Vilade tallies four hits and Perez pops long homer in triumph
By Cheyne Reiter
INDIANAPOLIS – Nick Gonzales and Ryan Vilade drilled run-scoring doubles in a three-run fifth inning, Joe Perez launched a two-run home run in the eighth, and the Indianapolis Indians finished the season on a high note with a 5-1 win over the Rochester Red Wings on Sunday afternoon at Victory Field.
Trailing 1-0 midway through the season finale, Josh Bissonette sparked the Indians (70-78, 37-37) with a leadoff double. One out later, Vinny Capra laced a game-tying single through the left side of a drawn-in infield, and Gonzales and Vilade followed with consecutive two-baggers.
Cameron Junker struck out five over 2.0 scoreless innings of relief in his Triple-A debut ahead of a scoreless frame by Travis MacGregor to keep the 3-1 lead intact. Perez then popped a 434-foot shot to left, his third in nine games with the Indians and 20th overall between Indy, Double-A Altoona (seven) and Triple-A Sugar Land (10).
Bissonette took the mound for his second career pitching performance in the ninth and induced two infield popouts and a flyout to left-center.
The Red Wings (66-80, 32-41) plated the game’s first run on a two-out single by Matt Adams in the fourth that chased Indians starter Max Kranick. The right-hander yielded one run on three hits with two strikeouts in 3.2 innings pitched.
Chase De Jong (W, 2-2) bridged the gap from Kranick to Junker with 1.1 scoreless innings. Lucas Knowles (L, 0-2) was charged with five runs on six hits in 3.0 frames.
Vilade went 4-for-4, and Capra and Bissonette notched two-hit performances.
The Indians won four of six games in the series and finished the campaign with a 37-37 record at Victory Field. The club will release its 2024 schedule in the coming weeks.
Originally posted on milb.com