IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (71-65) vs. Louisville Bats (59-74)

Published on August 31, 2018 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


The Indians begin their final 2018 regular-season series tonight with another split series against Louisville.

Location: Victory Field

First Pitch: 7:15 p.m. EDT

Game #137 / Home #69: Indianapolis Indians (71-65) vs. Louisville Bats (59-74)

Probables: RHP Mitch Keller (3-2, 4.63) vs. LHP Brandon Finnegan (2-10, 7.21)

Radio: Fox Sports 97.5 / AM 1260 / iHeart app

TV: MiLB TV / Comcast 90

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Indians were handed a 4-3 loss from the Mud Hens last night, marking Indy's third straight series loss and fifth in the last six overall. Indy has lost 14 of its last 20 games, and if the season ended today the Tribe would miss out on the playoffs. Alex McRae fired 6.0 innings of three-run ball but remained winless at The Vic. Jacob Robson provided the decisive hit with an RBI double off Michael Feliz (L, 2-1) in the seventh, breaking a 3-3 tie. Paul Voelker (BS, 2) (W, 6-3) earned the win despite allowing two-out RBI doubles to Wyatt Mathisen and Jerrick Suiter in the sixth. Zac Houston (S, 9) recorded the final five outs for the save. Suiter put Indy on top 1-0 in the second with a two-out single, but two Jason Krizan RBI singles helped Toledo to a 3-1 advantage.

HUSTLE & GRIT PITCHER AWARD WINNER: Damien Magnifico has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Hustle & Grit Pitcher Award. Magnifico was on Indy's Opening Day roster and posted a 3-3 record and 3.46 ERA in 41 games for the Tribe this season. Four of his appearances came as a starter, a role in which he recorded a 1.64 ERA over 11.0 innings of work. IL opponents have hit just .239 against the Dallas, Texas native this season. Magnifico has been especially dominant since the All-Star break with a 1.73 ERA.

HUSTLE & GRIT POSITION PLAYER AWARD WINNER: Pablo Reyes has been selected as the 2018 recipient of the Hustle & Grit Position Player Award. The 24-year-old has batted in six different spots in the lineup while making a minimum of seven starts at shortstop, second base, third base, left field and center field, in addition to being the designated hitter seven times. Reyes has hit .290 with eight home runs, a team-high four triples, 19 doubles, 36 RBI and 13 stolen bases in 109 games for Indy this season. His .290 average currently ranks seventh in the International League heading into the final weekend of the regular season.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Indians second baseman Kevin Kramer has played in a team-high 126 games this season, his first at the Triple-A level. Earlier this week, the Turlock, California native was named to the International League Postseason All-Star Team, becoming the first Indians second baseman to be selected to the International League's postseason All-Star squad. Kramer enters tonight's game in the top three of several offensive categories in the International League - he's second in doubles, slugging percentage and total bases and third in batting average, hits and extra-base hits. His .919 OPS since June 2 leads the IL, he's batted .353 since the All-Star break and he has hit a team- and career-high 14 home runs this season.

SILVER SLUGGER AWARD WINNER: Jose Osuna has bounced between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh many times in 2018, and the 25-year-old hasn't slowed his roll when playing in the International League. Osuna owns a .319 average, nine home runs, 26 doubles and a team-high 59 RBI in just 81 games played with Indy this year. His .319 average would lead the league if he had enough at-bats to qualify. The Venezuelan swung a hot bat right out of spring training, recording a .361 average in April en route to an International League Player of the Month honor. Osuna has been at his best with runners in scoring position, posting a .409 average in 88 at-bats as he tries to become the first Indians player since Gregory Polanco in 2014 to have an average of .400 or greater with runners in scoring position. He leads the Indians with four homers and 19 RBI in the month of August, as well.

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Tribe starter Tyler Eppler has been a mainstay in the rotation over the last two seasons, bringing quality stuff and consistency to the mound every time his name is on the lineup card. This season, the 25-year-old has a 12-6 record and 3.76 ERA in 27 games, 24 of them starts, and he has a perfect 8-0 record in 13 games at Victory Field. Eppler was named to the International League midseason All-Star team this past July after going 9-3 with a 3.06 ERA in the first half, the second midseason All-Star honor of his five-year career. He leads the team in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts. His 12 victories and 112 strikeouts are both career highs, and he's the first Tribe pitcher with at least 12 wins in a season since Rick van den Hurk in 2012.

TEAM MVP: Tribe infielder Kevin Newman set the table for the league's top offense for much of the 2018 season. In 109 games with Indy, he hit .302 with four home runs, two triples and 30 doubles, and he led the league with 74 runs scored and 28 stolen bases. Two of Newman's four homers were leadoff blasts against Columbus, making him the fifth Tribe player since 2005 with multiple leadoff home runs in a single season. He had 37 multi-hit games and set or matched career highs in numerous offensive categories, and the Indians went 12 games over .500 when Newman's name was in the starting lineup. He made his major league debut on August 16 with the Pirates and collected his first major league hit on August 24, a double at Milwaukee's Miller Park.

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