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Game Information: Indianapolis Indians (8-4) at St. Paul Saints (5-8)

May 19, 2021 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: CHS Field

FIRST PITCH: 8:05 PM ET

GAME #13 / Road #7: Indianapolis Indians (8-4) at St. Paul Saints (5-8)

PROBABLES: RHP Chad Kuhl (MLB Rehab) vs. RHP Chandler Shepherd (0-1, 9.82)

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

TV: MiLB TV

LAST NIGHT: Facing a 1-0 deficit following the first inning, the Indians scored four runs in the second and three in the third en route to a decisive 7-3 win over St. Paul last night. Seven of the Indians nine starters recorded at least one hit and together the team tallied a season-high 11 base hits. RHP Beau Sulser earned his second win of the season after surrendering three runs in 5.0 innings, and the Indians bullpen combined for four shutout innings to hold the Saints at bay.

DUAL RBI DOUBLES: Anthony Alford and Hunter Owen, batting in the sixth and seventh spots of the Indians lineup respectively, each recorded two-RBI doubles in the win over St. Paul. Following an RBI-single off the bat of Alford, Owen doubled down the left field line to extend the Indians lead to 3-1 with no outs in the second. With two outs in the third inning, Alford repeated Owen's double down the left field line to score two more, and Owen followed with an RBI infield single to make it 7-1. Both Alford (3-for-4) and Owen (2-for-4) finished the night with three RBI.

BETHANCOURT ON BASE: After going 2-for-4 last night at St. Paul, catcher turned Indians first baseman Christian Bethancourt has hit safely in his first five games with Indianapolis. In an Indians uniform, he is hitting .364 (8-for-22) with three multi-hit games and three RBI. Oddly enough, he is no stranger to quick starts with a new team. Of the 12 affiliated teams he has appeared with since being signed as a non-drafted free agent by Atlanta in 2008, Bethancourt has hit safely in five-plus games to begin his career with half of them. Those teams and his hitting streaks are listed below.

2008 Rookie-league DSL Braves - 6 games

2009 Rookie-Advanced Danville - 6 games

2010 Single-A Rome - 5 games

2013 Double-A Mississippi - 7 games

2018 Triple-A Colorado Springs - 5 games

2021 Indianapolis - 5 games

STREAKING WITH WINS: The Indians are on a season-high four-game winning streak and have been victorious in six of their last seven games after dropping three of five games at Iowa to open the season. In the last four games, Indianapolis has outscored its opponents, 24-14, while being outhit, 37-40. In the last seven games with a 6-1 record, the Indians are outscoring their opponents 38-26 and have only recorded more than 10 hits (11, last night) once. In 2019, the team's longest win streak was six games from April 7-13, and it outscored opponents, 45-23.

SERIES OPENING VICTORY: With records dating back to 1938 when the Indians and Saints faced each other as members of the American Association from 1902-60, the Indians trail St. Paul in the first game of a season series, 13-11. Last night's win was the Indians first series opening win at St. Paul since 1946, when they narrowly edged the Saints, 3-1, in 10 innings. Dating back to 1938, St. Paul owns the head-to-head series record, 252-241 (.511) with an edge at home 136-110 (.553). The last time the two teams met, in 1960, St. Paul took the series 15-7.

A KUHL REHAB: Tonight, RHP Chad Kuhl makes his first major league rehab start with Indianapolis after being placed on the 10-day injured list on April 22 with right shoulder discomfort. In four starts with the Pirates to open the 2021 season, he went 0-1 with a 6.32 ERA (11er/15.2ip) and 14 strikeouts. Tonight isn't the first time Kuhl will appear in an Indians jersey, the 28-year-old's journey to the big leagues went through the Circle City prior to making his debut in 2016. During that Triple-A campaign in 2016, he went 6-3 with a 2.37 ERA (22er/83.2ip) in 16 games.

THROWING IT BACK: Chad Kuhl first appeared with the Indians on Sept. 18, 2015 in a win-or-go-home Game 4 of the Governors' Cup Championship vs. Columbus. The then-23-year-old excelled in his Triple-A debut, tossing 7.0 one-run innings in a pitchers duel. After exiting the game tied at 1-1, Kuhl took a no-decision when Columbus scored three runs in the top of the eighth. The Indians came back with one run in the bottom half and three in the ninth to force a Game 5. Josh Bell, who went 4-for-4 with a home run, drove in the walk-off run with a one-out single.

SCOUTING ST. PAUL: Last night, the Indians pitching staff held Saints catcher and the preseason No. 60/current No. 53 overall prospect (Baseball America) Ryan Jeffers hitless through four at-bats with one strikeout. Jeffers is Minnesota's No. 4 prospect and has split time so far between the Twins and Saints. With St. Paul, he is hitting .250 (12-for-48) with three home runs and 10 RBI in 13 games. As a team, St. Paul ranks 15th with a .221 batting average (92-for-416) and 13th with a 4.76 ERA (60er/113.1ip). The Saints are in fifth place of seven Triple-A East Midwest division teams.

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