IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (6-5) vs. Columbus Clippers (9-3)

April 19, 2022 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 6:35 PM ET

GAME #12 / Home #7: Indianapolis Indians (6-5) vs. Columbus Clippers (9-3)

PROBABLES: LHP Sam Howard (ML Rehab) vs. LHP Adam Scott (1-0, 2.16)

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

TV: MiLB TV

ABOUT SUNDAY: The Indians were held to just five hits - two off the bat of Cal Mitchell - in a 5-1 loss to St. Paul in the series finale. After Indy plated one run in the top of the third on a bases-loaded fielder's choice by Oneil Cruz, the Saints scored two unearned runs in the bottom half to take the lead for good. Rodolfo Castro misplayed a ground ball with one out, and Davis Banuelos roped a run-scoring double moments later to tie the game. Royce Lewis then pushed the Saints in front with a two-out single. They added two insurance runs in the sixth and one more in the eighth to complete the scoring.

SWINGING A HOT BAT: Cal Mitchell led the Indians offense on Sunday afternoon with two of its five hits - including one double - in the loss to St. Paul. The performance extended Mitchell's hot streak to begin the season, and he is now hitting .371 (13-for-35) with four doubles, three home runs and 12 RBI in 10 games. He is one of two players in all of Minor League Baseball to record an RBI in seven straight games this season (April 5-13), which also is tied for the longest such streak by an Indians batter dating back to 2005. The left-handed corner outfielder currently ranks among International League leaders in RBI (4th), slugging percentage (4th, .743), OPS (5th, 1.138) and average (8th). In 2021, the corner outfielder ended the Double-A campaign ranking among league leaders in hits (4th, 107), average (8th, .280) and RBI (9th, 61).

WHAT A WEEK: Despite taking the loss on Sunday afternoon after surrendering two unearned runs to the Saints, Beau Sulser was solid in 4.0 innings of work to finish off a stellar road trip performance in St. Paul. To open the road trip, Sulser recorded his first career complete game (5.0ip) in a rain-shortened contest on Tuesday, the first complete game tossed among all Triple-A teams this season. In his two starts at St. Paul, he surrendered no earned runs and no walks with 10 strikeouts in 9.0 innings. The right-hander has made 39 starts in his career and last season tossed a team-high five quality starts. In addition, he notched a team-high 20.1-inning scoreless streak from June 27-July 17 (2) spanning four appearances (three starts). He also ranked fifth among Triple-A East leaders with 122.2 innings pitched.

MARTIN MASHING: Mason Martin tallied a career-high tying four hits on Saturday night, including a two-run home run and his fifth double of the season to move into a tie for eighth in all of Minor League Baseball in total bases (31). He currently leads all of MiLB with 511 total bases since the beginning of 2019. He has recorded at least one XBH in seven of his 10 games this season to rank among International League leaders in triples (1st, 3), extra-base hits (T-1st, 10), total bases (T-2nd), slugging percentage (3rd, .795), OPS (3rd, 1.170), doubles (T-5th, 5) and total hits (T-7th, 14). Martin has paired his power with speed on the basepaths, stealing his first base since 2019 on Saturday 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.

TODAY: The Indians are set to begin a six-game series with longtime International League West foe Columbus tonight at Victory Field. Last season, the Indians faced the Clippers in 11 games and won the season series, 6-5, thanks to a 4-2 record at Victory Field that included a doubleheader sweep. Adam Scott will take the mound for Columbus after surrendering just one hit in 5.0 shutout innings last Wednesday vs. Syracuse. For the Indians, major league rehabber Sam Howard will make his first rehab appearance of the season in Indianapolis.

WE KNOW YOU: LHP Sam Howard and OF Anthony Alford each had their respective rehab assignments transferred from Single-A Bradenton to Indianapolis today.

Sam Howard - Howard opened the season on the 10-day injured list with a mid back muscle sprain. He tossed 1.0 inning on April 15 in a rehab start with Bradenton and surrendered one walk with two strikeouts. The southpaw spent most of the 2021 season with Pittsburgh and went 3-4 with a 5.60 ERA (28er/45.0ip) and 60 strikeouts in 54 games (one start). He made four rehab appearances (one start) with Indianapolis last year and did not allow an earned run in 4.2 innings.

Anthony Alford - Alford opened the season on the 10-day injured list with a right wrist sprain. He hit safely in both of his rehab appearances with Bradenton, going 3-for-7 with a double, home run and three runs scored from April 16-17. The outfielder appeared in 56 games with the Indians last season and hit .307 (58-for-189) with 12 doubles, 14 home runs and 41 RBI. He had his contract selected by Pittsburgh on Aug. 7 and hit .233 (31-for-133) with 12 extra-base hits and 11 RBI in 49 major league games.

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.

THIS DATE IN 2004: The Indians walked off Richmond with a 7-6 win at Victory Field thanks to a broken-bat single to left field by shortstop J.J Hardy in the bottom of the ninth. Hardy drove in five runs, the other four coming on a grand slam in the fifth inning that turned a 3-0 deficit into an Indians lead. First baseman Jeff Liefer also clubbed a pair of solo home runs, the second tying the game at 6-6 in the eighth.

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