Indianapolis and Gwinnett play game one of a three-game series tonight at Victory Field. This is the first meeting between the two clubs in 2017.
Location: Victory Field
First Pitch: 7:15 p.m. ET
Game #53/Home #30: Indianapolis Indians (29-23) vs. Gwinnett Braves (27-25)
Probables: RHP Jameson Taillon (MLB Rehab) vs. LHP Sean Newcomb (3-2, 2.96)
Radio: Fox Sports 97.5 and AM 1260
TV: MiLB TV and Comcast channel 90
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS
Indianapolis Indians
Gwinnett Braves
TRIBE NOTES
ADIOS MAY, HELLO JUNE: After a 7-15 April, the Indians posted a 21-8 record in the month of May, their first 21-win month since Aug. 1998, when they went 21-7. That year, the Tribe also went 21-9 in the month of June. The Tribe entered play on May 6 in fourth place in the IL West, five games back of Toledo. Entering play tonight, Indy has a 5.5-game lead in its division. Indy opened June with a 5-0 shutout of Lehigh Valley to take the three-game set, 2-1.
TAILLON’S BACK: Jameson Taillon underwent testicular cancer surgery May 8 but is already near a return to the big leagues. The 25-year-old right-hander tossed three scoreless innings with Double-A Altoona on Sunday at Erie, and he gets the nod tonight for the Tribe. Taillon had made six starts for Pittsburgh before being placed on the disabled list, going 2-1 with a 3.31 ERA (13 ER in 35.1 IP) and 30 strikeouts against 13 walks. In 16 career starts for Indianapolis during the 2013 and 2016 campaigns, Taillon is a combined 5-5 with a 2.74 ERA (30 ER in 98.2 IP). He was the second overall pick by the Pirates in the 2010 MLB Amateur Draft, being selected after Washington took Bryce Harper.
RETURNING THE FAVOR: The Indians were blanked for a fifth time this season in Wednesday night’s 6-0 loss to the IronPigs, only to return the favor with a 5-0 shutout win in the series finale last night. Last year, Indy followed shutout losses with a shutout victory on two occasions. They opened the season by splitting a doubleheader at Columbus on April 10, losing Game 1, 1-0, before winning the nightcap, 4-0. The Indians followed a shutout defeat with a shutout win again on July 20 and July 21, losing 2-0 to Lehigh Valley before blanking Charlotte, 1-0.
TWO TRIPS: Eric Wood and Erich Weiss both tripled in last night’s game, the third time Indy has collected two triples in a single game this season. The Indians also accomplished the feat on April 28 at Scranton/W-B and April 12 vs. Columbus.