Smith-Njigba ties career highs with four hits, five RBI and two stolen bases in triumph over Toledo
By Cheyne Reiter
INDIANAPOLIS – Mason Martin and Grant Koch launched back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning, and Canaan Smith-Njigba and Nick Gonzales recorded four hits apiece to lift the Indianapolis Indians to a thrilling 8-6 win over the Toledo Mud Hens on Tuesday night at Victory Field.
With two deficits already erased, the Indians (60-71, 27-30) broke a 5-5 tie in the eighth with one-out solo shots by Martin – his first of the season with Indy – and Koch. One out later, Gonzales singled for his fourth hit of the night ahead of a walk to Jared Triolo, setting up the fourth run-scoring hit of the game by Smith-Njigba.
Wil Crowe (W, 1-0), who pitched around two singles in a scoreless eighth, surrendered a leadoff home run to Eddys Leonard in the ninth. He then escaped a bases-loaded jam on a fly ball caught by left fielder Ryan Vilade on the warning track in left-center. The victory ended Indy’s season-high tying six-game losing streak.
Indianapolis struck first in the opening frame against Sean Guenther. Gonzales reached on an infield single and took third on a double by Triolo before both hustled home on a two-run single off the bat of Smith-Njigba. The Mud Hens (63-69, 30-28) pulled even in the second on a two-run homer by Dillon Dingler and grabbed a 4-2 lead midway through on a sacrifice fly by Nick Maton in the fourth and two-out RBI single by Michael Papierski in the fifth.
Gonzales and Triolo sparked another Indy rally in the bottom of the fifth with two outs, reaching on an infield single and walk to set up Smith-Njigba’s second run-scoring knock of the night. Domingo Leyba tied the game moments later with an RBI single of his own.
The Mud Hens and Indians traded runs in the seventh to keep the score level. Ryan Kriedler drove in Leonard with a sacrifice fly, and Smith-Njigba rocked another RBI single to plate Gonzales following his one-out triple.
Sawyer Gipson-Long (L, 2-3) was charged with four earned runs on five hits in 1.2 innings of relief.
Smith-Njigba padded his team lead in stolen bases with two swipes to go with his four hits and five RBI. He tied single-game bests for his career in all three categories. Gonzales also tied career highs with four runs and four hits.
Martin and Koch’s blasts in the eighth marked the seventh time this season in which the Indians have hit back-to-back home runs and first since Alika Williams and Chris Owings accomplished the feat on June 23 vs. Columbus.
The Indians and Mud Hens continue their six-game series on Wednesday at 6:35 PM ET. RHP Roansy Contreras (0-0, 2.81) is slated to start for Indy against LHP Zach Logue (3-8, 6.45).
Originally posted on milb.com