Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (67-60) at Omaha Storm Chasers (61-67)
September 6, 2022 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
LOCATION: Werner Park
FIRST PITCH: 7:35 PM ET
GAME #128 / Road #65: Indianapolis Indians (67-60) at Omaha Storm Chasers (61-67)
PROBABLES: RHP Austin Brice (3-3, 4.62) vs. LHP Marcelo Martinez (4-5, 5.83)
RADIO: FoxSportsIndy.com / Fox Sports 1260 / iHeart app
TV: MiLB TV
ABOUT SUNDAY: The Indians offense came back from a deficit in a big way, riding home runs from Hoy Park and Travis Swaggerty to their fifth consecutive win over Louisville on Sunday night, 7-4. After the Bats jumped ahead with a first-inning home run from Juniel Querecuto, the Indians answered back with a three-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Park on a line drive to right and an RBI single on a ground ball up the middle from Ji-Hwan Bae. In the fifth, Indianapolis added to its lead thanks to Swaggerty's ninth home run of the season, a line-drive shot that cleared the seats in straightaway right field. Park rode the offensive momentum an inning later with a two-run shot to the opposite field for his 10th blast of the season and his second in as many nights. Louisville added one run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh, but the Indians put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth with an RBI double from Bligh Madris and a bloop RBI single into right from Swaggerty one batter later.
WINNING WITH MOMENTUM: With Sunday night's win, the Indians have now tied their season-high five-game winning streak (April 8-13) and are now a season-high seven games above .500. Since the All-Star Break, they are 26-14 with the most wins in Triple-A, and since July 23 their 26 wins are tied for the most in all of Minor League Baseball. In those 40 games, they lead all 30 Triple-A teams with a 3.79 ERA (147er/348.2ip) and rank second in the International League behind only Nashville with a .274 average (364-for-1327).
HOY'S HOT: Hoy Park collected his third consecutive multi-hit performance and drove in a career-high tying four RBI in Sunday night's win over Louisville. Behind a single and his second home run in as many nights, it was the third four-RBI game of his career and first since May 17, 2019 with Double-A Trenton vs. Binghamton. After going 0-for-9 with four strikeouts in the previous two games Park has surged in his last three, going 8-for-13 with five runs scored, four extra-base hits, six RBI, one walk and only two strikeouts. Since Aug. 1, he has a team-leading seven home runs and the most hits among Indians batters (30) with a .280 average (107 at-bats).
EICKHOFF ON THE LEADERBOARD: After a stellar outing on Sunday night in which he tossed 5.0 innings to earn his sixth win, Jerad Eickhoff became the first Indians pitcher to surpass the 100-inning mark this season. With the outing in which he allowed just five baserunners via base hit in as many innings, Eickhoff now ranks third among International League qualifiers with a 1.10 WHIP and .220 average against (5-for-20) in 25 total outings (102.1ip). Each of his last four starts and 11 of 17 starts this season have lasted at least 5.0 innings.
O'REILLY AUTO OUTS: John O'Reilly allowed his first run since Aug. 4 on Sunday afternoon, but extended his streak without an earned run to eight consecutive outings after a two-out error led to his only run scoring. O'Reilly has been untouchable since Aug. 9, when he began a five-game hitless streak, and in his past eight outings (11.2ip) he has surrendered seven hits and just one walk, good for a 0.69 WHIP and .167 average against.
BETTING ON THE BULLPEN: The Indians five-game winning streak has been anchored by some stellar pitching out of the bullpen. Since Aug. 31, Indians relievers are a combined 3-0 and 3-for-3 in save opportunities with a 1.09 ERA (3er/24.2ip), 0.81 WHIP and 29 strikeouts. Cam Vieaux (2.0ip, 2k), Hunter Stratton (1.0ip), Nick Mears (2.0ip, 2k), Travis MacGregor (2.0ip, 5k), Eric Hanhold (1.0ip, 1k) and Cam Alldred (2.2ip, 2k) have not allowed a hit during that streak.
HE'S GOT THE SWAG: Travis Swaggerty went a team-leading 3-for-3 with two walks and his ninth home run of the season on Sunday. His home run in the fifth inning, Indy's fifth run of the game, proved to be the game-winning run as Louisville inched to four total runs in the second half of the contest. In the top of the ninth, he then singled home Bligh Madris to plate his team's final run and end the series with an exclamation point. Swaggerty has been hot in four September games, hitting .467 (7-for-15) with two runs scored, one double, one triple, one home run, five RBI and more walks (four) than strikeouts (three).
TONIGHT: After going 5-1 through the first leg of the 13-game road trip thanks to a season-high tying five-game winning streak, the Indians will look to build on that momentum as they begin a seven-gamer against the Storm Chasers at Werner Park tonight at 7:35 PM ET. The Indians have now won three consecutive series entering tonight's contest and have won four of six series (two splits) since the All-Star break. Looking to build on a 6-5 season-series lead against Omaha, RHP Austin Brice will get the start in a bullpen day for Indianapolis. He has made two appearances at Omaha this season and has surrendered one run in 2.1 innings. Countering for the Storm Chasers is southpaw Marcelo Martinez, who is 1-2 with a 13.09 ERA (16er/11.0ip) in four games (two starts) vs. Indy this season.
THIS DAY IN 1989: The Indians clinched their fourth consecutive American Association title with a 5-0 win in a winner-take-all Game 5 at Omaha. Mark Gardner, the American Association league leader in strikeouts (175) and Indy's team leader in wins (12) that season, threw 8.0 two-hit frames with six punchouts to earn the postseason victory.
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