This Day in Indianapolis Indians History

1962: Jim Koranda homered off Phil Niekro in the 11th inning to give the Indians a comeback victory over Louisville, 5-4. Indianapolis trailed Louisville 4-0 with two outs in the ninth inning but RBI singles by Koranda, Harry Simpson and Dick Berardino cut the deficit down to one run. A bases-loaded walk to Tom McCraw then tied the game, setting up Koranda's heroic efforts in extra innings off Niekro, a future Hall of Famer.

2015: Tyler Glasnow made his Triple-A debut and struck out seven batters in 5.1 innings. He surrendered four runs (one earned) and took a no-decision as Indy mounted a comeback to defeat Charlotte in 13 innings at Victory Field, 6-5. Glasnow made six starts in August 2015 for the Indians and finished the month 1-0 with a 0.81 ERA (3er/33.1ip) and 39 strikeouts. He didn't allow a run in his final 17.1 innings (three starts) to close out the month.

1962: Frank Kreutzer fired a 9.0-inning complete game as Indianapolis topped Louisville 3-1 to complete a five-game series sweep at old Victory Field. Tom McCraw finished 3-for-4 with a double, and Lou Vassie smacked a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh inning. Kreutzer struck out five and allowed just three hits in his 10th win of the season.

1979: Arturo DeFreites hit a two-run, game-winning home run in the bottom of the 16th inning to complete a cycle and lift the Indians to a 7-5 win over Wichita. DeFreites went 4-for-8 with two runs scored and three RBI in the 4-hour, 21-minute contest. After Indy surrendered a 2-0 lead and mounted a late-inning comeback with two runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to force extra innings, the two teams did not score a run for six consecutive frames before DeFreites' walk-off blast.

2003: Left-handed pitcher Luis Martinez was lights out in an 8.0-inning outing en route to a 1-0 win vs. Durham. The southpaw struck out 10 batters for his third quality start with the Indians as he improved to 3-0 on the season. Martinez also extended his scoreless inning streak to 20.1 innings in the Indians' defeat of the South Division leaders. Martinez was a gem for Indianapolis the last couple months of the season, as he finished with a 0.99 ERA (5er/45.2ip) in seven starts.

2018: With a 3-1 lead through four innings at Toledo, Wyatt Mathisen launched his first career grand slam to plate insurance runs for the Indians in the fifth in an eventual 12-7 win over their International League West rival. The blast proved useful, too, as the Indians surrendered five runs in the bottom half of the inning but still held a lead. Pablo Reyes also contributed to the offense, notching his second four-hit game of the season and seventh of his career. Reyes and Mathisen combined for six RBI and five runs scored.

1997: Damian Jackson went 5-for-6 as the Indians outlasted Omaha in 12 innings, 10-8. With the Indians leading, 8-1, the then-Royals came back with seven runs in the final three frames to tie the game. Jackson finished a home run shy of the cycle, with his double and triple coming as two of Indy's three extra-base hits among 19 total base knocks. Chris Stynes led the offense with five RBI on a pair of two-run singles and a sacrifice fly. Seven of Indianapolis' nine batters had multi-hit performances, with Stynes and Jackson driving in multiple runs.

1949: Russ Peters cleared the bases with a triple in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Indians to a 7-6 comeback victory over the Kansas City Blues. Peters, Nanny Fernandez and Jerry Scala each tallied three hits among Indy's 14 knocks. Kansas City scored six runs in the seventh to claim a 6-3 lead before Indianapolis stormed back late.

1996: Keith Mitchell launched a one-out, first-inning grand slam – the first in Victory Field history, albeit on the road – and Kirt Ojala tossed a two-hit complete game as the Indians defeated Nashville, 7-2. Mitchell's grand slam was his first of two home runs on the day, and he ended the performance with a team-leading five RBI. The victory was the third time that Ojala went the distance during his 1996 campaign with Indianapolis, as well as being his seventh and final win of the season.

1962: Indy won its ninth game in a row in dominating fashion, an 11-0 triumph at Oklahoma City. "Red" Worthington went the distance to improve to 10-4 on the season, scattering five hits and one walk with six punchouts. Lou Vassie went 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and three RBI in the win.

1988: Randy Johnson had 15 Triple-A starts under his belt when he took the mound for the Indians at Nashville during a playoff push. Johnson and Pat Pacillo tossed the last no-hitter in the Bush Stadium era when they threw a combined 8.0 hitless innings. Johnson was tagged for the loss as he gave up the game’s only earned run in the first inning, despite not giving up a hit. The future Hall of Famer tossed 7.0 innings, issued two walks and struck out eight.

1982: With a three-run home run by Clint Hurdle in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Indians walked off for a thrilling 10-9 win against Evansville at Bush Stadium in front of 11,381 fans. Hurdle finished the day with two home runs, a double and seven RBI.

