IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (27-23) vs. Iowa Cubs (18-30)

Published on July 2, 2021 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #51 / Home #22: Indianapolis Indians (27-23) vs. Iowa Cubs (18-30)

PROBABLES: RHP Steven Wright (3-3, 5.86) vs. RHP Trevor Williams (0-0, 0.00)

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

TV: MiLB TV/ MyINDYTV 23

LAST NIGHT: The Indians notched their third consecutive home win in walk-off fashion last night thanks to Christian Bethancourt. Down 6-5 in the 12th inning, Bethancourt hit a two-run single to give the Indians the 7-6 win. Iowa began the back-and-forth contest with two runs in the first inning off a single by Alfonso Rivas. The Indians scored one run of their own in the bottom of the third off back-to-back doubles by Cole Tucker and Kevin Kramer, and took the lead with two runs in the fourth. Michael Hermosillo sent a long fly ball off the top of the padding in center field to tie the game in the seventh, but the ball - originally signaled a home run - was overturned and ruled a double, allowing for Hermosillo to be tagged out at third on the relay. Kramer took the run back by going first to third on a throwing error before a Bligh Madris single drove him in. Iowa scored one run in the ninth to send the game to extra innings. The two teams traded runs in the 10th inning and were held scoreless in the 11th.

MR. WALK-OFF: Christian Bethancourt called game in walk-off fashion for the second day in a row with his two-run single in the 12th inning last night. Bethancourt tied the game in the bottom of the 10th inning with a sacrifice fly to score Kevin Kramer, and won the game with his second such hit in as many days. In the 11th inning on Wednesday afternoon, Bethancourt singled home T.J. Rivera as the winning run. Each of the Indians' past three home wins dating back to June 20 vs. Memphis have come via Bethancourt walk-offs in extra innings. He owns four of the Indians five walk-offs this year, which ties Danny Ortiz's walk-off total from 2016. That '16 Indians ballclub had seven walk-offs, the most dating back to that season. All four of Bethancourt and Ortiz's walk-offs are listed below.

Christian Bethancourt (2021) Danny Ortiz (2016)

B9, 5/16 vs. TOL: 1B to CF to score Travis Swaggerty. B11, 4/15 vs. COL: 1B to RF to score Max Moroff.

B11, 6/17 vs. MEM: 1B to CF to score Anthony Alford and Wilmer Difo (OA). B9, 5/7 vs. LOU: 2B to RF to score Josh Bell.

B11, 6/30 vs. IOW: 1B to RF to score T.J. Rivera. B11, 7/6 vs. LOU: SF to CF to score Josh Bell.

B12, 7/1 vs. IOW: 1B to LCF to score Cole Tucker and Will Craig. B12, 7/29 vs. NOR: 1B to RF to score Josh Bell.

THRICE IS NICE: In the Indians third walk-off in their last three home wins, Christian Bethancourt and Bligh Madris each recorded three base hits with Bethancourt also driving in three runs. The performance was Madris' second three-hit game of the season and first in Triple-A. Bethancourt, on the other hand, is working a four-game hitting streak dating back to June 26 at Louisville. His three-RBI performance was his third of the year after he drove in three on both June 19 and 20 vs. Memphis.

TONIGHT: The Indians kick off their Fourth of July celebration weekend vs. the Iowa Cubs tonight in a 7:05 PM ET start at Victory Field. RHP Steven Wright, coming off his third loss of the season, is set to face off against RHP Trevor Williams on a rehab start. Williams will piggyback with RHP Joe Biagini, who started Opening Day for the I-Cubs vs. Indy and took the loss despite tossing a quality start (6.0ip, 2r, 2er, 1hr, 2k). This is Wright's second appearance against Iowa also this year, with his first coming out of the bullpen on May 7.

YOU'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE: Trevor Williams returns to the Victory Field mound tonight to face off against his former team on a major league rehab assignment. Williams made 20 appearances (19 starts) with the Indians in 2016 and went 9-6 with a 2.53 ERA (41er/110.0ip) and 74 strikeouts to be named Team MVP. He made his MLB debut in September of that season and never looked back, compiling a 4.50 ERA (289er/578.1ip) in 116 MLB appearances (104 starts). He returned to Indianapolis for one rehab start in 2019 before electing free agency following the 2020 season and signing with Chicago (NL).

RED, WHITE VS. BLUE: Indianapolis and Iowa played each other as members of the American Association from 1969-97 and faced off on the Fourth of July four times during that era. Iowa has won the last two holiday meetings, 10-6 (1988) and 7-1 ('74), both in Des Moines. The first time the two faced off on America's birthday was in 1969, the first year of their rivalry, with the Indians beating the then-Oaks, 3-2. Their lone meeting on the Fourth of July in the Circle City was with a doubleheader in 1974, when Patrick Zachry and Lorin Grow tossed back-to-back one-hit shutouts for the Indians sweep of two 1-0 games.

WELL, THIS IS WEIRD: On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced they had signed Shelby Miller as a minor league free agent and assigned him to Indianapolis. Most notably, Miller (on a rehab assignment) was the starting pitcher in the I-Cubs combined no-hitter against the Indians on May 9. In that game, Miller went 3.0 innings and paired one walk with five strikeouts. He was designated for assignment and released by Chicago (NL) at the end of May before being picked up by Pittsburgh. Miller, St. Louis' first-round draft pick in 2009, spent 2013-16 as a regular member of the starting rotations in St. Louis, Atlanta and Arizona. He is 38-56 in his MLB career with a 4.18 ERA (353er/760.1ip), placed third in 2013 NL ROY voting and was named an NL All-Star with the Braves in '15.

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International League Stories from July 2, 2021


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