Williams homers for fifth time in last 16 games overall
By Cheyne Reiter
July 15, 2023
PAPILLION, Neb. – Alika Williams hit a solo home run as part of a three-hit performance, but the Indianapolis Indians allowed three home runs in an 8-3 loss to the Omaha Storm Chasers on Saturday night at Werner Park.
The Storm Chasers (42-43, 4-9) grabbed the lead for good in the second inning on a three-run homer by Tyler Gentry, his ninth of the season. Williams opened the Indians’ (41-47, 8-6) half of the third inning with a solo home run – his fifth in his last 16 games – but Logan Porter popped a two-run shot off José Hernández in the bottom half to extend Omaha’s lead to 5-1.
In the fourth, John O’Reilly uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded and two outs to give Omaha its sixth run. Indianapolis cut its deficit to 6-2 in the sixth inning when Endy Rodríguez, who led off the frame with his second double of the night, took third on a wild pitch before scoring on a groundout by Miguel Andújar.
Indy brought the tying run to the plate by loading the bases in the seventh for a 2023 Futures Game All-Star showdown between Rodríguez and reliever Will Klein, but the switch-hitting catcher flied out to left field to end the threat. After the stretch, CJ Alexander launched a two-out, two-run homer off Hunter Stratton. Aaron Shackelford finished off the scoring in the eighth with a two-out RBI single.
Cam Alldred (L, 5-2) yielded three earned runs in 2.0 innings pitched for Indy while Walter Pennington (W, 3-0) gave up one earned run in 3.0 relief innings for Omaha.
Williams has eight multi-hit efforts and nine extra-base hits in his last 13 games overall. Andújar singled in the eighth to extend his hitting streak to 13 games.
The Indians and Storm Chasers conclude their series on Sunday at 6:05 PM ET. RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 5.12) is slated to start for Indianapolis against RHP Max Castillo (2-6, 4.74).
Originally posted on milb.com.