IL Indianapolis Indians

Indians Win Series Finale in Walk-Off Fashion 

May 16, 2021 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS - Christian Bethancourt singled on a line drive to center field to score Travis Swaggerty and seal the Indianapolis Indians comeback victory over Toledo for their first walk-off win of the season on Sunday afternoon, 6-5. Indy dug out of a 5-0 hole in the triumph for its 14th comeback win since 2005 when facing a deficit of at least five runs.

Toledo (3-8) took the lead early and sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, posting five runs on two home runs off Chase De Jong. Derek Hill belted the first pitch of the game over the wall in left-center, and Yariel Gonzalez later clubbed a two-out grand slam to the right-field lawn.

Down 5-0 in the bottom of the second inning, the Indians (7-4) fought back with a solo home run from Chris Sharpe and a controversial three-run home run from Swaggerty off the left-field foul pole. Initially, the three-man umpire crew ruled the ball remained in play and Swaggerty was tagged out between second and third as he rounded the bases. Indians manager Brian Esposito argued the decision and the play was overturned. The changed ruling sent Toledo manager Tom Prince out of the dugout, and he was eventually ejected.

Toledo starting pitcher Matt Manning exited the game with two runners on in the second. He lasted just 1.2 innings and surrendered four earned runs on five hits and three walks with one strikeout.

Following the Indians four-run second inning, both teams were held scoreless for the next five frames until Dustin Fowler launched his third home run of the season and second of the series to tie the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Shea Spitzbarth (W, 2-0) entered in the top of the eighth inning and threw two scoreless to earn his second win of the series. He pitched around a one-out double in the ninth to give the Indians the walk-off opportunity.

Toledo relief pitcher Buck Farmer (L, 0-1) walked Swaggerty and Fowler to set up the two-out walk-off RBI for Bethancourt, who pushed his hitting streak to four consecutive games after finishing 2-for-5.

De Jong settled in after the five-run first and threw two scoreless innings, finishing with six punchouts. Blake Weiman and Matt Eckelman pitched two scoreless innings each.

The Indians finished the series versus Toledo winning five of the six games and will travel to St. Paul to open a 12-game road trip on Tuesday night. First pitch for the six-game set against the Saints is scheduled for 8:05 PM ET. Both the Indians and St. Paul have yet to name a starter.

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