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Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (6-4) at St. Paul Saints (7-3)

April 17, 2022 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: CHS Field

FIRST PITCH: 3:07 PM ET

GAME #11 / Road #5: Indianapolis Indians (6-4) at St. Paul Saints (7-3)

PROBABLES: RHP Beau Sulser (1-1, 3.12) vs. RHP Jake Faria (0-0, 10.80)

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

TV: MiLB TV

ABOUT THE FIRST TWO INNINGS: The Indians posted seven runs in the second inning to take an 8-0 lead early but were ultimately outlasted by the Saints in a high-scoring affair yesterday, 16-13. Half of the Indians runs in the first outpouring of offense were driven in by Cal Mitchell, who began the scoring with his third home run of the season in the first. The bats erupted with two outs in the second inning for their biggest offensive inning since scoring seven runs in the top of the fifth inning on Aug. 6, 2021 at Iowa. Josh Bissonette began the frame with an RBI single - his first career Triple-A RBI - as the ninth batter in the lineup. Jared Oliva walked to load the bases for Mitchell, who roped a bases-clearing double to extend the lead. Hunter Owen followed with an RBI two-bagger of his own, and Mason Martin capped the inning with a two-run home run. Five consecutive Indians batters reached base safely with two outs and it was the first time this season that the lineup turned over in an inning.

ABOUT THE REST: With Indy holding an 8-0 lead, a two-run home run off the bat of Derek Fisher began the comeback for the Saints. They scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning and five in the third to tie the game. An RBI single by Bligh Madris in the top of the fifth inning quickly gave the Indians the lead back, and in the sixth an RBI double by Brendt Citta extended the lead to 11-8. St. Paul continued to battle, however, and the game was quickly tied on one swing with a three-run homer by Curtis Terry. With the Indians leading in the seventh, 12-11, a three-run spot by the Saints in the bottom half gave them their first lead of the game, one they would never relinquish.

MARTIN MASHING: Mason Martin tallied a career-high tying four hits last night, including a two-run home run and his fifth double of the season to move into a tie for the league lead in extra-base hits (10) and total bases (31). He has recorded at least one XBH in seven of his nine games this season to also rank among league leaders in triples (1st, 3), slugging percentage (2nd, .886), OPS (2nd, 1.303), average (T-3rd, .400), total hits (T-3rd, 14), and doubles (T-4th, 5). Martin has paired his power with speed on the basepaths, stealing his first base since 2019 last night and stretching three triples already this season. He is now just one three-bagger away from tying his single-season career high (2019: 4) after just nine games. In 2021, he led all Pirates minor leaguers with 25 home runs between Double-A Altoona and Indianapolis.

BACK AT IT: After having his seven-game RBI streak snapped on Friday night - a streak that tied with six former Indy players for the longest such streak since 2005 - Cal Mitchell drove in four runs last night to rank fourth among league leaders with 12 RBI on the season. He launched his team-high third home run of the season in the first inning to begin the high-scoring contest and cleared the bases with a double in the second inning. In 2021, the corner outfielder notched three four-RBI games and one five-RBI game on Aug. 24 vs. Richmond. He ended the Double-A campaign ranking among league leaders in hits (4th, 107), average (8th, .280) and RBI (9th, 61).

IN THE IL: With last night's 17-hit performance, the Indians now lead the league with a .279 team batting average (87-for-312). The 17 hits in a single game is tied for the third-most in the International League this season behind 18-hit performances by Memphis (April 13) and Rochester (April 16). The Indians narrowly edged St. Paul in hits during last night's high-scoring game, 17-15, but lost by three runs on well-timed homers by the Saints offense.

TODAY: The Indians and Saints face off for the final time this series in the rubber match at 3:07 PM ET today. Thursday night's game was postponed, to be made up as part of a doubleheader on May 25, shortening the six-game series to five this week. Last year, Indianapolis' second road trip began with six games in St. Paul, and they went 4-2 with three consecutive wins from 5/20-22. In 12 games at CHS Field, the Indians went 7-5 with a 5-7 record vs. the Saints at Victory Field. RHP Beau Sulser, who earned the win on Tuesday with a 5.0-inning complete-game effort in the rain-shortened contest, will take the mound for Indianapolis today. He faces off against RHP Jake Faria, who surrendered four runs in 3.1 innings during his first start of the season at Louisville.

SULSER SLINGS IT: Beau Sulser recorded his first career complete game in the rain-shortened game on Tuesday at St. Paul. His complete game was the first

tossed among all 30 Triple-A teams this season. He earned his first win of the season after surrendering one unearned run with no walks and seven strikeouts.

THAT'S A NO-NO: On a chilly night in St. Paul on Wednesday, three Indians pitchers - Chase De Jong, Austin Brice and Yerry De Los Santos - iced the Saints offense from start to finish en route to a 5-0 shutout for Indianapolis' 15th no-hitter in franchise history and the first since 2012. De Jong retired the first seven batters he faced before issuing a one-out walk in the third inning. His only blemish over his final four innings pitched was another walk - a two-out free pass to Jake Cave in the fourth inning. He finished his 7.0 no-hit innings with nine strikeouts, six coming in his last 10 batters faced. Through 80 pitches, De Jong was relieved by Austin Brice for the eighth and Yerry De Los Santos closed out the feat in the ninth. The Saints threatened to break up the effort with sinking liners in each of the final two frames, but strong defense by Cal Mitchell and Canaan Smith-Njigba saved the no-no. De Los Santos caught Jose Miranda looking for the final out of the game.

THE LAST TIME: Indy's last no-hitter came on Aug. 9, 2012 against Charlotte at Victory Field. Justin Wilson threw 8.0 innings and issued just one walk in the rain-shortened, 3-0 triumph. The last combined no-hitter for Indianapolis occurred at Durham on April 29, 2012 when Wilson, Jose Diaz and Doug Slaten silenced the Bulls. Five of the 15 no-hitters in franchise history are combined efforts.

THIS DATE IN 1991: In front of 13,899 fans - Bush Stadium's largest Opening Night crowd ever - the Indians were no-hit by Oklahoma City for eight innings but still won the game 1-0 thanks to a bases-loaded walk drawn by shortstop Wil Cordero in the bottom of the sixth that forced home left fielder John Vander Wal. OKC's starting pitcher Roger Pavlik walked seven in 5.1 innings pitched to suffer the loss. Indy drew 10 walks offensively, and Mark Gardner (4.2ip, 0h, 5bb, 7k), Dana Ridenour (W, 3.1ip, 2h, 0bb, 4k) and Doug Piatt (S, 1.0ip, 0h, 0bb, 0k) combined on the two-hit shutout.

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