IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (10-16) at Toledo Mud Hens (17-9)

Published on May 2, 2023 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Fifth Third Field

FIRST PITCH: 6:05 PM ET

GAME #27 / ROAD #13: Indianapolis Indians (10-16) at Toledo Mud Hens (17-9)

PROBABLES: LHP Kent Emanuel (1-1, 9.35) vs. RHP Reese Olson (0-2, 11.20)

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT SUNDAY: Sunday's series finale between the Indianapolis Indians and Columbus Clippers was postponed due to inclement weather, marking the Indians' second postponement of the season and first at Victory Field. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader when the Clippers return to the Circle City on Wednesday, June 21, with Game 1 scheduled for 1:05 PM ET. Game 2 will begin 30 minutes following the conclusion of the opener, with both games set as seven-inning affairs.

IL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Minor League Baseball and the Indianapolis Indians yesterday announced that outfielder Josh Palacios has been named the International League Player of the Week after recording a pair of career-high five RBI games while playing in five games vs. the Columbus Clippers from April 25-30. Palacios paced all of professional baseball with 13 RBI, a 1.389 slugging percentage and staggering 2.056 OPS last week. He also ranked among minor league leaders in home runs (T-2nd, 4), extra-base hits (T-2nd, 7), batting average (3rd, .556), total bases (3rd, 25) and on-base percentage (T-3rd, .667). The 27-year-old is the second Indian to receive this honor this season, following Tucupita Marcano (April 4-9).

PALACIOS DRIVES FOR FIVE, AGAIN: As of late, Josh Palacios has been the backbone of the Indianapolis offense since joining the team from Double-A Altoona on April 21. He continued his torrid stretch with the Indians on Saturday with a pair of homers - his first career multi-homer game - and a career-high tying five RBI after setting that mark earlier in the week vs. Columbus. With the two career performances, he became the first Indianapolis Indian since Brandon Moss (2010) to record two games of at least five RBI in a single season. In last week's series with Columbus, he went 10-for-18 with five runs scored, three doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI, six walks and only one strikeout. After going hitless in his debut with Indy, he is on a six-game hitting streak and is 9-for-20 in that time. The 27-year-old was selected by Pittsburgh in the MiLB phase of the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 7, 2022. He was originally selected by Toronto in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Auburn University.

THAT'S QUALITY: Hours after being named as Indy's April Player of the Month, Luis Ortiz recorded his second consecutive quality-start win on Saturday night. He held Columbus to two runs on five hits, three walks and six strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Ortiz has thrown at least 5.0 innings in each of his last three starts and has allowed four earned runs in 17.0 innings (2.12 ERA) during that time frame. He is currently rated as the No. 68 prospect in Minor League Baseball and Pittsburgh's fourth-best farmhand by Baseball America. He made his season debut on March 31 as Indianapolis' Opening Day starter and ranks among IL leaders in innings pitched (3rd, 29.1), batting average against (5th, .181), ERA (6th, 2.45), WHIP (7th, 1.02) and strikeouts (8th, 26). His April was highlighted by his pair of quality starts - Indy's first of the season - and a season-high seven-strikeout performance on 4/6 (1) at Louisville.

BISS DOESN'T MISS: Josh Bissonette reached base safely in three of four at-bats on Saturday night with an RBI single and pair of walks. Since April 19, he is hitting .364 (12-for-33) with three runs, a triple, four RBI, six walks, .462 on-base percentage and .886 OPS. He has reached base safely in nine of the 10 games during this span with three multi-hit games. The 26-year-old played in 44 games with Indianapolis in 2022 and hit .213 (26-for-122) with eight doubles and 15 RBI.

VILADE HITS: Ryan Vilade went 3-for-5 with two runs and a double on Saturday night. It was his fourth multi-hit game in 12 games this season, he is now hitting .298 (14-for-47) with 13 runs, a double, home run and four RBI. Pittsburgh acquired the 24-year-old off waived from Colorado on Nov. 11, 2022. He was originally selected by Colorado in the second round (48th overall) in the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Stillwater (Okla.) High School.

TONIGHT: The Indians and Mud Hens will begin their six-game set tonight at 6:05 PM ET at Fifth Third Field. With Sunday's postponement, the Indians did not get a chance to earn a series split, dropping three of the five previous contests. Toledo won the season series agaisnt Indianapolis last season, taking 11 of 18 games against Indy. Today, LHP Kent Emanuel (1-1, 9.35) will take the mound for Indianapolis vs. Columbus' LHP Daniel Norris (0-2, 6.92). Norris started for the Clippers on Tuesday, he was tagged for six runs on six hits - including two home runs - and two walks.

EMANUEL TAKES THE HILL: Southpaw Kent Emanuel will make his fourth appearance (third start) of the season against Toledo tonight at Fifth Third Field. In his last appearance last Tuesday vs. Columbus, he came in relief of major league rehabber Chase De Jong and tossed 4.0 scoreless innings with four punchouts. He was acquired by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on Feb. 10, 2023. Emanuel was originally drafted by Houston in the third round (74th overall) of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of North Carolina.

FEELING GOOD: Right-hander Chase De Jong has made two rehab appearances (one start) with the Indians this season and has yet to surrender an earned run through 3.0 innings. The 29-year-old was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 14 with a lumbar spine muscle sprain and is working his way back up to Pittsburgh's bullpen. In three appearances with the big-league club this season, he allowed six earned runs in 6.1 innings.

THIS DATE IN 1989: Mark Gardner improved to 5-0 on the season with a complete game shutout vs. Oklahoma City at Bush Stadium. The 27-year-old fanned 10 batters, issued two walks and allowed four hits as Indy grabbed an early 3-0 lead through four frames. Gardner went on to make his major league debut with Montreal on May 16 vs. San Diego and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. In 24 Triple-A games (23 starts) for the year, he went 12-4 with a 2.37 ERA (43er/163.1ip).

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