Huge sixth inning propels Indians to series sweep at Iowa, 9-8

July 28, 2024 – International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians Press Release

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Indianapolis Indians scored all nine of their runs in the sixth inning in a 9-8 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Sunday afternoon at Principal Park, completing their first six-game series since Minor League Baseball went to a weekly schedule in 2021.

Trailing 1-0 after five innings due to top Cubs prospect Owen Caissie’s RBI double in the fourth, the Indians (13-12, 46-52) jumped ahead of the I-Cubs (10-17, 43-59) with a nine-run top of the sixth. The inning began with a solo homer by Malcom Nuñez off Iowa starter Kyle McGowin, but most of the damage came from reliever Riley Martin (L, 1-3). Martin allowed a solo homer to pinch hitter Henry Davis to open his day, and Indianapolis poured in five more runs off Martin before leaving the game, highlighted by a three-run double to straight-away center by Andrés Alvarez. Zac Leigh came in for Martin for the second pitching change of the inning and allowed back-to-back RBI hits to Liover Peguero and Davis.

Iowa made things incredibly interesting against the Indians’ bullpen, with Fabián Pertuz hitting a two-run homer in the seventh inning before things got tense in the ninth. Iowa pinch hitter Moisés Ballesteros hit a grand slam off Indy reliever Ryder Ryan, with Trayce Thompson driving him deep two hitters later. However, Brady Feigl (S, 1) came in for Ryan and recorded the game’s final two outs to earn his first professional save since he was a farmhand with the Texas Rangers in 2018.

Indians starter Domingo Germán (W, 6-4) had perhaps his strongest start this year with Indianapolis, throwing 5.2 innings of three hits, one run, five strikeouts and no walks. Of the 72 pitches the former Yankee threw, 49 were strikes.

Indianapolis’ sixth straight win extends their season-best winning streak. It surpasses their previous record of four straight wins, which the Indians achieved three times before the All-Star break. On the week, the Indians hit .335 as a team with a .412 on-base percentage and 58 runs scored, all three of which were bests in Triple-A baseball at the time.

The Indians travel home after the game for a day off in the schedule on Monday before hosting the Tigers-affiliated Toledo Mud Hens for a six-game series at Victory Field beginning Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET. Tickets are still available for all six games on the homestand at indyindians.com/tickets.

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