Indy roars to win in Game 1

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

It only took one inning for Indianapolis Indians starting pitcher Kane Davis to settle down against the Memphis Redbirds in the first game of the Triple-A World Series Monday afternoon at Cashman Field.

The Indians' offense exploded a little later and the result was an emphatic victory.

Indianapolis outfielder Lyle Mouton's three-run homer in the seventh inning helped the Indians to an 8-3 win before an announced 1,939 at Cashman Field. Indians manager Steve Smith, who managed the Las Vegas Stars in 1988 and 1989, said getting a player like Mouton was what the team needed.

The 31-year-old veteran batted .267 with the Milwaukee Brewers before being optioned to Indianapolis July 1. He blasted reliever David Wainhouse's 0-1 pitch over the left-field wall and was one of three Indians who hit home runs. Mouton went 2-for-5 with a double and four RBIs.

"When he joined up in July he really helped us a lot," Smith said. "He was that one little thing we needed extra, that third hitter who could hit.

"He's been a first class guy on this team and helped the younger guys out. I know he can't wait to get back to the big leagues after this series, but he's doing a good job while he's here."

Kane gave up five hits, three runs and struck out four in six innings for his second playoff win.

The first inning was a sore spot for Davis, but he recovered nicely.

Davis walked Redbirds outfielder Mark Little to start the game, then walked first baseman Larry Sutton one batter later. Before the inning was over, the Redbirds took a 2-0 lead off a groundout and Lou Locca's RBI double.

"It takes me a couple innings to get loose," Kane said. "Usually by the third inning I'm loose and I've got everything working.

"I started off, my arm was kind of hurting a little bit, my location wasn't where it should have been. Once I got going, my velocity picked up, my command picked up. The third, fourth and fifth I was pretty solid."

Relying mostly on his fastball and breaking ball, Kane retired 13 of the next 14 batters after Locca's double.

"I looked over the scouting report after the game to see if that stood out, but I just went with my game plan," Kane said. "It just happened to be my fastball today."

Former Las Vegas Star Creighton Gubanich's solo home run to left center in the fourth inning put Indianpolis on the scoreboard.

Indianapolis took the lead for good with a three-run sixth inning.

Marcos Scutaro scored the tying run on Mouton's double, then Norberto Martin scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error by Little. One batter later, Mouton scored on Chris Jones' sacrifice fly to left to make it 4-2.

Kane wasn't worried about his team's slow start.

"I haven't been here all season, but it seems like all it takes is a couple times around and boom, they just explode like they did today," he said.

Game 2 of the best-of-5 series is set for 6 p.m. today.