Indianapolis and Lehigh Valley play game one of a three-game series tonight at Coca-Cola Park. The Indians are looking for their ninth straight win overall, which would become the second-longest winning streak by the Tribe since Victory Field opened in 1996.
Location: Coca-Cola Park
First Pitch: 7:05 p.m. ET
Games #43/Road #17: Indianapolis Indians (24-18) at Lehigh Valley IronPigs (29-14)
Probables: RHP Nick Kingham (1-0, 3.18) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (3-0, 0.95)
Radio: Fox Sports 97.5 and AM 1260
TV: MiLB TV
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Indianapolis Indians
Lehigh Valley IronPigs
TRIBE NOTES
EIGHT STRAIGHT: The Indians have won eight consecutive games for the first time since June 27-July 4, 2012. Indy started that streak by winning the final three games of a four-game set against Toledo, then went on to win all four games of a series at Louisville before returning home to win the first game of a two-game set against the Bats. With a win tonight, Indianapolis would have its first nine-game winning streak since July 28-Aug. 9, 1997, when they won a Victory Field era-record 14 consecutive games.
COME WHAT MAY: The Indians are 17-3 in the month of May with 9 games remaining before the calendar flips to June. In 2016, the Indians had one month where they won 17-plus games (June: 17-13). If the Indians can win at least three of their last nine games, the Tribe will reach the 20-win mark in a single month for the seventh time since the beginning of the 1996 campaign. The last time an Indy club won 20 or more games in a single month came in April 2013 when they went 20-7.
NEWER IS BETTER: Lehigh Valley and Indianapolis entered this season with new managers at the helm. Dusty Wathan and Andy Barkett are off to solid starts as managers in their Triple-A careers. Wathan enters tonight’s game 660-579 (.533) for his career, while Barkett is 555-524 (.514). Both new managers are currently leading two of the hottest teams in baseball.
The #Indians and @IronPigs have identical 17-3 records in the month of May, tied for the best mark in all of baseball.
They meet tonight. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/D1EK3f2h7V
— Indianapolis Indians (@indyindians) May 23, 2017
TWO OF THE BEST: Both the Indians and the IronPigs are 17-3 (.850) in the month of May which is good enough for the two best records in all of baseball during that span. The next best record in baseball for the month is the Single-A Dayton Dragons who are 15-5 (.750).