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Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (19-17) vs. Memphis Redbirds (15-22)

June 16, 2021 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #37 / Home #14: Indianapolis Indians (19-17) vs. Memphis Redbirds (15-22)

PROBABLES: RHP Beau Sulser (2-2, 4.60) vs. RHP Thomas Parsons (1-2, 5.65)

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

TV: MiLB TV

LAST NIGHT: With five walks and five hits allowed by Memphis starter Zack Thompson, the Indians took an early lead and never looked back in a 6-1 Tuesday night victory. They loaded the bases in each of the first two innings and posted a lead with a bases-loaded walk in the first and a two-out, two-RBI single by Will Craig in the second. Craig drove in his third RBI of the day in the fourth inning to take a 4-0 lead. Memphis got on the board with one run in the top of the fifth, but the Indians scored one run in the sixth and another in the seventh inning off T.J. Rivera's second home run of the season for the 6-1 win. The Indians pitching staff held the Redbirds to just three hits and struck out 12 batters.

OPENING ON TOP: With the series-opening win vs. Memphis last night, the Indians have now won six of their seven series openers this season, with the lone loss coming at the hands of Omaha. In those games, the Indians have outscored their opponents 32-14, with the largest margin of victory coming in back-to-back 6-1 wins over Nashville (June 8) and Memphis. Indy has taken a 2-0 lead in a series only once following those first five series-opening victories, on May 12 vs. Toledo. The Indians went on to win that series, five games to one.

ALFORD LEADING OFF: Anthony Alford reached base safely in four of his five plate appearances in the leadoff spot of the Indians lineup last night to raise his on-base percentage to .423, the third-best mark among Triple-A East qualifiers. He was hit by a pitch and worked two walks before roping a single to center field in the sixth inning. Alford came around to score three of the Indians six runs of the night. In his first game in the leadoff spot on June 13 at Nashville, he launched the Indians first leadoff home run since May 11.

WRIGHT IS ALRIGHT: Steven Wright, making his fifth start with the Indians last night, faced just one batter over the minimum through the first four innings before surrendering two walks and a triple in the fifth. He held Memphis to just one hit to begin the game before Irving Lopez tripled home the only Redbirds run of the day. He earned the win after tossing five two-hit innings with one run allowed, three walks and a season-high six strikeouts. It was the most batters fanned by Wright since June 5, 2018 vs. Detroit, when he pitched seven shutout innings to earn the win with Boston.

CRAIG HITTING CLEANUP: After striking out with the bases loaded in the first inning, Will Craig singled with two outs and the bases juiced in the second to extend the Indians lead by two runs, 3-0. Craig went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI for his third multi-hit game since returning to the Indians lineup from Pittsburgh on June 10 at Nashville. In the past five games, the first baseman is hitting .400 (8-for-20) with a pair of doubles, three RBI and four runs scored. In Triple-A this season (12 games), Craig is hitting .304 (14-for-46) with four doubles, three home runs, 12 RBI, eight runs scored and only six strikeouts.

TONIGHT: The Indians will look to take a 2-0 lead in the series vs. Memphis and tie their season-high winning streak of four games tonight at Victory Field. RHP Beau Sulser will take the mound to try and earn his first win since May 18. In his last outing, he tossed five one-run innings and struck out six batters on June 10 at Nashville to take a no-decision. Sulser will face off against RHP Thomas Parsons, who surrendered four runs on nine hits in five innings on June 10 vs. Gwinnett. In the loss, he gave up two home runs for the third time in five starts this season.

2019 IL MOST VALUABLE PITCHER: 2019 International League Most Valuable Pitcher Mitch Keller was optioned to Indianapolis on Saturday. He made 12 starts with Pittsburgh to begin the season and went 3-7 with a 7.04 ERA (37er/47.1ip) and 51 strikeouts. As Pittsburgh's No. 1 prospect in 2019, Keller was named the IL Most Valuable Pitcher after going 7-5 with a 3.56 ERA (41er/103.2ip) and 123 strikeouts with the Indians. He made his major league debut that season with Pittsburgh and has gone 5-13 with a 6.31 ERA (82er/117.0ip) in 28 career MLB starts.

WHAT HAPPENED IN VEGAS: Indianapolis and Memphis faced off against each other for the first and only time in history from Sept. 18-21, 2000 in Las Vegas, Nev. at the Triple-A World Series. The Indians beat the Redbirds, three games to one, while holding future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols to two singles (2-for-13) in the series. Closer Bob Scanlan, who converted a franchise-record 35 saves that season, closed out the championship for the Indians on Sept. 21. Each game of the series is listed below.

Game 1 - Sept. 18 at Memphis: W, 8-3; LF Lyle Mouton went 2-for-5 with a double, home run, two runs scored and four RBI.

Game 2 - Sept. 19 vs. Memphis: W, 3-2; LF Kurt Bierek went 3-for-3 with an RBI as the Indians won on a walk-off; LHP Rafael Roque tossed 8.0 innings and allowed just one unearned run.

Game 3 - Sept. 20 at Memphis: L, 11-4; LF Albert Pujols went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Game 4 - Sept. 21 vs. Memphis: W, 9-2; LHP Horacio Estrada went eight two-run innings and CF Damon Hollins went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

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