1997: In front of a then-record 15,674 fans at Victory Field, the Indians swept Nashville in a doubleheader to pull within two games of Buffalo in the American Association East with a 70-49 record on the season. Indianapolis won Game 1, 7-2, behind a complete-game effort by Scott Klingenbeck (7.0ip, 4h, 2r, 2er, 0bb, 4k) in the first of five complete games for Indy that August. With two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning in Game 2, Tim Belk clubbed a three-run home run to give the Indians a 6-3 walk-off win and twin bill sweep.

1997: With a 5-3 win over Nashville, the Tribe's winning streak extended to a Victory Field era record 14 straight games from July 28-Aug. 9. According to record books kept by Indians executives through the years, the win streak tied an organization record for consecutive victories. Despite a complete-game effort by Giovanni Carrara in Game 1 of a doubleheader the next day, the historic streak ended with a 6-3 loss to Nashville.

2012: After tossing a combined no-hitter in April, Justin Wilson went the distance to no-hit Charlotte at Victory Field. It was the third no-hitter in the Victory Field era and the 12th in team history. He went 8.0 hitless innings with one walk and five strikeouts before the game got rained out. The Tribe won the game, 3-0, to improve to 72-48 on the season.

1941: Pitcher Ray Starr became the second Indians hurler in the Bush Stadium era to win 20 games with a 10-5 win over St. Paul in the first game of a doubleheader. Unlike other times in his career where he pitched in both games of a doubleheader, Starr only pitched in Game 1 as Indianapolis split the twin bill. He went the distance and allowed five runs on seven hits and five walks with four strikeouts. The following season, Starr was selected as an All-Star for the Cincinnati Reds and finished the year with a 2.67 ERA (82er/276.2ip).

1959: The Indians beat Omaha 4-1 at old Victory Field behind a Cloyd Boyer one-hit complete game. Boyer issued just two walks, hit one batter and struck out eight in his eighth win of the season. Walt Matthews tripled and scored in the fifth inning to put the Indians behind, but Indy responded with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Johnny Callison tripled and led Indy with two hits.

1989: In front of 10,077 fans, Mark Gardner spun a complete-game one-hitter in a 4-0 shutout vs. Buffalo. Gardner gave up three walks and struck out nine while improving his season record to 12-4. The Indians, winners of 13 of their last 15 at home, improved to 44-20 in the Circle City and finished 49-24 in the regular season at Bush Stadium.

1940: Johnny Vander Meer held St. Paul hitless through 7.2 innings and allowed just two hits in the eighth inning in a 9.0-inning complete game at Perry Stadium. The Indians won the game 11-2 behind a three-hit performance from Wayne Blackburn and two-hit efforts by Milt Galatzer and Walter Berger. Vander Meer drove in two runs himself to aid in the win.

1997: Trailing 6-1 following a two-run burst by Nashville in the top of the seventh, the Indians erupted for five runs in the eighth and one in the ninth to walk off the Sounds at Victory Field, 7-6. Indians leadoff hitter Pat Watkins finished 3-for-4 with two home runs, his second of which came in game-winning fashion to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning. Keith Mitchell ripped two doubles and drove in two in the comeback win.

1964: Dave DeBusschere, who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983, hit a second-inning grand slam off Fergie Jenkins to lift the Indians to a 7-2 win over Arkansas at old Victory Field. Jenkins was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1991. DeBusschere earned his 12th win of the season after throwing 6.0 innings and yielding only two runs with five strikeouts. Marv Staehle, Ramon Conde and Jim Koranda registered multi-hit performances in the victory.

1958: In the Indians’ 11th consecutive victory, right fielder Johnny Callison and catcher John Romano were dubbed the “Home Run Twins” after they each hit a home run in their combined 6-for-6 day at the plate with three runs scored and four RBI. Indianapolis beat Louisville 7-2 thanks to a complete game by Jimmie "Hot Rod" McDonald, who allowed just two earned runs on 11 hits and one walk with two strikeouts.

1989: The Indians overcame a 6-2 hole halfway home by scoring nine runs in the fifth, four in the sixth and one in the seventh to bury the International League's Tidewater, 16-6. Indy tallied 22 hits and were led by Armando Moreno, who went 5-for-5 his eighth home run, a double, four RBI and three runs scored. Alonzo Powell and Razor Shines also smashed home runs for Indianapolis in the blowout victory.

2004: The Tribe pitching staff allowed just one run in each game of a doubleheader en route to a sweep vs. Norfolk. Starters John Glover and Jeff Housman earned wins as they each tossed 5.0 innings and allowed just one run, with Housman mowing down Norfolk batters in Game 2 with eight strikeouts. Four bullpen arms combined for just two hits in 4.0 innings and six strikeouts.

