As he continues to work his way back to the big leagues, Alek Manoah took another big step forward on Sunday afternoon in Indy.
The 2022 American League All-Star notched his first victory of 2025 and worked six innings for the first time in over 15 months to lead the Bisons to a 6-2 win in their series finale against the Indians at Victory Field.
Manoah delivered a quality start, allowing just two runs on five hits over six innings of work. It was his first time on the winning side of the ledger since he threw seven innings of one-hit baseball in a win at Rogers Center over the Tampa Bay Rays on May 19, 2024. That outing was also the last time the righty completed six innings on the mound.
On Sunday, Manoah struck out three and walked four, throwing 57 of his season-high 86 pitches for strikes. He held the Indians hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position, including two of his three strikeouts with two runners on base to end the second inning.
Manoah then retired Indianapolis in order in the third and fourth innings as part of eight straight batters set down. He worked out of a bases loaded jam in the fifth and pitched around a pair of singles in the sixth to put himself in position to earn the victory.
The only damage done by Indy while Manoah was on the hill came in the second inning on a two-run home run from left fielder Sammy Siani.
Manoah is now 1-0 with a 3.06 ERA in four starts with the Herd. He has not allowed more than three runs in any of his starts.
The Bisons scored the final six runs of Sunday’s contest, starting with a no-double home run from R.J. Schreck in the third inning. With one gone in the frame, the Bisons centerfielder drove a 1-0 slider from Nick Dombkowski 390 feet out right. The blast was Schreck’s eighth of the season.
The Bisons then took the game over with a five-run sixth inning. The first four Herd hitters reached base as both Josh Kasevich and Yohendrick Pinango were hit by pitches after Riley Tirotta’s lead off double. Brandon Valenzuela drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at two and Kasevich scored when Rainer Nunez hit into an unconventional 8-6 fielder’s choice on a line drive into center.
Josh Rivera added a sacrifice fly and Michael Stefanic made it 5-2 with a two-strike, two-out out RBI-single through the right side of the infield. Buffalo added a sixth run when Stefanic took off for second base and Indians’ catcher Rafeal Flores threw wildly into center. That allowed Orelvis Martinez to trot home from third base.
With the win, the Bisons earned the 4-2 series victory over the Indians. The team will now travel back to Buffalo on Labor day for the start of a six-game series at Sahlen Field on Tuesday that includes the team’s Hispanic Heritage Honda fridaynightbash! on September 5 and their annual Hockey Day with the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, September 6.
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