IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Louisville Bats (42-61) vs. Indianapolis Indians (50-51)

Published on August 6, 2022 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 7:05 PM ET

GAME #102 / Home #50: Louisville Bats (42-61) vs. Indianapolis Indians (50-51)

PROBABLES: LHP Justin Nicolino (2-4, 5.76) vs. RHP Mike Burrows (0-2, 5.33)

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

TV: MiLB TV / The Dot

ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Behind a season-high 16 strikeouts, the Indians clinched a series victory over the Bats with their fifth win in the past six games. The offense opened up an early lead with two runs in the first inning, with back-to-back RBI singles by Brendt Citta and Mason Martin scoring Diego Castillo and Jack Suwinski, respectively. After Louisville brought home its lone run of the contest in the third inning, Indy responded with three doubles in another two-run frame in the fifth. Citta, Martin and Jared Oliva all doubled in a span of four batters, with Martin and Oliva extending the lead to 4-1. A two-run home run off the bat of Hoy Park in the eighth, his fourth with Indianapolis this season and his first since July 16 at Columbus, tallied additional insurance runs for the 6-1 victory.

DEALING ACES: One day after recording a season-high 15 strikeouts, the Indians pitching staff bested itself with 16 punchouts in last night's victory. It was the team's most strikeouts since Aug. 2, 2019 vs. Columbus, with the season-high during that campaign coming when it fanned 18 on April 27, 2019 at Charlotte. All five of the team's 14-plus strikeout games this season have come at Victory Field. Roansy Contreras set the tone with nine strikeouts over 4.0 innings (more on him below), and MLB rehabber Nick Mears (2k), Travis MacGregor (3k) and Joe Jacques (2k) combined for 5.0 one-hit, shutout frames in relief.

STUNNER: Roansy Contreras stunned in his ninth start with Indianapolis this season and third since being optioned by Pittsburgh prior to the All-Star break last night. The right-hander fanned a season-high nine batters and yielded just one run on three hits over 4.0 innings. He has not surrendered more than one earned run in each of his three starts with Indianapolis since being optioned (9.0ip) and has walked just one batter compared to 16 strikeouts. He has yet to record a Triple-A win but is 0-1 with a 2.76 ERA (9er/29.1ip) and 40 strikeouts in eight starts with Indianapolis this season. In contrast, he is 3-2 with a 3.78 ERA (21er/50.0ip) and 50 strikeouts in 12 appearances (nine starts) with Pittsburgh.

VICTORIES AT VICTORY FIELD: The Indians recorded their 998th win (regular season and postseason combined) at Victory Field since the ballpark opened on July 11, 1996 last night, and are now just two wins away from 1,000 wins in the ballpark. They currently have a 986-807 record at the ballpark in the regular season and 12-12 record in postseason games.

CITTA KEEPS HITTING: Brendt Citta recorded his second multi-hit performance in four games since returning to the Indians' lineup for the first time since May 1. He has hit safely in each of his four games played for his longest hitting streak in 11 total career Triple-A games and longest across levels since July 12-16 (5 games) with Altoona. Since Wednesday, Citta is 6-for-15 with two extra-base hits and three RBI and has scored one run in each of his four games played. He has at least one hit in eight of his 11 total Triple-A games.

GOING STREAKING: Rodolfo Castro extended his hitting streak to nine games with a single last night and has now hit safely in 12 of his last 13 games. His nine-gamer is tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the International League, and during that time he owns a .359 average (14-for-39) with five extra-base hits and a .954 OPS with five two-hit performances. The switch-hitter has been on a tear dating back to July 1, and in his past 24 games he has nine multi-hit performances, a .296 average (29-for-98) and .869 OPS.

TODAY: The Indians clinched their first series victory since July 4-10 vs. Iowa last night and will look to build on their dominance over Louisville tonight at 7:05 PM ET at Victory Field. From May 3-8, the Bats took four of five games in a rain-shortened series, but the Indians have bounced back to match that record and tie the season-series through five of seven games this week. Tonight, Mike Burrows will take the mound for his eighth appearance (seventh start) with Indianapolis this season and first in his career against Louisville. Countering for the Bats will be southpaw Justin Nicolino, who has made two career starts against Indianapolis, both coming at Louisville Slugger Field in 2018. In those games, he is 1-0 with five earned runs and nine strikeouts in 12.0 innings.

BE LIKE MIKE: Mike Burrows spun his best start of the season for Indianapolis last Saturday, surrendering just two hits over 4.0 shutout innings at Toledo. He was just three outs shy of his first Triple-A win in seven outings (six starts) with Indy this season, leaving the game with the Indians holding a 1-0 lead. Burrows, who is currently rated as Pittsburgh's No. 10 prospect by MLB Pipeline, was promoted from Double-A Altoona to Indianapolis on June 16 following a stellar start to the season. Since, he is 0-2 with a 5.33 ERA (15er/25.1ip) and 26 strikeouts with the Indians. Last Saturday was just his second scoreless Triple-A outing, following 7/12 at Columbus when he tossed 2.0 hitless innings out of the bullpen.

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 Indianapolis' 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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International League Stories from August 6, 2022


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