IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (49-49) vs. Durham Bulls (59-41)

Published on July 21, 2019 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


The Tribe look to win the series against Durham today.

LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 1:35 p.m. ET

GAME #99 / HOME #51: Indianapolis Indians (49-49) vs. Durham Bulls (59-41)

PROBABLES: RHP Mitch Keller (7-4, 3.21) vs. Jose De Leon (1-1, 3.78)

RADIO: Fox Sports 97.5 / AM 1260 / iHeart app

TV: MiLB TV / Comcast 90

LAST NIGHT: Cam Vieaux (W, 3-1) tossed his second quality start and struck out a Triple-A high seven for the Indians over six innings of two-run ball in an 8-3 win on Saturday night. The Indians scored two in the first and opened up an 8-2 lead thanks to consecutive three-run frames in the fourth and fifth. Erik Gonzalez capped Indy's three-run fourth with a two-run triple down the right field line that made it 5-1. After a Kevin Padlo 480-foot solo shot in Durham's fifth brought the score to 5-2, Hunter Owen, Cole Tucker and Gonzalez each had RBI singles to extend the Tribe lead to six. Sean Keselica (S, 1) surrendered one earne runs on two hits and three walks with four punchouts over the final three innings to earn his first Triple-A save. Kevin Kramer recorded his team-high 25th double as part of a 2-for-4 night.

SERIES ON THE LINE: The Tribe are 0-5-1 in their last six series against Durham but have a chance for their first series win over the Bulls since the 2016 season. That year, Indy took 2 of 3 at both Victory Field and the DBAP. The Indians won their first series out of the All-Star break over Columbus, taking 3 of 4 at Huntington Park, but the Indians haven't won a three-game series since taking 2 of 3 from June 21-23 at Pawtucket.

TAKE ME HOME: The Tribe are 4-9 in their last 13 home games and 7-16 in their last 23 overall. Indy was a season-best seven games over .500 (17-10) at The Vic following a May 31 victory over Gwinnett. The Indians haven't won consecutive games at home since July 5 when they swept a twin bill vs. Toledo.

HAVE SOME (EL)MORE: UTIL Jake Elmore is batting .358 (82-for-229) with four homers, 22 doubles and 23 RBI in 69 games for Indy. The 32-year-old journeyman has also enjoyed the friendly confines of Victory Field, hitting .396 (42-for-106) with a .987 OPS in 35 home games. Elmore hit .390 in April, .382 in May and .297 in June. This month, his average rests at .370 through 16 games.

HOT CORNER HAYES: 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes has hit safely in eight of nine games out of the All-Star break and 12 of his last 14 games overall, batting .310 (18-for-58) with three homers, two doubles, six RBI and 11 runs scored during the 14-game stretch. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner also leads all third basemen (MiLB and MLB) in fielding percentage with a .988 clip (2 errors in 167 total chances). Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado has the second-best fielding percentage at .982.

REHABS-R-US: INF Erik Gonzalez is currently with the Indians on an MLB rehab assignment. Since April 1 when Indy received its preliminary Opening Day roster, the Tribe have carried at least one major league rehabber 101 out of 112 days. Only from April 1-8 and June 8-10 did the Tribe not have a rehabber on their roster. Gonzalez is one of 15 different Pirates to play for the Indians on a rehab assignment this year and is one of two (also: OF Gregory Polanco) to have rehabbed with Indy on two separate stints. Indy had a total of 11 players rehab for them in the 2017 and 2018 seasons combined.

HOMERS-R-UP: The Indians have belted 101 home runs this season (13th in IL), just three shy of matching their 2017 and 2018 season totals. Indy is on pace for 144 home runs as a team, which would be the highest single-season total since 2005 when the Tribe hit 157 bombs. Additionally, 45 of Indy's 101 home runs this year have come at Victory Field, the highest amount in a season since 2012 (47). The Tribe are on pace for 64 homers at Victory Field, which would also be the highest amount since 2005 when Indy hit 81 dingers at The Vic. Will Craig is Indy's leader with 18 long balls, two shy of his career-high 20 set in 2018 with Double-A Altoona. Craig's next homer will give him the second-highest, single-season total for a Tribe player since 2006, trailing only Brandon Moss (22 in 2010).

IT'S BEEN A MINUTE: The Indians have not hit a walk-off home run since Alen Hanson belted a walk-off grand slam vs. Louisville on Aug. 15, 2016. On Friday night, the Indians came close to a walk-off homer twice in their 4-3, 10-inning defeat to Durham. Pablo Reyes flew out to the right field wall to open the bottom of the ninth, and Hunter Owen drilled a two-out double to the base of the center field wall later in the frame.

NOT-SO-CLOSE SAVES: The Tribe bullpen has converted all four of their save opportunities in July, tied for the second lowest opportunities and conversions in the International League. Indy's last save came nine games ago on July 11 - the first game out of the All-Star break - tied for its longest save drought since April 17-26.

NOTHING IS GUARANTEED: The rule of placing a runner on second base in extra innings began at the start of the 2018 campaign. Indy has played a total of 18 extra-inning games since 2018, going 7-11 in those games overall. The Tribe have struggled to get the free baserunner in from second base, scoring that runner in just 11 of the 23 extra innings they have played (47.8 percent). This year, Indy has scored the free runner in six of its 11 extra innings played (54.5 percent).

GOOD GEOFF: Geoff Hartlieb threw a season-high 2.2 innings Monday night and struck out four. He followed that up with a 1.1-inning, three-strikeout performance Thursday night to close out a 9-1 victory. His Monday outing was his fourth of the season with four strikeouts (also: May 9 at Scranton/WB, June 1 vs. Milwaukee, July 12 at Columbus). He has seven appearances this year with 2.0 or more innings pitched and no runs allowed and is riding an 8.1-inning scoreless streak (July 7-18).

AN OUTLIER: RHP Dovydas Neverauskas gave up seven earned runs on seven hits and one walk in 2.0ip Wednesday, the most runs he's ever allowed in a relief appearance and tied for the second most he's surrendered in his career (also: Aug. 5, 2014 with Single-A West Virginia vs. Hagerstown, 7er/2.1ip).

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