McRae Dazzles as Indians Avoid Sweep in Durham

DURHAM, N.C. -Alex McRae struck out a season-high eight batters over seven innings of one-run ball, the Tribe turned four double plays defensively and Eric Wood homered for a second consecutive game as Indianapolis avoided being swept in Durham with a 9-2 victory Sunday evening at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Indianapolis (21-19) never trailed in the series finale. The Tribe plated two runs in the second off Bulls righty Chih-Wei Hu on Wood's fifth long ball of the season, a drive to left-center field.
Two innings later, the Indians made it 3-0 as Wood and Ryan Lavarnway collected back-to-back two-out singles, the latter bringing home Jordan Luplow who opened the frame with his seventh double of the year.
Durham (26-15) pulled back within two in the home half, scoring its only run off McRae on a Kean Wong leadoff homer. A walk and single followed the blast, but McRae escaped further damage by inducing a flyout to right and double-play ball to second.
McRae (W, 1-4) earned his first Triple-A win in memorable fashion, falling just one whiff short of matching his career high for strikeouts. The right-hander scattered five hits and one walk and benefitted from double plays turned behind him in the first, fifth and sixth innings, as well.
The Indians blew the game open against Bulls relievers Mike Franco and Jaime Schultz in the seventh and eighth. Christopher Bostick pushed Indy's lead to 5-1 with a two-out, two-run single in the seventh, extending his team lead in two-out RBI to 13. He led the Tribe with 25 two-out RBI in 2017.
Kevin Kramer then greeted Schultz with his fourth home run of the season to start a four-run eighth. Jerrick Suiter, Kevin Newman and Bostick tacked on run-scoring hits to complete the Tribe's offensive output.
Bostick led the Indians' 15-hit attack with three knocks from the second spot in the order. The Tribe center fielder hit .538 (7-for-13) over the weekend and has logged 12 RBI in his last 11 games.
Newman finished the six-game road trip with a .370 average (10-for-27), just one week after batting .519 (14-for-27) en route to International League Player of the Week honors. He had two hits to give him eight multi-hit performances in his last 10 starts.
Luplow, Kramer, Wood and Lavarnway each tallied multi-hit games.
Hu (L, 0-3) was handed the loss after allowing three runs on five hits in 4.2 innings pitched.
Indy returns to Victory Field on Monday, May 21 for a four-game series against last-place Louisville. The Indians will send right-hander J.T. Brubaker (1-0, 2.45) to the bump, opposite Bats southpaw Brandon Finnegan (0-2, 6.75). First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
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