Game Information: St. Paul Saints (69-71) vs. Indianapolis Indians (70-70)
September 19, 2022 – International League (IL) – Indianapolis Indians News Release
LOCATION: Victory Field
FIRST PITCH: 6:35 PM ET
GAME #141 / Home #70: St. Paul Saints (69-71) vs. Indianapolis Indians (70-70)
PROBABLES: RHP Austin Schulfer (4-2, 5.01) vs. RHP Cpdy Bolton (4-2, 3.14)
RADIO: FoxSportsIndy.com / Fox Sports 1260 / iHeart app
TV: MiLB TV
ABOUT SUNDAY: Carter Bins and Blake Sabol each collected multi-hit games for the Indians, but the Toledo Mud Hens’ five-run first inning proved insurmountable en route to their series finale victory, 7-4. Toledo brought across five runs in the first after Indians starting pitcher Noe Toribio issued three walks, beaned two batters and did not record an out before exiting the ballgame. Toribio was on the hook for all five runs (three earned) in the inning, and the Indians were unable to overcome the early 5-0 deficit. After the Indians were held hitless through the first four innings, Sabol ripped a leadoff single up the middle off Mud Hens starting pitcher Daniel Ponce de Leon to spark a two-run fifth inning. Later in the inning with the bases loaded, Hoy Park sent a fly ball out to left field for a two-run single top cut the deficit to 6-2. Indy would later add a pair in the eighth to show signs of life, Sabol drilled a leadoff double and scored on an RBI single by Travis Swaggerty. Bins followed with an opposite field double into the right-center gap that would plate Swaggerty.
SABOL GETS ON: Blake Sabol continued his role as an on-base machine for the Indians on Sunday afternoon, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. On Saturday night, 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 four games, he is 6-for-13 with three extra-base hits and three RBI. The lefty slugger now has an extra-base hit in three consecutive contests – which is tied for the second-longest active streak in the International League. Since joining the Indians in late August, Sabol has hit safely in 13 of 17 games with a .328 average (19-for-58), 11 runs, eight extra-base hits, 12 RBI and 11 walks to 16 strikeouts. He has reached base in 32 of his 71 plate appearances (19 h, 11 bb, 2 hbp) , good for a .451 on-base percentage. 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.
BINS IS BATTLING: Catcher Carter Bins went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI triple, and a run scored on Sunday afternoon. Bins did not have a triple in his first 173 career games before ripping two triples in his last 26 games with the Indians. The 23-year-old is putting together his best month of the season, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with a double, a triple, a home run and five runs batted in. He has hits in eight of nine games this month and is currently riding a season-high five-game hitting streak.
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.
TRIPLES GALORE: Carter Bins smacked Indy’s league-leading 42nd triple of the season yesterday, which is the teams’ most since 2015 (45). Travis Swaggerty (8, T-2nd), Ji-Hwan Bae (6, T-5th) and Mason Martin (5, T-10th) lead the team and are among International League leaders in triples. The last time the Indians had 40-plus triples in a season was 2016 (40). The Indians have collected 40-plus triples in six seasons in the Victory Field era: 2022 (42), 2016 (40), 2015 (45), 2012 (44), 2011 (45) and 2010 (41).
BOLTON ON THE BUMP: Cody Bolton will take the hill for the Indians in his 29th appearance and 14th start. Bolton has assumed a hybrid throughout the season with 15 relief appearances and 13 starts. The right-hander is 4-2 with a 3.14 ERA (25er/71.2ip), 76 strikeouts, 1.28 WHIP and opponents are only hitting .207 (54-for-261) against him. Tonight, will be his third start against St. Paul this season, he allowed five runs (three earned) in 5.1 innings.
TODAY: The Indians will look to bounce back in the second half of their 12-game homestand after being swept by the Mud Hens in their six-game series. Indy will faceoff with the St. Paul Saints to conclude their 2022 home schedule, the two squads are meeting for the fourth time this season and the second time at Victory Field. They first met at CHS Field on April 12-17 and then May 24-29, with the Saints taking seven of those 12 games and eight of the 15 total games between the teams so far this season. Tonight, the Indians will aim to even the season series in their 16th matchup against the Saints at 6:35 PM ET at Victory Field. The Indians’ six consecutive losses this past week is a season-high losing streak, and they were swept in a six-game series for the first time since May 25-30, 2021 at Omaha during a seven-game losing skid. Taking the mound for Indianapolis tonight is RHP Cody Bolton (4-2, 3.14), who will be making his 14th start of the season. Opening for St. Paul in a bullpen day is right-hander Austin Schulfer (4-2, 5.01), who will make his third appearance of the season against the Indians. Schulfer allowed one run over 3.0 innings of relief against Indy.
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