Indianapolis Indians Defeat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 8-5, Nick Green Hits Two HR's for Yankees - International League

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MLN  Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - SCRANTON, Pa. -- Second baseman Nick Green blasted two home runs and collected five RBI for the first time in his nine-year professional career as Indianapolis recorded an 8-5 victory over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before a sellout crowd of 10,310 Thursday afternoon at PNC Field.

The Indians improve to 27-18 overall and 15-8 on the road, while the Yankees fall to 24-21 on the season and 10-8 at home. Friday will be the Tribe’s 39th consecutive day atop the International League’s West Division.

Green, who joined the Indians on May 15 after spending the first five weeks of 2007 in Extended Spring Training, blasted a solo dinger to left in the second and a grand slam to the same spot in a six-run fifth.

Green, who finished the tilt 3-for-5, had not turned in a five-RBI effort in the first 815 contests of his pro career. It was also the 28-year-old’s first two-homer game since April 6, 2003.

A pair of Indians -- CF Rajai Davis and RF Michael Ryan -- complemented Green’s productive day by extending their season-best hitting streaks. Davis (3-for-4, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 R) has now hit safely in 12 consecutive games, while Ryan (2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 R, 1 RBI) has recorded at least one base knock in eight straight contests.

SS Brian Bixler (2-for-5, 1 3B, 2 R, 1 RBI) put Indianapolis on the scoreboard in the first, reaching on a fielder’s choice before coming around to score on 1B Brad Eldred’s (1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI) double to left. The Indians notched their second score when Green smashed his first roundtripper of the campaign in the second.

The visitors added to their advantage with six runs in the fifth. Davis and Bixler clocked back-to-back triples before Ryan and LF Chris Aguila roped back-to-back singles. Then, after 3B Russ Johnson drew a base on balls, Green destroyed his second long ball of the game and season.

Green’s grand slam was the Tribe’s second of the season. Catcher Ryan Doumit whacked a bases-clearing big fly in the seventh inning of a 7-5 win at Norfolk on April 17.

Indianapolis’ six-run frame comes on the heels of a nine-run outburst in the third inning of Tuesday night’s win at Buffalo. The Indians, who entered the day with an IL-best .288 team batting average, also registered 14 base knocks in the opener at Scranton/W-B -- their third double-figure total in the past five games.

Tribe LHP Michael Tejera (3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 SO) was credited with his second win of the year, while RHP Franquelis Osoria (1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO) picked up his fourth hold and LHP Juan Perez (1.0 IP) grabbed his first save.

Yankees RHP Steven Jackson (4.2 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 SO) suffered the loss, falling to 3-5 on the season.

Scranton/W-B clawed back after falling behind by eight in the fifth. The home team plated one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh and one more in the eighth.

SS Angel Chavez led the Yankees with three doubles, while CF Kevin Thompson and 2B Andy Phillips recorded two base knocks apiece. Chavez brought RF Dane Sardinha and 3B Chris Basak plateward with a two-bagger to the right-field wall in the sixth.