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Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (12-17) at Toledo Mud Hens (18-11)

May 5, 2023 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Fifth Third Field

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #30 / ROAD #16: Indianapolis Indians (12-17) at Toledo Mud Hens (18-11)

PROBABLES: RHP Luis Ortiz (2-1, 2.45) vs. RHP Brenan Hanifee (0-0, 4.13g)

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Behind top pitching prospect Quinn Priester's six shutout innings, the Indianapolis Indians beat the Toledo Mud Hens for their second win in a row at Fifth Third Field on Thursday night, 5-2. Priester strung together the best start he's had since joining the Indians rotation during the final month of the 2022 season. He allowed just two hits across his six shutout frames, striking out four and not walking a single Mud Hen. The Indians jumped ahead on back-to-back pitches in the second inning against Ashton Goudeau. In an 1-0 count, left fielder Cal Mitchell turned on an inside fastball and hit a solo home run to straight-away right field for his second homer of the year. On the very next pitch, second basemen Aaron Shackelford took a belt-high fastball and parked it 438 feet from home plate for his second home run of the year as well. In the fourth, the Indians supplied even more cushion for Priester thanks to a two-run double down the right field line from center fielder Chavez Young and a sacrifice fly by Vinny Capra. Toledo struck for two late runs against the Indians bullpen in the eighth inning. Indianapolis reliever Colin Selby put the Mud Hens down in a hitless ninth to collect his first save of the season.

THIS IS HIS SWAMP: Following a Cal Mitchell homer, the next offering from Toledo's starter Ashton Goudeau was launched by second basemen Aaron Shackelford in Thursday night's contest. It was the second time the Indians have smacked back-to-back homers this season, also on April 4 at Louisville when Tucupita Marcano and Chris Owings did so. Shackelford's blast was his second long ball of the season. Since April 16, he is hitting .348 (16-for-46) with four doubles, a triple, two homers, six RBI and 1.053 OPS. He has found himself at home while hitting at Fifth Third Field, going 4-for-8 with a double, triple and homer in three games. The 26-year-old five-game RBI streak is tied for the longest in the International League with Charlotte's Carlos Perez.

QUALITY PLUS QUANITY: Indians starting pitchers have logged three quality starts in their last four games. Before last Saturday, the Indians had only one quality start, from Luis Ortiz on April 23 at Memphis. Ortiz logged his second quality start of the season and the first of three in the past week with a strong outing last Saturday vs. Columbus, tossing 6.0 two-run innings with six punchouts. Caleb Smith had his best outing of the season on Wednesday afternoon, tossing a complete-game shutout in Game 2 of a doubleheader with Toledo. He became the first Indians pitcher to toss a complete-game shutout since right-hander James Marvel on July 5, 2019 vs. Toledo. It was also Smith's second career complete-game shutout, following a 7.0-inning one-hitter on June 18, 2017 with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Buffalo. Lastly, Quinn Priester dazzled last night, pitching 6.0 shutout frames with four strikeouts compared to no walks allowed. Indians starting pitching has a 1.70 ERA (4er/21.2ip) in the last four games, behind these strong outings, the Indians have won three of their last four.

PALACIOS KEEPS RAKING: 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 extended his hitting streak to nine games after going 2-for-5 on Thursday night. Palacios' streak is the second-longest active hitting streak in the International League, just one game behind Nashville's Keston Hiura. Last Saturday, he smacked 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 and just the third in Victory Field history. 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 en route to being named the IL Player of the Week for April 25-30. The 27-year-old was selected by Pittsburgh in the MiLB phase of the Rule 5 draft on Dec. 7, 2022.

TRIP TRIP TRIPLES: Josh Palacios and Aaron Shackelford each tallied a triple in Game 1 of Wednesday's twin bill. The Indians now have 12 total triples on the season - ten different players have notched a three bagger this season - which leads the International League in triples and ranks third in professional baseball, trailing the Salt Lake Bees (13) and Reno Aces (17). Nick Gonzales and Travis Swaggerty lead the team in triples with two apiece and are also tied for the second-most triples in the IL. The Indians led the IL in triples in 2022 with 44, led by Swaggerty (8) and Ji Hwan Bae (6). The team clubbed 26 of its 44 triples last season at Victory Field.

TONIGHT: The Indians and Mud Hens will continue their six-game set tonight at 7:05 PM ET at Fifth Third Field. After Tuesday's night opener was postponed due to inclement weather, the two clubs split a doubleheader on Wednesday morning and the Indians took a series lead with Thursday night's victory. Through the first three games of the series, the Indians have outscored the Mud Hens 17-6. Toledo won the season series against Indianapolis last season, taking 11 of 18 games against Indy. Tonight, right-hander Luis Ortiz (2-1, 2.45) will take the mound against Toledo's right-hander Brenan Hanifee (0-0, 4.13). Hanifee has never faced Indianapolis. In his last outing on April 29 vs. Syracuse, he allowed five runs in 4.0 innings on nine hits and two walks.

ORTIZ UNDER THE LIGHTS: Luis Ortiz will make his seventh start of the season for the Indians tonight at 7:05 PM ET. In his last outing on April 29, he capped off his excellent month of April with his second consecutive quality start, pitching 6.0 two-run innings with six punchouts. Ortiz was named Indianapolis' April Player of the Month and 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 currently ranks among International League qualifiers in average against (1st, .181), WHIP (3rd, 1.02), ERA (4th, 2.45) and innings pitched (10th, 29.1). Tonight will be his first career appearance against Toledo. Ortiz is currently rated as the No. 68 prospect in Minor League Baseball and Pittsburgh's fourth-best farmhand by Baseball America.

THIS DATE IN 1956: Southpaw Hank Aguirre struck out 10 batters in a 9.0-inning complete game as Indianapolis topped the Minneapolis Millers, 5-2, at old Victory Field. Aguirre made his MLB debut with Cleveland that season and was a 1962 American League All-Star with Detroit thanks to a major league-leading 2.21 ERA. Third baseman Stan Pawloski clubbed two home runs and drove in three runs in the triumph.

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