IL Indianapolis Indians

9.7.23 Game Information: Toledo Mud Hens (64-69, 31-28) vs. Indianapolis Indians (60-72, 27-31)

Published on September 7, 2023 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 6:35 PM ET

GAME #133 / HOME #66: Toledo Mud Hens (64-69, 31-28) vs. Indianapolis Indians (60-72, 27-31)

PROBABLES: LHP Jack O'Loughlin (3-5, 4.64) vs. LHP Braeden Ogle (0-0, 6.75)

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Chris Owings and Nick Gonzales went back-to-back for the Indianapolis Indians second set of consecutive homers in as many nights, but Nick Maton countered with a cycle-clinching two-run homer to lead the Toledo Mud Hens to series-knotting victory on Wednesday night at Victory Field, 7-2. Owings and Gonzales pair of homers erased an early 2-0 deficit in the third inning. The Maton-led Mud Hens then took the lead in the top of the fifth on an RBI triple off John O'Reilly (L, 3-7) for the third baseman, putting him a home run shy of the cycle. Two innings later he completed the feat, driving in his second and third runs with a long home run into the right-field corner. Toledo then tacked on two additional insurance runs in the eighth and ninth.

BACK-TO-BACK, AGAIN: Indy's offense clubbed back-to-back jacks in back-to-back nights. Chris Owings and Nick Gonzales both went opposite field to join the tandem of Mason Martin and Grant Koch from Tuesday night. It was the Indians eighth pair of back-to-back home runs this season. Indy has gone back-to-back more times this season than the past two seasons combined - four in 2021 and two in 2022. After going a season-high six games without a home run from Aug. 27-Sept. 2, the team has homered twice in each of its last three games.

GONE GOES GONZO: Nick Gonzales became the fifth Indians batter this season to hit double-digit home runs. Gonzales has scored a run in each of his last three games, including a career-high tying four runs scored on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has responded well since being optioned by Pittsburgh on Aug. 3, hitting .299 (29-for-97) with 17 runs scored, seven doubles, a triple, four home runs and 10 RBI in 26 games.

CHRIS DIDN'T MISS: Chris Owings launched his second home run in his last three games on Wednesday night. Owings is 5-for-17 with three runs scored, two home runs, three RBI and a stolen base in his last four games. Owings has provided some pop at the plate with 12 home runs this season, but has shined defensively as a utilityman. The 32-year-old has played defensively at second base (seven games), third base (12 games), shortstop (28 games), left field (10 games) and center field (22 games). In the infield, he owns a .971 fielding percentage in 371.0 innings played, committing just four errors in 142 total chances. He has not committed an error in 32 games in the outfield.

CAN'T STOP THE BACKSTOP: Catcher Grant Koch is hitting .310 (22-for-71) with 11 runs scored, three doubles, a triple, two home runs, 10 RBI and a .829 OPS in 22 games played since July 16. The 26-year-old has reached base safely in eight of his last nine games, highlighted by a pair of three-hit gams and his second triple of his career.

HOOSIER HOMECOMING: Former Indiana Hoosier and Fishers, Ind. native Matt Gorski will get the start in center field tonight after being assigned to Indianapolis from Double-A Altoona yesterday. Gorski has played in 93 games with Altoona this season and is hitting .238 (85-for-357) with 56 runs scored, 16 doubles, two triples, 17 homers, .437 slugging percentage and a .733 OPS. The 25-year-old leads Altoona's full-season qualifiers in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS, extra-base hits (35) and total bases (156). Gorski played in one game with Indianapolis last season on Sept. 22, before being placed on the 7-day injured list for the remainder of the season.

CSN IS ROLLING: Canaan Smith-Njigba is off to a hot start to the month and has notched a hit in 12 of his last 16 games. His five RBI performance on Tuesday night was the seventh this season by an Indians batter. Smith-Njigba leads all Indians baserunners with 17 stolen bases this season in 19 attempts. Since Aug. 12, the lefty slugger is hitting .289 (22-for-76) with two doubles, three home runs and 17 RBI in 20 games. His 17 RBI during that span is the 10th most in the International League.

TONIGHT: The Indians and Mud Hens continue their six-game set on Thursday at 6:35 PM ET at Victory Field. Toledo evened the series at one apiece with Wednesday night's win, Indy leads the season series, 11-3. Tonight, LHP Braeden Ogle (0-0, 6.75) will open for Indianapolis with RHP Quinn Priester (8-4, 4.13) to follow. Ogle has made four career relief appearances against the Mud Hens, allowing one run in 4.2 innings. Toledo's southpaw Jack O'Loughlin (3-5, 4.64) will get the start, making his second start of the season against Indy, he took the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in 4.1 innings on June 2, in his Triple-A debut.

PRIESTER DAY: Quinn Priester is set to make his 22nd outing of the season with Indianapolis, following opener Braeden Ogle. Priester will make his fourth appearance since being optioned by Pittsburgh on Aug. 15. The right-hander dazzled the last time he came out of the pen on Aug. 25, vs. Iowa, at Victory Field. He allowed just one run on two hits with nine strikeouts in 5.0 relief innings. The right-hander has served as the staff's ace for much of the 2023 season before getting the call to the big leagues on July 17. At the time of his callup, he was tied for the most wins in the International League (7) and ranked among qualifiers in strikeouts (T-4th, 84) and innings pitched (4th, 87.2). He currently ranks tied for seventh-most wins (8) and has the sixth-most strikeouts (106). The 22-year-old made six starts with Pittsburgh, going 2-2 with a 9.10 ERA (29er/28.2ip).

THIS DATE IN 2012: Phil Irwin, who didn't join the Indians until a mid-August promotion, tossed 7.0 shutout innings while allowing just four baserunners with 11 strikeouts in an 8-0 Game 3 win at Charlotte. Irwin went 3-0 with a 2.57 ERA over four starts down the stretch before his dazzling postseason performance. Hector Luna went 3-for-5 with a double and RBI as the Indians raked 10 hits in the shutout. Indy lost Game 4 the following day, 6-4, to get bounced from the playoffs.

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International League Stories from September 7, 2023


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