Indians' Meadows homers on four-hit night
It had been hard to find a source of power in the Triple-A Indianapolis lineup early this season. Fortunately, Austin Meadows was able to step up Friday night.The Pirates' second-ranked prospect cracked his first homer of the year and went 4-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the
It had been hard to find a source of power in the Triple-A Indianapolis lineup early this season. Fortunately, Austin Meadows was able to step up Friday night.
The Pirates' second-ranked prospect cracked his first homer of the year and went 4-for-6 with three RBIs and three runs scored in the Indians' 17-5 thumping of Columbus at Huntington Park. Meadows is batting .309 with four multi-hit games and eight RBIs in 13 contests this season.
Gameday box score
The 2013 first-round pick had a hard time staying on the field over the past two years. He's been limited to 168 games since putting together his best professional season with Class A Advanced Bradenton in 2015.
Meadows said he learned the value of staying healthy -- and knowing the difference between soreness and injury -- after he did not post very good numbers in two injury-abbreviated Triple-A seasons.
"When I'm on the field, I'm able to perform on a consistent basis, so that's been the main priority right now is taking care of myself," he said. "I just prepare myself each and every day. Get to the field early and do some exercises, do some things after the game just to keep my body feeling good. ... For me it's just controlling my diet, controlling my sleep and controlling everything that I can off the field."
In 17 games before Friday night, third baseman José Osuna had hit the team's only homer -- a solo shot on April 12 in Buffalo. Osuna added another to his tally in Columbus and was joined by Pirates No. 9 prospect Kevin Kramer, who connected for a two-run shot in the third. Indianpolis clubbed 23 hits in the contest, their largest total as a team since at least 1996.
"It was good, all-around hitting tonight for the team," Meadows said. "Guys were seeing the ball really well tonight and being aggressive. That was the main thing, being aggressive. We just kept the ball rolling, one after another. It was big."
After Bucs No. 7 prospect Kevin Newman opened the game with a double, Meadows -- MLB.com's No. 44 overall prospect -- knocked his first hit into center field to put runners at the corners for 23rd-ranked Jordan Luplow. Luplow singled home Newman and Osuna followed with a double to score Meadows.
"It just seemed like one after another, we just had hit after hit after hit," Meadows said. "Tonight, it was clicking and it was cool to go through that. We all know baseball has it's highs and lows, and you definitely want to take advantage when you have good games. And it was a great night for the offense."
The 22-year-old bounced out in the second before he sent a solo shot out to right off a fastball from left-hander Adam Wilk in the fourth.
"He came in and it was a little off the plate inside, and I was able to get my hands through and stay inside the ball and keep it fair," Meadows said.
With four hits and three runs in already in the fifth, Meadows snuck a grounder up the middle to plate Newman and widen the gap to 12-3. He scored ahead of Osuna's two-run shot that capped the seven-run frame.
The Indians threatened again in the sixth and Meadows again found a way to plate Newman, this time following his RBI single with a double to left. He got one more chance to record his second career five-hit game but bounced to short in the eighth.
"I don't really think of the five-hit game, I kind of didn't even realize I had four hits," Meadows said. "I'll be OK with four hits and a win. I was just putting together good at-bats tonight, being aggressive in the zone and seeing the ball really well and staying behind it, so it was a good night."
Newman finished with three hits and, Kramer -- like Meadows -- fell a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-6 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Luplow singled twice and walked twice, while catcher Jacob Stallings added a double and three singles, scoring twice.
Indians No. 9 prospectGreg Allen collected four hits two doubles and two singles and scored three runs for Columbus. He has hits in seven of his last nine at-bats.
Gerard Gilberto is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @GerardGilberto4.
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