Rodríguez and Andújar collect five RBI apiece, Peguero hits two homers in rout
By Cheyne Reiter
July 14, 2023
PAPILLION, Neb. – Endy Rodríguez smashed his first career grand slam and tied a career high with five RBI, Miguel Andújar launched a home run to spark his second five-RBI performance of the season, and Liover Peguero belted his first two Triple-A homers as the Indianapolis Indians bashed the Omaha Storm Chasers 13-5 on Friday night at Werner Park.
The Indians (41-46, 8-5) scored in six of the first seven innings and never looked back in their first win in nine tries against Omaha. Andújar followed a Rodríguez single in the first with a home run to right-center off Angel Zerpa (L, 0-2), and the rout was on. Indy added three runs in the second – two coming on a ringing bases-loaded double by Andújar – before tacking on five in the third on Peguero’s first solo shot and Rodríguez’s towering grand slam that carried onto the right-field berm. The grand slam was Indianapolis’ fifth of the season and extended the lead to 10-1.
Brewer Hicklen put the Storm Chasers (41-43, 3-9) on the board in the second with a solo home run, and Indiana State product Clay Dungan made it 10-2 with a run-scoring single in the fourth. Hicklen also hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to cap the scoring.
Josh Bissonette doubled to start the fifth and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Andújar. After Tucker Bradley went deep to open the bottom of the fifth, Peguero crushed a hanging curveball over the wall in left for his fifth career two-homer game and the third by an Indianapolis player this season, joining Josh Palacios (April 29 vs. Columbus) and Aaron Shackelford (May 25 at Columbus). Canaan Smith-Njigba plated Rodríguez in the seventh with his second double of the night.
Quinn Priester, making his team-high 18th start of the season, departed after a scoreless first inning. Wil Crowe surrendered Hicklen’s first long ball in the second before Kent Emanuel (W, 7-3) took over with 4.0 innings of two-run ball.
Andújar joined Josh Palacios as Indians to record two five-RBI games this season and is the fourth Indian in the Victory Field era to have multiple five-RBI performances in a season (also: Brandon Moss (2x), 2010; Roberto Petagine (3x), 1998).
Alika Williams collected his seventh multi-hit game in his last 12 contests, and Rodríguez reached base safely a game-high five times.
The Indians and Storm Chasers continue their series on Saturday at 8:05 PM ET. LHP Cam Alldred (5-1, 4.08) gets the nod for Indy against LHP Cole Ragans (1-1, 4.19).
Originally posted on milb.com