Indians Ride Bi-Cycle to Rout over IronPigs

Newman, Stallings both record cycles as Indy drops 'Pigs

After each completing the cycle in the eighth inning of Tuesday night's 12-5 walloping of Lehigh Valley, Kevin Newman and Jacob Stallings finished the game a combined 9-for-10 with six RBI. (Photo by Charlie Henry)

By Cheyne Reiter

August 7, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS - A feat that had only been reached by an Indians player four times since 1996 was accomplished twice in a span of four at-bats during the Tribe's 12-5 win over the IronPigs on Tuesday night. Up big in the eighth inning, Kevin Newman homered and Jacob Stallings roped

INDIANAPOLIS - A feat that had only been reached by an Indians player four times since 1996 was accomplished twice in a span of four at-bats during the Tribe's 12-5 win over the IronPigs on Tuesday night. Up big in the eighth inning, Kevin Newman homered and Jacob Stallings roped a triple just moments later to give each player the cycle, the first in their respective careers.

Already 4-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and in need of a long ball, Newman cranked a Jake Thompson offering onto the berm in left for his fourth home run to push Indianapolis' (63-51) lead to 11-5. The cycle was the fifth by a Tribe player since '96 and first since Josh Bell on April 22, 2016 at Louisville.
Not to be outdone, Stallings entered the cycle spotlight with a triple to the alley in right-center, his first three-bagger since Aug. 23, 2015 with Double-A Altoona and just the sixth of his seven-year professional career. He finished 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, giving him two four-hit games this season and five in his career.
Newman's five-hit performance was also a personal high for hits in a game.
The bi-cycle by Newman and Stallings marked the second time in baseball history where teammates have hit for the cycle in the same game. Oddly enough, High-A San Jose accomplished the feat in April of this season.
The Tribe finished with 18 hits, their second-highest total of the year, nine going for extra bases.
Indy jumped on Cole Irvin (L, 10-4) early, as Stallings capitalized on a Newman double with one of his own to make it 1-0 in the first.
The score remained that way until Stallings cranked a leadoff blast in the fourth, his second of the season.
The floodgates opened in the sixth as Indy built an 8-0 cushion. The Tribe sent 10 batters to the plate in that frame, totaling seven hits. The burst was highlighted by a Wyatt Mathisen RBI single, Max Moroff two-run single, Eric Wood run-scoring infield single and Newman two-run double.
Lehigh Valley (70-44) responded in the seventh with five runs to cut Indy's lead to 8-5, four of them charged to Tyler Eppler (W, 12-5) who gained sole possession of the league lead in wins.
Kevin Kramer doubled and scored on a Mathisen single in the seventh, and Wood opened the thrilling eighth with a solo shot to left before Newman and Stallings' capped the victory in memorable fashion.
Eight of Indy's nine regulars were in the hit column and five had multi-RBI games.
The Indians and IronPigs meet again on Wednesday afternoon at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Right-hander Nick Kingham (4-1, 2.19) will face righty Drew Anderson (8-3, 3.91).