
Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (17-16) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (19-14)
Published on May 11, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
The Indians seek their third consecutive victory this evening with game two of a weekend series at Lehigh Valley.
Location: Coca-Cola Park
First Pitch: 6:35 p.m. ET
Game #34 / Road #17: Indianapolis Indians (17-16) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (19-14)
Probables: RHP Eduardo Vera (0-3, 6.10) vs. LHP Cole Irvin (2-0, 2.25)
Radio: Fox Sports 97.5 / AM 1260 / iHeart app
TV: MiLB TV
LAST NIGHT: Dario Agrazal allowed just one run over eight innings pitched, the offense scored five times in the fifth inning and the Indians hung on in the series opener at Lehigh Valley Friday night, 6-5. The IronPigs scored the first run of the game in the third inning, with Ali Castillo's leadoff double leading to an eventual run-scoring groundout by Lane Adams. The Tribe answered with a five-run fifth, totaling five hits. Jason Martin put the Tribe in front for good with his second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field. Jacob Stallings and Kevin Kramer hit RBI doubles later in the frame, as well. Agrazal departed for right-hander Matt Eckelman in the ninth, but the 25-year-old -- making his Triple-A debut -- failed to retire any of the five batters he faced. Luis Escobar was called upon to clean up the shaky start, and the 22-year-old did just that in his Triple-A debut to earn the save, leaving the tying run at third base. Agrazal allowed just three hits, walked none and struck out seven to improve to 2-0.
TONIGHT: Right-hander Eduardo Vera (0-3, 6.10) will face southpaw Cole Irvin (2-0, 2.25), the 2018 International League Most Valuable Pitcher. Vera tossed 6.0 scoreless innings in his Triple-A debut but has faltered recently, going 0-3 with a 7.56 ERA (21er/25.0ip) and 36 hits allowed in his last five starts. Irvin has picked up where he left off last season; he was 14-4 with a 2.57 ERA in 26 games (25 starts) last summer. Indy went 1-1 when facing the lefty twice last year, defeating him on Aug. 7 at Victory Field (5.0ip, 9h, 6r, 5er, 1hr, 0bb, 4k) but falling to him 10 days later at Coca-Cola Park (7.1ip, 2h, 0r, 2bb, 6k).
DARIO DOMINATES AGAIN: Dario Agrazal has upped his workload for the Tribe in three consecutive starts. He lasted 6.2 innings in his Triple-A debut vs. Columbus, tossed 7.0 innings last Saturday against Louisville and then threw 8.0 innings of one-run ball last night. Agrazal owns each of the three longest outings by a Tribe starter this season. In those three starts combined, the 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.25 ERA (3er/21.2ip) and 20 strikeouts against just two walks.
SOLID DEBUT: Luis Escobar inherited two runners on base with no outs in Lehigh Valley's four-run bottom of the ninth last night, and he allowed just one run to score to preserve the series-opening win. Escobar, 22, struck out two in his first Triple-A inning and earned the save while doing so. He has not allowed a run in 14.1 innings of work this year between High-A Bradenton and Indy.
HAY, HAY, HAYES: Ke'Bryan Hayes recorded his second three-hit performance of the campaign last night (also: 4/11 vs. CHA), going 3-for-4 with a double, run scored, walk and stolen base. Hayes leads the IL with 14 doubles and is tied for eighth in extra-base hits with 15. He is tied with Triple-A Tacoma's Ian Miller, Double-A Mississippi's Drew Waters and Single-A Wisconsin's David Fry for second-most doubles in all of Minor League Baseball behind only Single-A Hickory's Curtis Terry, who has 15.
JB IN THE HOUSE: 31-year-old JB Shuck signed a minor league deal with the Pirates on Jan. 30 this year and he earned a spot on their Opening Day roster after a strong showing in spring training; he batted .372 (16-for-43) with two homers, two doubles and six RBI in 20 Grapefruit League games. In the regular season, the veteran hit .213 (10-for-47) with one triple, two RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base in 27 games for the Buccos.
KIVLEHAN TRADED: Patrick Kivlehan launched a solo home run in the ninth inning on Thursday, his fourth of the season and third in the ninth inning. Less than 24 hours later, the journeyman was traded by Pittsburgh to Toronto to clear roster space for OF JB Shuck. Kivlehan was a clutch hitter for Indy; he hit .346 (9-for-26) with four homers, three doubles and eight RBI in the seventh inning or later.
IT'S HOW YOU FINISH: The Indians are on their third road trip of the season, and the trend of slow starts followed by strong finishes to each of those trips has continued. Indy started its first road trip to Columbus and Toledo with three straight losses, followed by three straight wins. Their second trip to Gwinnett and Charlotte featured four consecutive losses before closing the trip with two wins. Indy began its current trip with a pair of losses but has bounced back with two straight victories.
International League Stories from May 11, 2019
- Ockimey's Two Homers Not Enough as Stripers Walk-Off with 5-4 Win - Pawtucket Red Sox
- Indians Win Third Straight Behind Vera's Strong Start - Indianapolis Indians
- Stripers Beat Pawtucket in Wild Walk-Off - Gwinnett Stripers
- Bats vs. Knights Suspended; to be Resumed Sunday as Part of Doubleheader - Louisville Bats
- Knights and Bats Suspended on Saturday from Louisville, KY - Charlotte Knights
- Mets Fall to Clippers, 3-1, on Saturday Night - Syracuse Mets
- Six straight losses for Lehigh Valley - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- RailRiders Defeat Mud Hens, 5-1 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Tides and Buffalo Postponed Saturday - Norfolk Tides
- Lugo Homers in Loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre - Toledo Mud Hens
- Bulls Edge Wings 1-0 - Rochester Red Wings
- Game Notes: Charlotte Knights (17-16) at Louisville Bats (15-20) - Louisville Bats
- Bisons Game Notes - Buffalo at Norfolk (7:05 p.m.) - Buffalo Bisons
- Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (17-16) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (19-14) - Indianapolis Indians
- SWB Game Notes - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Red-Hot Tides Defeat Bisons, 4-1 - Buffalo Bisons
- Agrazal Dominates IronPigs as Indy Takes Opener - Indianapolis Indians
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