IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (21-24) at Columbus Clippers (23-22)

Published on May 24, 2023 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Huntington Park

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #46 / ROAD #26: Indianapolis Indians (21-24) at Columbus Clippers (23-22)

PROBABLES: LHP Kent Emanuel (2-1, 7.54) vs. LHP Daniel Norris (1-2, 5.25)

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Malcom Nuñez roped an RBI single with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth inning to bring the Indianapolis Indians within one run of the Columbus Clippers, but they could not complete the comeback and dropped the series opener at Huntington Park on Tuesday night, 6-5. Trailing by two runs in the ninth, three consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out for Indianapolis. Nuñez drove in Endy Rodríguez with his line-drive single, but the tying run in Cal Mitchell was held late at third base. Touki Toussaint sat down the next two batters to end the threat. The Indians got on the board first in the second inning, also with two outs, when Aaron Shackelford doubled home Nuñez from first base. In the third, Canaan Smith-Njigba launched his third Triple-A home run of the season to extend Indy's lead to 2-0. The Clippers plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth against Indians starter Osvaldo Bido to take their first lead of the night. Following a leadoff single and subsequent walk, Bo Naylor scored two with a double before Oscar Gonzalez launched a two-run homer to right field. With two outs and the bases juiced via two walks and a hit-by-pitch in the sixth inning, Nick Gonzales lined a two-run single to left field to tie the game. Columbus reclaimed the lead in the bottom half against Chase De Jong via a ground-ball single by Naylor and sacrifice fly by Gonzalez before a ninth-inning rally that fell short for Indy.

NUNEY BLASTS ONE: Malcom Nuñez went 2-for-3 with a run scored, walk and RBI on Tuesday night. The corner infielder is hitting .358 (19-for-53) with four doubles, two home runs, 14 RBI, a .460 on-base percentage, .547 slugging-percentage and 1.007 OPS in 15 games this month. He blasted his team-high tying fourth home run of the season on Sunday afternoon, effectively slamming the door on the I-Cubs chances of a rally. The 22-year-old leads the team with 25 RBI, he has driven in a run in seven of his last 11 games - including three three-RBI games. Since May 6, he ranks among International League qualifiers in average (4th, .410) and OBP (T-6th, .500). He leads the team in average, RBI, OBP, slugging-percentage and OPS this month.

ENDY ON BASE: Endy Rodríguez has reached base safely in 14 of his last 16 games. He went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a walk in Tuesday night's series opener against the Clippers. In 14 games this month, he is hitting .250 (13-for-52) with five doubles, a triple, home run, three RBI and .381 on-base percentage. He has drawn 10 walks this month while only punching out six times. He is currently rated the No. 18 rated prospect in minor league baseball and the top prospect in Pittsburgh's organization, according to Baseball America.

CSN GET'S GOING: Canaan Smith-Njigba has found his groove at the plate over his last seven games, hitting .348 (8-for-23) with three doubles, two home runs, seven RBI and a 1.162 OPS. Prior to this seven-game stretch, he was hitting .129 (4-for-31) in his first eight games with Indianapolis. Last night, he ripped his third home run of the season in his 15th game with the Indians this season, an improvement from his lone homer in 2022 in 52 games with Indy. Last season in Indy, he hit .277 (51-for-184) with 15 doubles, and three triples before being recalled by Pittsburgh on June 13 to make his major league debut the following day. On Jan. 24, 2021, he was traded to Pittsburgh from New York (AL) with Roansy Contreras, INF Maikol Escotto and RHP Miguel Yajure in exchange for RHP Jameson Taillon. He was originally selected by New York (AL) in the fourth round (122nd overall) of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of Rockwall-Heath (Heath, Texas) High School.

TRIO OF RELIEVERS: Right-handed relievers Cody Bolton, Carmen Mlodzinski and Eli Villalobos have been excellent in their recent outings. Bolton has a 1.04 ERA (1er/8.2ip) over his last eight outings. Mlodzinksi has only been scored upon once in his six outings with 11 strikeouts in 8.0 innings. Villalobos has surrendered only one hit in 5.0 scoreless innings over his last four outings.

TONIGHT: Tonight, the Indians and Clippers will continue their six-game set at Huntington Park. The Indians will look to even the series after Columbus took Tuesday night's series opener, 6-5. The two club's first matched up first at Victory Field from April 25-29, Columbus took three of five games in the rain-shortened series. Tonight, southpaw Kent Emanuel (2-1, 7.54) will take the mound for the Indians against lefty Daniel Norris (1-2, 5.25). Both pitchers matched up on April 25, Emanuel earned the win with 4.0 scoreless frames and four strikeouts. Norris took the loss after surrendering six runs on six hits and two walks in 2.2 innings.

EMANUEL TAKES THE HILL: Southpaw Kent Emanuel will toe the rubber tonight for his eighth appearance (seventh start) of the season against Columbus. The 30-year-old is 2-1 with a 7.54 ERA (19er/22.2ip) and 21 strikeouts. Tonight will be his second career start against Columbus and second of the season. He earned his second win of the season in his last outing on May 18 vs. Iowa, tossing 5.0 three-run innings. 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.

THIS DATE IN 1998: Tom Carroll tossed the seventh no-hitter in franchise history on a Friday at Omaha. Both starters went the distance, with Carroll improving to 3-2 on the season after issuing just two walks and striking out five. For Omaha, Dennis Leonard allowed two runs - both driven in by Ed Armbrister - on eight hits and four walks with six strikeouts.

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International League Stories from May 24, 2023


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