IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (30-20) vs. Gwinnett Stripers (31-22)

Published on May 31, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


The Indians and Stripers open a three-game weekend series tonight in the Circle City.

Location: Victory Field

First Pitch: 7:15 p.m. ET

Game #51 / Home #27: Indianapolis Indians (30-20) vs. Gwinnett Stripers (31-22)

Probables: RHP Luis Escobar (0-0, 2.89) vs. RHP Bryse Wilson (3-4, 4.38)

Radio: Fox Sports 97.5 / AM 1260 / iHeart app

TV: MiLB TV / Comcast 90

LAST NIGHT: The Indians blanked the Knights for a second straight night as four pitchers combined on a two-hitter in a 4-0 victory. The win gave Indy six straight series victories, moved them a season-high 10 games over .500 and marked its first consecutive shutouts since April 23-24, 2018 vs. Syracuse. Jason Martin got the scoring started in the third inning with a 422-foot solo homer off Odrisamer Despaigne that bounced off the right field walkway. Two innings later, Martin sparked another rally by tallying the first of four straight two-out singles, the latter pair by Steven Baron and Ke'Bryan Hayes that pushed Indy's lead to 3-0. Kevin Kramer added an RBI single in the eighth for insurance. Pedro Vasquez was dynamite in his second outing (first start) with the Indians, holding the Knights to one hit and one walk with seven punchouts over 6.0 scoreless frames. Brandon Waddell (1.2ip, 1h, 2bb, 2k) and Dovydas Neverauskas (0.1ip) bridged the gap to the ninth, where Jake Brentz struck out the side.

TONIGHT: Right-hander Luis Escobar (0-0, 2.89) will open the weekend series against righty Bryse Wilson (3-4, 4.38). Escobar will be making his fifth appearance (third start) for Indy after being inserted into the rotation on May 19. Since joining the rotation, he has allowed just one earned run, two hits and four walks with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. The Indians have never faced Wilson, who made his MLB debut with the Braves last year on August 20. He's made two appearances (one start) for Atlanta this year, recording an 8.31 ERA (4er/4.1ip). Indy looks to cap an impressive month with another win; they are 17-9 in May, the third-most victories in the IL behind Durham (18) and Scranton/WB (18) this month.

UNTIL SEPTEMBER, OR NEXT YEAR: The Indians and Knights concluded their 2019 season series last night, with the Tribe winning seven of the 10 meetings. The Tribe are 27-12 (.692) in their last 39 meetings with Charlotte. They have also won 17 of the last 20 meetings in the Circle City and are 69-40 (.633) against them at The Vic since 1998.

GWINNETT IS GOOD: The Stripers swept Indy in a three-game set from April 23-25 at Coolray Field. The Tribe have lost 13 of their last 17 meetings against Gwinnett and have six games remaining with them, including tonight's contest.

SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY: Overall, the Indians have had a great deal of success against the IL South. Since joining the IL in 1998, Indy is 452-399 (.531) against IL South opponents. Since becoming Pittsburgh's Triple-A affiliate in 2005, Indy has finished at or above .500 in 13 of 14 seasons against the South, with the only sub-.500 season coming last year (14-19).

THOSE ARE Z'S: Pedro Vasquez turned in a quality start (6.0ip, 1h, 0r, 1bb, 7k) for the Tribe last night but despite his efforts, was transferred back to Double-A Altoona this morning. Vasquez was the 10th different pitcher to start a game for Indy this year and the seventh to notch a quality start. The 23-year-old has pitched well with the Curve this year, going 3-1 with a 3.32 ERA (16er/43.1ip) in nine games (eight starts). Vasquez was bumped down because RHP Mitch Keller, who was optioned by Pittsburgh on May 28, joined the active roster today.

ROTATION IN MAY: Indianapolis' rotation has posted a 4.13 ERA (65er/141.2ip) through 26 games this month, averaging 5.45 innings per start. They also have a 3.30 strikeout-to-walk ratio (122k/37bb) in May. In 24 April contests, the rotation sported a 4.59 ERA (62er/121.2ip), averaged just over 5.0 innings per outing (5.07) and had a 2.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio (117k/43bb).

JAKE CAN HIT: Jake Elmore hit a league-best .380 (41-for-108) before having his contract selected by Pittsburgh earlier this month. Elmore struggled in the big leagues with a .050 average (1-for-20) and was designated for assignment. Fortunately for the Tribe, Elmore cleared waivers and accepted his outright assignment to Indianapolis. He entered as a defensive replacement at third base for Jung Ho Kang last night and singled in his only at-bat, lifting his average to .385 (42-for-109).

BACKEND BRENTZ: Tribe left-handed reliever Jake Brentz has dominated since his promotion from Altoona earlier this month. He is 4-for-4 in save chances and has a 2.19 ERA (3er/12.1ip). Brentz has racked up 17 punchouts against just one walk in Triple-A. In 24.0 innings combined between Altoona and Indy, Brentz has a sparkling 1.50 ERA (4er), 30 strikeouts, four walks and a .186 average against.

JB'S WORLD: JB Shuck has reached base safely in 11 of the 12 games he's played in with Indy, recording a .387 average (12-for-31) with one homer, six doubles, two RBI, five walks and two stolen bases.

DRIVE 'EM IN: Kevin Kramer has driven in 21 runs this month while Will Craig sits one behind with 20 ribbies in May. This is the third time in Craig's career where he's totaled 20-plus RBI in a single month, with the other two coming last year in Altoona (22 in June, 29 in July). This is the second time in Kramer's career with 20 or more RBI in a month, only behind his June 2018 total of 23.

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International League Stories from May 31, 2019


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