IL Indianapolis Indians

Game Information: Toledo Mud Hens (23-28) vs. Indianapolis Indians (24-27)

Published on May 31, 2023 under International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOCATION: Victory Field

FIRST PITCH: 6:35 PM ET

GAME #52 / ROAD #22: Toledo Mud Hens (23-28) vs. Indianapolis Indians (24-27)

PROBABLES: RHP Austin Bergner (1-1, 5.59) vs. LHP Caleb Smith (2-4, 6.70)

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

TV: Bally Live app / MiLB TV

ABOUT MONDAY: Endy Rodríguez notched his first four-hit performance in Triple-A and the Indianapolis Indians exploded for 15 hits in a 12-6 defeat over the Toledo Mud Hens at Victory Field on Monday night. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom half of the third, the Indians brought nine batters to the plate and scored five to capture the lead. Chavez Young smacked a one-out single and Nick Gonzales doubled him in for the team's first run. Following a run scored via a throwing error by Mud Hens starter Brenan Hanifee, Cal Mitchell roped a two-run double into right field. The five-run inning was capped by a throwing error by third basemen Justyn-Henry Malloy that plated Mitchell. The Mud Hens scored in each of their first three plate appearances to build an early 3-0 lead prior to Indy's big five-run third. Indy padded its lead with a pair of three-run frames in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively. Canaan Smith-Njigba went to the left-center gap for an RBI triple and scored on an RBI single by RodrÌguez. Rodríguez advanced to third on a single by Miguel Andújar and later scored on a wild pitch. In the sixth, Jared Triolo and Mark Mathias each notched RBI singles. Shackelford then grounded out to plate Triolo. Toledo showed signs of life with a three-run homer off Indians' reliever John O'Reilly. The Indians got one back in the bottom half of the frame, with Gonzales' second RBI double of the night to cap the scoring. Kent Emanuel earned his third win of the season with 5.0 one-run innings in relief.

TRIP TRIP TRIPLES: Canaan Smith-Njigba ripped an RBI triple into the left-center gap during the Indians 12-6 victory on Monday. It was Smith-Njigba's first triple of the season and the team's 16th triple, which leads the International League. Of the 16 triples, 12 different players have notched a three bagger this season. Nick Gonzales leads the team with three triples - tied for the third-most in the IL - followed by Endy Rodríguez, Travis Swaggerty and Chavez Young who have two apiece. The Indians led the IL in triples in 2022 with 44, led by Swaggerty (8) and Ji Hwan Bae (6). The team clubbed 26 of its 44 triples last season at Victory Field.

RUFFLED FEATHERS: With Monday's win, the Indians improved to 6-1 against the Mud Hens this season, they are 18-26 against the rest of the International League. The Indians have outscored the Mud Hens 53-21 while out-hitting them 81-44. See below for the series splits for each team through their first seven games:

Indians Hitting: .327 AVG, 53 R, 81 H, 22 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, .401 OBP, .536 SLG, .937 OPS

Mud Hens Hitting: .207 AVG, 21 R, 44 H, 8 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, .286 OBP, .329 SLG, .615 OPS

Indians Pitching: 3.26 ERA, 58.0 IP, 44 H, 21 ER, 21 BB, 70 K, 1.12 WHIP

Mud Hens Pitching: 7.29 ERA, 58.0 IP, 81 H, 47 ER, 27 BB, 68 K, 1.86 WHIP

ENDY GOES FOR FOUR: Switch-hitting catcher Endy Rodríguez collected his first four-hit performance in Triple-A on Monday night. Rodríguez went 4-for-5 with three runs and an RBI for his first game with four-plus hits since tallying a career-high five on Aug. 3, 2022, with High-A Greensboro at Bowling Green. The 23-year-old is hitting .268 (15-for-56) with a double, two triples, three home runs, eight RBI and .829 OPS at Victory Field this season.

MR. RELIABLE: Outfielder Cal Mitchell has been a steady force in Indianapolis' offense. The 24-year-old has reached base safely in 19 of his last 21 games and is having an excellent month of May. This month, he's hitting .325 (26-for-80) with five doubles, four home runs, 18 RBI, 16 walks, four stolen bases, .444 OBP and .982 OPS. Mitchell leads the Indians offense in average, RBI, OBP, hits, walks and runs this month.

MIGGY GOES: Miguel Andújar has a hit safely in each of his first six games with Indy since being outrighted by Pittsburgh on May 22. He has registered four multi-hit games during this span. During his six games since returning to Indy, he is 10-for-27 with two doubles, two home runs and five RBI. In 29 games with Indy, he is hitting .304 (35-for-115) with 17 runs, 10 doubles, a triple, five homers and 20 RBI.

TONIGHT: The Indians and Mud Hens will continue their six-game set at Victory Field tonight at 6:35 PM ET. The Indians jumped out to a series lead with a convincing 12-6 win on Monday night against the Mud Hens. This week is the Indians and Mud Hens second meeting of the season, their first meeting came at Fifth Third Field from May 3 (1)-7. The Indians took five of the six games, outscoring the Mud Hens 41-15. Tonight, southpaw Caleb Smith (2-4, 6.70) will take the mound for Indians against Toledo's right-hander Austin Bergner (1-1, 5.59). Bergner has made on career start against Indianapolis on Sept. 14, 2022, he allowed three runs in 5.0 innings of work.

SMITH TAKES THE HILL: Southpaw Caleb Smith is slated to make his 10th appearance (ninth start) of the season tonight. In his last outing on May 25 at Columbus, he tossed 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with four punchouts. On May 8, he was named the International League Pitcher of the Week after tossing a 7.0-inning complete-game shutout in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Toledo on May 4. Smith pitched the first complete-game shutout in all of minor league baseball this season. This season, he is 2-4 with a 6.70 ERA (32er/43.0ip) with 36 strikeouts.

THIS DATE IN 2016: Jacob Stallings set a single-game Victory Field record with seven RBI in the Indians' 9-3 win vs. Rochester. The catcher went 4-for-4 with a solo home run, three-run double, RBI triple and another home run to drive in two. Stallings had his contract selected by Pittsburgh just a few weeks later and made his major league debut on June 19.

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International League Stories from May 31, 2023


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