Indians Clinch Six-Game Sweep over Louisville Bats

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indianapolis Indians put up back-to-back two-run innings – the second of which featured a DJ Stewart sacrifice fly to plate a pair – to defeat the Louisville Bats 4-3 on Sunday afternoon and close out a six-game sweep at Victory Field.

The sweep – which extends Indy’s winning streak to seven consecutive games – is the Indians (26-17) first since sweeping St. Paul in six games from Aug. 13-18, 2024, at Victory Field. It is also just the third sweep for Indy since Minor League Baseball moved to the six-game format in 2021, with the first two sweeps coming last season.

The back-and-forth contest was all Louisville (19-25) until the second half, with the Bats taking a 2-0 lead with one run in the first and one in the fourth on a P.J. Higgins RBI double. Indianapolis then tied the game on a two-run home run by the rehabbing Endy Rodríguez – his second in as many days after he launched one in Game 1 of yesterday’s doubleheader.

A run-scoring groundout in the seventh gave the Bats the lead before the two-run bottom half. The first two Indians batters reached base safely on singles, with a sacrifice bunt by Billy Cook moving both into scoring position. Stewart then drove in Jack Suwinski on a sacrifice fly, and a wild throw by right fielder Jack Rogers brought Nick Yorke home as the game-winning run against Connor Phillips (L, 0-1).

MiLB’s No. 2 prospect Bubba Chandler allowed two runs over 4.1 innings with seven strikeouts before the Indians offense got going. Nick Dombkowski (W, 1-1) was one of five bullpen arms who combined for 4.2 one-run innings with six strikeouts. Yohan Ramírez (S, 2) logged a scoreless top of the ninth.

The Indians begin a six-game series at Fifth Third Field, home of the Detroit Tigers-affiliated Toledo Mud Hens, at 6:05 PM ET. Neither team has named a starting pitcher for the series-opening contest.