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Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (7-4) at St. Paul Saints (5-7)

May 18, 2021 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: CHS Field

FIRST PITCH: 8:05 PM ET

GAME #12 / Road #6: Indianapolis Indians (7-4) at St. Paul Saints (5-7)

PROBABLES: RHP Beau Sulser (1-0, 2.35) vs. RHP Griffin Jax (1-0, 1.80)

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

TV: MiLB TV

SUNDAY AFTERNOON: The Indians took five of six games from the Toledo Mud Hens last week after capping the series with their first walk-off win of the season. Trailing 5-0 following the first inning, the Indians put together a four-run second frame, added a run in the eighth and walked off in the ninth to take sole possession of second place in the Triple-A East. After the five-run first, Toledo was held scoreless thanks to the combined effort of LHP Blake Weiman, RHP Matt Eckelman and RHP Shea Spitzbarth in 6.0 five-hit innings. Chase De Jong started the game and fanned six batters in 3.0 innings, and the pitching staff ended the night with 10 strikeouts.

WALK-OFF WINNER: First baseman Christian Bethancourt singled home Travis Swaggerty with two outs in the ninth inning to score the winning Indianapolis run for the team's first walk-off of the season. In 2019, the Indians had four walk-off wins, two of which game in the ninth inning. On Aug. 18, 2019, the Indians came back from a five-run deficit vs. Lehigh Valley with a five-run ninth inning and walked-off in the 10th on a Christian Kelley single.

COMEBACK WINS: The Indians five-run comeback on Sunday afternoon marked the team's fourth comeback win against Toledo of five runs since 2005, a high when facing that opponent. The three previous games in which Indianapolis came back to win by that margin are listed below.

6/25/10 vs. TOL: Trailed 5-0 through the top of the third and scored six runs on five hits in the sixth inning. Jeff Clement went 2-for-5 with five RBI and the Indians won, 9-8.

6/12/08 at TOL: Trailed 6-1 through six innings and scored five runs in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth for an 8-6 win. Ronny Paulino hit a one-out grand slam in the seventh and Steve Pearce and Brian Bixler had three hits apiece.

7/2/06 at TOL: Trailed 5-0 entering the eighth inning, scored six runs on three walks and four hits in the ninth inning for a 7-6 win. The Indians batted around in the ninth inning and all runs crossed home plate with two outs.

DUSTIN HITTING DINGERS: With a game-tying long ball in the eighth inning Sunday afternoon, Dustin Fowler has hit a home run in each of his last two games with the Indians. Indianapolis' primary right fielder has recorded two hits in three of his last four games and is hitting .412 (7-for-17) with three extra-base hits, five RBI and five runs scored in his last five games.

BETHANCOURT ON BASE: Catcher turned Indians first baseman Christian Bethancourt has hit safely in his first four games with Indianapolis going into tonight's game at St. Paul. Through those contests, he is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with two multi-hit games and three RBI. After spending spring training with Philadelphia, the 29-year-old was signed by Pittsburgh as a minor league free agent on May 1. Entering tonight's game, he is hitting .298 (290-for-972) with 34 home runs in 282 career Triple-A games.

THE HOME RUNS ARE HELPING: The Indians now have homered in six consecutive games, and the daily offensive surge helped lead them to the series win over Toledo. Of the 31 runs scored vs. Toledo, 20 were scored via the long ball. The most home runs the Indians hit in a single homestand in 2019 was eight compared to the 13 they had through the homestand vs. Toledo. It was the first time dating back through the 2016 season that the Indians hit at least 10 home runs during a homestand at Victory Field.

SCOUTING ST. PAUL: St. Paul enters this series in fifth place of the Triple-A East Midwest division. The Saints, in their first season of affiliated baseball since 1960, rank 17th in the league with a .216 average (82-for-380) and 13th with a 4.57 ERA (53er/104.1ip). They are coming off a series tie vs. the Iowa Cubs, who the Indians lost the Opening Week series to in five games.

RETURN TO THE TWIN CITIES: Indianapolis and St. Paul faced each other as members of the American Association from 1902-60. Dating back to 1938, St. Paul owns the head-to-head series record, 240-252 (.488) with an edge at home 109-136 (.455). The last time the two teams met, in 1960, St. Paul took the series 15-7.

SWEEPING THE SAINTS: Thanks to three doubleheaders and a lone solo game at St. Paul from Aug. 16-19, 1956, the Indians notched a seven-game sweep of St. Paul. The Indians outscored St. Paul in the series, 50-22. The Indians won 10 consecutive games against St. Paul that season from Aug. 8 (1) onward, and finished with a 15-8 record against the American Association rival.

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