Game Information: Toledo Mud Hens (79-60) vs. Indianapolis Indians (70-69)
September 18, 2022 – International League (IL) – Indianapolis Indians News Release
LOCATION: Victory Field
FIRST PITCH: 1:35 PM ET
GAME #140 / Home #69: Toledo Mud Hens (79-60) vs. Indianapolis Indians (70-69)
PROBABLES: RHP Daniel Ponce De Leon (7-11, 6.96) vs. RHP Noe Toribio (5-2, 6.08)
RADIO: FoxSportsIndy.com / Fox Sports 1260 / iHeart app
TV: MiLB TV
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Blake Sabol launched his fourth Triple-A home run to lead off the ninth inning and bring the Indians within one run, but they couldn’t overcome a late, tie-breaking two-run frame to lose their fifth consecutive game to the Mud Hens last night, 8-7. The two teams traded runs in the first inning courtesy of a two-run double by Brendon Davis and game-tying home run inside the left-field foul pole by Brendt Citta, respectively. The Mud Hens countered with a two-run shot by Corey Joyce – his second in as many nights – and held the lead after the Indians only scored one in the bottom half on a Jared Oliva RBI single. The Mud Hens extended their lead with one run in each of the fourth and fifth innings, but the Indians bounced back to tie the game in the sixth. A bases-loaded walk to Josh VanMeter in the fifth cut the deficit to two runs before a Drew Maggi single and run-scoring wild pitch knotted the game an inning later. With the game tied at 6-6, one out and a pair of runners in scoring position in the top of the eighth inning, Josh Lester hit a sacrifice fly out to center field and Daz Cameron followed with an RBI single to give Toledo the lead it needed for the win.
SABOL’S MOONSHOT: Blake Sabol, playing in his 16th Triple-A game last night and his fifth at Victory Field, launched his fourth home run in the top of the ninth inning to bring the Indians within one run of the Mud Hens. He reached base safely in four of five plate appearances with three walks before his ninth-inning homer, tying his career high in single-game walks for the first time since Aug. 5, 2019 with Short Season-A West Virginia. In his last three games, he is 4-for-9 with two extra-base hits, three RBI and as many walks (3) as strikeouts (3). Since joining the Indians in late August, Sabol has hit safely in 12 of 16 games with a .315 average (17-for-54), 10 runs, seven extra-base hits, 12 RBI and 11 walks to 15 strikeouts. The left-handed batter registered a .281 average (103-for-366) with 61 runs scored, 23 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs and 60 RBI in 98 games with Altoona prior to being promoted.
CITTA HITTING: With a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning and his second consecutive two-hit performance, Brendt Citta extended his hitting streak to six games since Sept. 10 at Omaha. During that span, he is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with four runs scored, four extra-base hits and six RBI. Citta has four multi-hit games in the month of September, good for a .375 average (12-for-32) in 10 games and is now hitting .266 (29-for-109) with eight doubles and four home runs with Indianapolis. His eight total homers split between Indy and Double-A Altoona (4) are a career high, besting his 2019 total of three between Rookie-Advanced Bristol and Short Season-A West Virginia.
SWIPING BASES: As a team, the Indians have 143 total stolen bases, their most since snagging a league-leading 168 in 2015 with Alen Hanson and Keon Broxton at the head of the baserunning charge. This season’s total currently ranks fifth among all Triple-A and it would be the first time the Indians finished in the top five since stealing the second-most in 2018 (111). Their 69 stolen bases in 2019 was tied for 10th in the IL, and their 71 last season was tied for 14th in the Triple-A East. While they are tied for sixth among league leaders overall, Indy’s 88 stolen bases in home games leads all International League teams.
MARCANO MAKES A DIFFERENCE: Tucupita Marcano recorded his second consecutive two-hit game in three contests since returning to the Indians lineup on Friday night. Marcano went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles last night after launching his second Triple-A home run this season during a two-hit performance on Thursday. Friday was his seventh multi-hit performance in 17 games with Indy this season. In Triple-A, he is hitting .352 (25-for-71) with 10 runs scored, five doubles, six RBI, eight walks and 11 strikeouts. Marcano has six total home runs this season between Double-A Altoona (31 games), Indianapolis and Pittsburgh (48 games), which is one shot shy of tying his career-high of seven home runs in 2021.
TODAY: The Indians will look to avoid a series sweep today at 1:35 PM ET in their final game against Toledo this season. The Indians’ five consecutive losses this week ties their season-high losing streak from July 13-22 to sandwich the All-Star break, and they have not been swept in a six-game series since May 25-30, 2021 at Omaha during a seven-game losing skid. Taking the mound for Indianapolis today for Indy will be RHP Noe Toribio (5-2, 6.08), who entered into the game in relief of rehabber David Bednar on Tuesday afternoon and surrendered four earned runs across 3.0 innings. It was his second career outing against the Mud Hens and his first being scored upon after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings on July 27. Countering for Toledo is Tuesday starter RHP Daniel Ponce De Leon (2-3, 4.93), who earned the win with 6.0 one-run innings and seven strikeouts. Against the Indians this season between Rochester and Toledo, Ponce De Leon has surrendered just three earned runs with 14 strikeouts across 12.0 innings.
THIS DATE IN 2015: Facing another must-win game in Game 4 of the Governors’ Cup Championship Series against Columbus, Indy overcame a 4-1 deficit by scoring one run in the eighth and three in the ninth to force a winner-take-all Game 5. Josh Bell began a 4-for-4 performance with a game-tying homer in the fourth inning and capped it off with a walk-off single to score Gustavo Nunez.
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