Indians extend winning streak to season-best five in Iowa, 8-5

July 27, 2024 – International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians Press Release

DES MOINES, Iowa – The Indianapolis Indians connected on two hits with two outs in the seventh and eighth innings to extend their winning streak to five games, the longest of the season, in an 8-5 victory over the Iowa Cubs on Saturday night at Principal Park.

With the score tied 4-4 in the seventh inning, the Indians (12-12, 45-52) jumped in front of the I-Cubs (10-16, 43-58) with a two-run, two-out, two-strike line drive single to right field by Seth Beer off Iowa reliever Frankie Scalzo Jr. (L, 0-3). An inning later, Henry Davis added two more with an opposite-field single, also with two men out. For Davis, his 2-for-5 day extended his hitting streak to eight games, and Saturday was the seventh of those eight games in which he drove in at least one run.

The Indians and I-Cubs traded blows from the start, with Liover Peguero bringing in Davis with a sacrifice fly in the first inning before Iowa’s Owen Caissie doubled off former Indian Gilberto Celestino a half-inning later. The scoring stopped until the fourth inning when Iowa third baseman Fabián Pertuz hit a three-run homer to left-center field, but the Indians responded immediately in the fifth with an RBI double by Jake Lamb and a two-run shot by Peguero.

On the mound, Indians starter Luis Cessa (W, 4-4) went 6.0 innings, striking out six while walking just one. Nick Dombkowski, Michael Plassmeyer and Connor Sadzeck (S, 2) each worked an inning in relief to help earn the win.

The five-game winning streak breaks Indianapolis’ previous season streak of four, which they’ve done three times (4/4-4/6 vs. Memphis, 4/16-4/19 vs. St. Paul, 7/1-7/5 vs. Louisville). With a win on Sunday afternoon, Indianapolis would complete their first six-game winning streak since moving to a weekly schedule in 2021.

The Indians and I-Cubs conclude their six-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2:08 p.m. ET at Principal Park. The pitching matchup is a rematch of Tuesday’s series opener, with right-hander Domingo Germán (5-4, 3.88) taking the ball for the Indians against Iowa’s Kyle McGowin (0-2, 6.57). Indianapolis then returns home for a six-game series with the Toledo Mud Hens at Victory Field, beginning on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. ET.

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