IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: St. Paul Saints (6-4) vs. Indianapolis Indians (5-6)

Published on April 13, 2023 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 6:35 PM ET

GAME #12 / HOME #6: St. Paul Saints (6-4) vs. Indianapolis Indians (5-6)

PROBABLES: RHP Louie Varland (1-0, 1.80) vs. LHP Cam Alldred (1-0, 0.00)

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

TV: MiLB TV / Bally Live app

ABOUT YESTERDAY: The Indianapolis Indians were held scoreless until the eighth inning as the St. Paul Saints took the second game of the six-game set at Victory Field on Wednesday afternoon, 5-1. St. Paul opened the scoring with a three-spot in the fourth inning, courtesy of a run-scoring throwing error by catcher Grant Koch on a double-steal attempt and subsequent two-run home run by Andrew Bechtold off starter Luis Ortiz. The Saints tacked on two more in the seventh with another two-run homer by Andrew Stevenson. The Indians recorded just two hits via a Nick Gonzales single and Chavez Young double in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, before stringing a pair of hits together to plate a run in the eighth. Chris Owings opened the penultimate frame with a one-out double. After moving to third on a passed ball, he was brought home on Koch's first RBI knock in Triple-A.

HOME VS. ROAD: The Indians have seen two drastically different outcomes while on the road and at Victory Field this season. They own a 5-1 record on the road and are winless through their first five games at Victory Field. Offensively, they are hitting .234 (40-for-171) at Victory Field with 17 runs, nine doubles, one triple, and two homers compared to a .223 average (41-for-184), 26 runs, 12 doubles, three triples and five homers on the road. They have pitched significantly better on the road, registering a 3.31 ERA (18er/49.0ip), 36 hits allowed, 24 walks and 56 strikeouts. At home, they own a 6.38 ERA (34er/48.0ip), 59 hits allowed, 28 walks and 50 strikeouts. Defensively, the Indians have committed 11 errors this season, eight of them coming at home.

STRUGGLING AT THE VIC: The Indians have lost their first five games at Victory Field this season, marking the first time they started 0-5 at home since 1979. To start that 1979 season, they were swept by Springfield in a four-game series at Bush Stadium and then after a four-game series at Iowa, they lost the first game in their return home against Evansville. Through the first five home games this season, the Indians have been outscored by their opponents 43-17, but have had leads of three runs or more in two of the five contests.

IL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tucupita Marcano had his eight-game hitting streak snapped yesterday with an 0-for-4 performance. This season, he owns a .405 batting average (15-for-37), nine extra-base hits, nine RBI and seven runs scored in nine games. On Monday, he was named the International League Player of the Week after swinging a scorching bat at Louisville from April 4-9. Marcano led all professional baseball players with five doubles over the past week. In the International League, he paced qualifiers with a .526 batting average (10-for-19), 1.053 slugging-percentage, 1.603 OPS and seven extra-base hits in five games at Louisville Slugger Field. He also tied for the league lead in hits, total bases (20) and runs (seven). On April 7, he roped a Victory Field era-tying three doubles for the first time since Josh Bell on June 11, 2016.

DRIVING IN RUNS: Endy RodrÌguez collected an RBI for the fifth consecutive game on Tuesday afternoon, extending his RBI streak on sacrifice fly in the 10th inning to drive in Chavez Young and tie the ballgame. His five-game RBI streak is the second longest active streak in the International League, behind only Jacksonville's C.J. Hinojosa (six games). Between his six-game stint late last season with Indy and his first seven this season, he has 15 RBI in 14 games. The 22-year-old has logged an RBI in 10 of 14 career Triple-A games and the Indians have a 7-3 record in the games he has driven in a run.

TONIGHT: The Indians and Saints will square off in game three of their six-game series tonight at 6:35 PM ET. After finishing their first road trip on a five-game winning streak, the Indians have dropped the first two games of their six game series vs. St. Paul. The Indians and Saints met 21 times last season, with the Indians prevailing in the season series, 11-10. The Indians took six of the nine games played at Victory Field vs. the Saints. Tonight, southpaw Cam Alldred (1-0, 0.00) will open for the Indians in a bullpen game vs. St. Paul's Louie Varland (1-0, 1.80). Alldred is making his first start of the season after making three relief appearances. Today will be Varland's first appearance vs. Indy. He has made five Triple-A starts, going 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA (5er/26.1ip) with a 0.87 WHIP, .198 average against and 36 punchouts compared to only four walks.

ALLDRED GETS THE NOD: Cam Alldred will open for the Indians tonight after making his first two career starts with Indianapolis in 2022. He was excellent in his first start on April 23, 2022 vs. Columbus, tossing a career-high 4.0 scoreless innings with two hits, one walk and two punchouts. Alldred has made three relief appearances this season and has not allowed a run over 4.1 innings on three hits, two walks and four strikeouts. In his last appearance on April 8 at Louisville, he earned his first of the season in 2.1 relief innings with three punchouts. Last season, Alldred made five appearances against the Saints ñ including his second start of the season ñ and allowed six runs in 5.1 innings with a save and eight strikeouts. He took the loss in his start at St. Paul on May 24 after surrendering three runs on three hits, a walk and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings.

THIS DATE IN 2022: Following the completion of the first homestand, the Indians hit the road to St. Paul for a series against the Saints. With wind chills in the teens, Indyís pitching trio of Chase De Jong, Austin Brice and Yerry De Los Santos iced the Saints offense over 9.0 innings, yielding only two walks en route to the organizationís first no-hitter since 2012 and 15th overall. The 5-0 victory also marked the first no-hitter in professional baseball for the 2022 season. De Jong struck out nine and issued both walks over 7.0 innings pitched before Brice (1.0ip, 1k) and De Los Santos (1.0ip, 2k) slammed the door in the eighth and ninth. The three pitchers, along with catcher Jason Delay who was behind the plate for all 27 outs of the no-hitter, played for Pittsburgh at various points over the remainder of the season.

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