India breaks out at plate for Tortugas

Jonathan India is trying to act a lot more like a Tortuga at the plate, and that really paid off Tuesday.
Relaxation and a slowed-down approach proved to be the key as Cincinnati's No. 4 prospect more than doubled his production over the first five games of the season with three hits -- including his first Florida State League roundtripper -- a pair of RBIs -- but Class A Advanced Daytona was outslugged by Palm Beach, 10-5, at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

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"To produce like that tonight was big for me," India said. "It gives me more confidence to build off. I really didn't want to change anything, hitting is more mental than anything. So my focus was just to trust myself more and it worked out."
The 22-year-old entered action Tuesday 2-for-20 without an extra-base hit or an RBI and eight punchouts. But with the latest effort, MLB.com's No. 52 overall prospect raised his average 100 points on the young season.
"It was really just getting him to relax up there," Tortugas hitting coach Alex Pelaez said. "It was a simple case of trying to do too much. Trying to hit everything, swinging at everything, and that made it easier for pitchers to pitch around him. So we talked about just slowing it down, and just trying to hit your pitch and doing your best with it."
After striking out on six pitches at the hands of Cardinals' rehabbing right-hander Luke Gregerson in the first inning, India flied out to center field on a 1-1 fastball from St. Louis' 19th-ranked prospectJohan Oviedo to end the third.
"You can't let previous at-bats get to you. You're still in the game so you just have to lock in every at-bat no matter how good or bad the previous ones were," India said. "Just lock in every at-bat and good things will happen."
The 2018 first-rounder led off the fifth -- again facing Oviedo -- and knocked a ground ball into center for a base hit. India got to the righty again two frames later with a leadoff dinger on an 0-1 heater low in the zone that he crushed well beyond the wall in center.
"It was my second time seeing him around, and I just sat fastball there," India said. "I got my pitch and hit it pretty well."
"That ball he hit today ... the balls don't go out there in Jupiter. You just don't see that very often, and he made it look pretty easy," Pelaez added. "So it's really just a matter of reminding him to do it again. Not trying to do better, or do more, just again."
In the eighth, India stepped to the plate with runners on the corners and two outs. The Florida product fell behind 0-2 to righty Ben Yokley before slashing a single to left that plated Miles Gordon.

"I just stuck with my approach today and I'm excited to keep it going," India said. "I know the type of hitter I am, so to see that and finally come through just brought some joy to me."
Cincinnati's No. 22 prospect Andy Sugilio singled, drove in a run and scored for Daytona.
Gregerson threw a perfect first before exiting. Cardinals No. 22 prospect Luken Baker reached base four times with a double, a single and a pair of walks while picking up an RBI and scoring a run.