IL Indianapolis Indians

8.26.23 Game Information: Iowa Cubs (69-52, 26-22) vs. Indianapolis Indians (58-64, 25-23)

August 26, 2023 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #123 / HOME #61: Iowa Cubs (69-52, 26-22) vs. Indianapolis Indians (58-64, 25-23)

PROBABLES: RHP Nick Neidert (5-5, 5.44) vs. RHP Roansy Contreras (0-0, 2.45)

RADIO: FoxSportsIndy.com / Fox Sports 1260 / iHeart app

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Quinn Priester followed four combined shutout innings by Max Kranick and Kyle Nicolas with nine strikeouts over 5.0 innings of one-run ball, and Miguel Andújar drove in the game-winning run on a fielder's choice in the eighth to carry the Indianapolis Indians to a third consecutive last at-bat win over the Iowa Cubs on Friday night, 2-1. With the game locked at one and stellar pitching on display throughout, Grant Koch provided a spark with a leadoff triple in the eighth for Indianapolis. Following a groundout by Canaan Smith-Njigba, Jared Triolo walked on four pitches to set up Andújar, who plated Koch after narrowly beating the relay to first on a chopper to short. Indy struck first in the second inning thanks to a leadoff double by Malcom Nuñez and single by Domingo Leyba. Mason Martin scored Nuñez on a fielder's choice to first. Iowa only mustered three hits in the contest, two coming in the seventh to tie the game, P.J. Higgins singled with one out and took second on a wild pitch ahead of a two-out knock by Luis Vazquez.

SIT 'EM DOWN: Max Kranick, Kyle Nicolas and Quinn Priester combined for 16 strikeouts in Friday's night spectacular pitching performance. The punchout total is tied for the second-most by the Indians pitching staff in a game this season, marking the third 16-strikeout game and first since May 7, at Toledo. Indy's pitching had just one game with 16-plus strikeouts in the past two seasons, compared to four this season.

PRIESTER DAZZLES: Quinn Priester dazzled in relief, earning his career-high seventh straight win in Triple-A dating back to May 4. The nine-strikeout performance was his fourth with nine or more this season - all at Victory Field - and second against Iowa (also: May 16). He also tied Osvaldo Bido (April 16 vs. St. Paul) and Kyle Nicolas (June 30 at Louisville) for the most strikeouts in relief in the Victory Field era. Priester's eighth win of the season is tied for the fourth-most in the International League, and he ranks sixth in strikeouts with 99.

NICOLAS LOCKS IN: Kyle Nicolas continued his dominance out of the bullpen with 1.1 innings of no-hit relief, recording three of his four outs via strikeout. Nicolas' transition to the bullpen has suited him well, he is 1-0 with a 2.19 ERA (3er/12.1ip) with five hits allowed, five walks, 16 strikeouts and 0.81 WHIP in seven relief appearances this month. Opponents are hitting .122 (5-for-41) against him during this span.

KRANICK REHABS: Max Kranick began his rehab assignment with the Indianapolis Indians on Friday night, yielding just one hit and one walk in 2.2 scoreless frames with four punchouts. The outing was his first with the Indians since May 3, 2022. Kranick, 26, began the season on the 60-day injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery on June 3, 2022. He made six appearances (three starts) between Single-A Bradenton, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh last season, including two scoreless big-league relief appearances to end his 2022 campaign.

THREE BAGS: Catcher Grant Koch walloped the Indians league-leading 35th triple of the season, before scoring the game-winning run later. Koch's triple was just the second of his career and his first since Aug. 8, 2018 with Short-Season A West Virginia. Indy's backstop became the 23rd different hitter to club a triple this season. Indy is on pace to lead the International League in triples for the second consecutive season, with its 44 triples pacing the league in 2022 - which ranked sixth in all of professional baseball.

OBP MACHINE: Jared Triolo has reached base safely in 11 of his last 18 plate appearances in his last four games, and extended his on-base streak to 17 games dating back to June 15. During his on-base streak, he is hitting .367 (22-for-60) with 15 runs scored, five doubles, two triples, a home run, nine RBI and 13 walks compared 15 strikeouts. Since being optioned by Pittsburgh on Aug. 18, he is 8-for-25 with seven runs scored, a double, home run, five RBI, six walks and .452 on-base percentage. On Tuesday night, he lined a ball 101.9 MPH off the bat narrowly over the left-field wall in part of three-hit performance, his fourth three-plus hit night during his on-base streak. Triolo was recalled by Pittsburgh on June 28 and made his major league debut that day vs. San Diego. The third baseman played in 36 games with the big league club, hitting .273 (33-for-121) with two doubles, a home run and 16 RBI.

TONIGHT: The Indians and I-Cubs continue their series at Victory Field on Saturday at 7:05 PM ET in their fourth and final series of the season. Indy has earned three-consecutive last at-bat wins against Iowa, taking a 3-1 series lead with a pair of chances to earn a series win. Iowa has gotten the best of the season series so far, winners in 13 of 22 games against Indianapolis. The last time the two teams met at Victory Field was from June 16-21, a series split. Tonight, RHP Roansy Contreras (0-0, 2.45) will take the hill for Indianapolis against Iowa's RHP Nick Neidert (5-5, 5.44). Neidert has made five appearances (two starts) against Indianapolis this season, he is 1-1 with a 9.60 ERA (16er/15.0ip).

RO TAKES THE HILL: Roansy Contreras will make his fourth outing in Triple-A this season tonight against the I-Cubs. Tonight marks hIs second career start against Iowa, he tossed 3.0 scoreless frames with five strikeouts against Iowa on April 30, 2022. Since he was assigned to Indianapolis on Aug. 8, he has allowed just four hits in 11.0 innings of work. At the Triple-A level, the 23-year-old is 1-1 with a 2.94 ERA (16er/49.0ip) in 13 outings. Contreras began his 2023 season on Pittsburgh's Opening Day roster. The righty made 19 appearances (11 starts) and is 3-7 with a 6.59 ERA (50er/68.1ip). He was optioned by Pittsburgh on July 6 and later assigned to Single-A Bradenton, where he made one outing on Aug. 4 before returning to Indianapolis.

THIS DATE IN 2006: The Indians boasted four multi-hit and three multi-RBI performances in a 9-5 win at Columbus that saw every Indy batter record at least one hit among 17 knocks for the game. After enduring an early 3-1 deficit, Indy put up four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh thanks to two-RBI days by Carlos Maldonado, Yurendell de Caster and Craig Stansberry.

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