Blake Davis put him in scoring position for Dickerson’s game winning RBI.
Thursday night was the first of a six-game home stand and the fourth consecutive game against the Mud Hens. Jake Brigham is Friday night’s probable pitcher. Game time is 7:15 p.m.