IL Indianapolis Indians

Doubleheader Information: Columbus Clippers (31-37) vs. Indianapolis Indians (29-39)

June 21, 2023 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 1:05 PM ET / 30 mins after G1

GAMES #69 & 70 / HOME #33 & 34: Columbus Clippers (31-37) vs. Indianapolis Indians (29-39)

GAME 1 PROBABLES: RHP Hunter Gaddis (1-4, 6.31) vs. LHP Kent Emanuel (4-3, 6.80)

GAME 2 PROBABLES: LHP Randy Labaut (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBA

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Jared Jones fanned five batters over 5.2 innings in his Triple-A debut as Indianapolis Indians pitching allowed just three hits, but the offense couldn't string together base knocks in a 3-1 series-opening loss to the Columbus Clippers at Victory Field on Tuesday night. Jones dazzled in his Triple-A debut, throwing five shutout frames with no walks and five strikeouts before Columbus took the lead in the sixth. Between Jones and Daniel Zamora, who entered in relief with two outs and the bases loaded, five consecutive walks scored the only three Clippers runs. The Indians took one run back in the bottom of the seventh when Nick Gonzales shot a double inside the third-base bad to score Alika Williams from first base. Chris Owings sparked a rally with a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but the Indians then went down in order.

MIGGY'S 20-GAMER: Miguel Andújar's career-high 20-game hitting streak was snapped after a 0-for-3 showing on Tuesday night. Despite going hitless, he drew a walk to reach base safely for the 21st consecutive game. Andújar's 20-gamer is the second-longest hitting streak in the International League this season, trailing only Lehigh Valley's Jake Cave (21). On Thursday, his hitting streak surpassed Nyjer Morgan's 17-gamer from June 17-July 17, 2008 as the longest by an Indianapolis Indians batter since Rajai Davis' Victory Field era high 21-game hitting streak in 2007. Andújar's previous career high came in 2017 with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre when he hit safely in 17 consecutive games. He finished his streak hitting .427 (35-for-82) with 20 runs scored, nine doubles, one triple, five home runs, 19 RBI and nine walks to just 13 strikeouts. In that time from May 24-June 18, he led all International League batters in OPS (1.228) and total bases (61) while also ranking among leaders in on-base percentage (2nd, .484), hits (2nd, 35), average (3rd, .427), extra-base hits (T-3rd, 15), doubles, (T-4th, 9) slugging percentage (5th, .744) and runs (T-8th).

GONZO AT LEADOFF: Nick Gonzales drove in the Indians lone run on Tuesday night with his 10th double of the season. Gonzales has been dependable in the leadoff spot for the Indians - with a .437 on-base percentage in June. This month, he is hitting .278 (15-for-54) with 12 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, home run, eight RBI and 14 walks to just 17 strikeouts. The 24-year-old has reached base safely in 15 of his last 17 games while improving his season-OBP from .335 to .365.

JONES' DAZZLING DEBUT: Right-hander Jared Jones threw 5.0 shutout frames without issuing a walk and five strikeouts before Columbus struck for runs in the sixth inning. He exited with two outs and the bases loaded after a single and pair of walks before reliever Daniel Zamora walked three consecutive batters. Jones made 10 starts with Double-A Altoona before his promotion, he was 1-4 with a 2.23 ERA (11er/44.1ip), 47 strikeouts and 1.08 WHIP. He has allowed one run or less in each of his last four starts, surrendering only 12 hits in 20.1 innings. The 21-year-old was selected by Pittsburgh in the second round (44th overall) of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft out of La Mirada High School (Whittier, Calif.). Jones is rated Pittsburgh's No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

SHACK ATTACK: Aaron Shackelford belted his team-leading ninth home run of the season on Sunday afternoon. It was his first long ball of June and first since May 27, when he hit four homers in three-consecutive games at Columbus. In 10 games vs. Columbus this season, Shackelford is hitting .281 (9-for-32) with seven runs scored, a double, five home runs, 11 RBI and 10 walks.

MAKING PLAYS: Since May 28, the Indians have the highest fielding percentage (.991) in the International League - which is also ranks third in all of professional baseball during that span. In 19 games, they have only committed six errors in 673 total chances and have not committed more than one error in each game.

TODAY'S TWINBILL: The Indians and Clippers will continue their seven-game set today with Indy's fourth doubleheader of the season. Game 1 is slated for 1:05 PM ET, with Game 2 to follow 30 minutes after. The Clippers lead the season series, 8-4. The two teams first met at Victory Field from April 25-30, with Columbus taking three of five in a rain-shortened series. In Game 1, southpaw Kent Emanuel (4-3, 6.80) will take the mound against Columbus' right-hander Hunter Gaddis (1-4, 6.31). Gaddis' first outing against Indy came on April 28, he allowed two runs in 4.1 innings on seven hits. In Game 2, left-hander Randy Labaut (0-0, 0.00) will take the mound for Columbus and Indy has yet to name a starter. Labaut has never faced Indianapolis.

EMANUEL AT THE VIC: Southpaw Kent Emanuel will take the hill for the Indians in Game 1 for his 13th game (11th start) of the season. Emanuel has been at his best while pitching at Victory Field, he is 4-1 with a 2.79 ERA (9er/29.0ip) with 23 strikeouts and only two walks. He is 0-2 with a 13.02 ERA (27er/18.2ip) in six road starts. On April 25 at home, he tossed 4.0 scoreless frames with four strikeouts against Columbus. His best outing of the season came earlier this month on June 4 vs. Toledo, tossing 6.0 shutout innings on three hits and five strikeouts.

THIS DATE IN 2014: Chris McGuiness went 4-for-5, Jaff Decker went 3-for-5 with three RBI and Nevin Ashley went 3-for-4 with four RBI as the Indians put up four multi-run innings to beat Norfolk, 10-4. All of Ashley's hits came for extra bases with two doubles and a triple, while Decker sent a game-tying two-run home run out of the park in the third inning.

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International League Stories from June 21, 2023


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