2014: Gerrit Cole built upon is previous 6.0 one-hit innings outing and allowed five hits over 7.0 shutout winings in a 9-0 win over Louisville. Behind Cole's performance was six multi-hit performances from Tribe hitters, including Chris McGuiness' third four-hit game of the season, in which he his two doubles. Cole got in on the action with a double of his own, and the Tribe as a whole combined for seven two-baggers.

2016: Down 2-1 vs. Louisville with one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, Alen Hanson hit a walk-off grand slam to seal the comeback win for the Indians. It was the first walk-off home run for the Tribe since June 2015 and was the third walk-off grand slam in the Victory Field era, the other two coming in 2005. The Tribe bullpen pitched four scoreless innings with five strikeouts to hold the Bats at bay while the offense mounted a comeback.

1969: Bill Short and John Noriega tossed back-to-back two-hit shutouts in a twin bill sweep vs. Denver, 3-0 and 11-0. Each pitcher fanned six in their respective 7.0-inning outings. Offensively, home runs were the name of the game, wth Clyde Mashore launching a solo homer in the opener to give Indianapolis the lead. Dave Concepcion added a two-run double in the fifth for insurance. In the nightcap, Mike de le Hoz hit a grand slam during an eight-run first inning, Clarence Jones belted a pair of homers and Stanley Swanson went yard.

1988: Pinch hitter Razor Shines ripped a two-out single to drive in Johnny Paredes and finish off an 8-7 comeback win for Indianapolis. The Indians were in control when a three-run third inning broke the game’s 2-2 tie, but Iowa responded with five runs in the sixth to go ahead, 7-5. The Indians countered in the seventh with two runs of their own to tie the game. The win extended Indy’s Eastern Division lead to 9.5 games.

1989: Leadoff hitter Marquis Grissom set the tone for a 13-0 win in Buffalo, going 5-for-6 with a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Jeff Huson tallied three hits and drove in three runs, and Mike Blowers recorded his 12th home run of the season, the only home run hit in the contest. The victory was Indy's league-leading 80th of the season and extended its Eastern Division lead to 6.5 games.

1954: Indians southpaw Herb Score set the American Association all-time strikeout record with a 12-strikeout, complete-game effort at Columbus, boosting his season total to 269. The former record of 264 punchouts was held by Columbus' Charlie "Heine" Berger in 1906. Score would go on to strike out an American Association record 330 batters, a record that still stands.

2004: Right-handed pitcher Ben Hendrickson pitched his second complete game of the season, the team's fourth and the Indians' first 9.0-inning complete game since 2002 in a 1-0 shutout over Toledo at Victory Field. Indianapolis' last 9.0-inning complete-game shutout came on Aug. 7, 2000 when Horacio Estrada went the distance at Louisville. In his 10th of 11 wins on the season, Hendrickson allowed just two hits, one walk and struck out six.

1999: Down 5-0 midway through the sixth and 8-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, the Indians put up six runs to force extras and top the visiting Mud Hens in 12 innings at Victory Field, 11-10. The teams traded a pair of runs in the 10th inning before the Indians walked the game off with an RBI single off the bat of Mike Frank in the bottom of the 12th. Chris Snopek and Mark Sweeney went a combined 7-for-12 with three runs scored and five RBI as each of them notched a pair of doubles.

1992: The Indians held ground in the American Association Eastern Division with a 6-4 win at Oklahoma City, the club's fourth straight win on the road. Kent Bottenfield pitched into the seventh inning to earn his team-leading 12th and final win of the season. The victory moved Indy's record 24 games over .500 at 76-52, identical with Buffalo atop the division. Indianapolis faded down the stretch and finished 83-61, four games out of first place.

1982: After falling behind 4-0 to Iowa in the first inning, a three-run homer by Gary Redus and a grand slam by Nick Esasky in Indy's half of the first ignited a 14-8 win for the Indians. Redus finished with four RBI, and Esasky recorded a game-high five ribbies thanks to a two-homer effort. Joe Hicks, a Beech Grove, Ind. native, hit two home runs for Iowa.

1997: In a 2-0 win over Louisville, Steve Parris struck out 11 and allowed just one hit and three walks over 9.0 innings to improve to 2-2 on the season. It was the second one-hitter in Victory Field history and the first completed by one pitcher over 9.0 innings. It was the second of four 9.0-inning complete games by an Indians pitcher that season, following Pedro Martinez's effort on July 2 at Nashville.

1955: Hank Aguirre went the distance with 12 strikeouts in a 5-2 win over Charleston at old Victory Field. Aguirre also drove in two runs despite later becoming known as one of the worst-hitting pitchers in the majors.

1986: The Indians outlasted Nashville in a 15-inning, 4-hour and 18-minute marathon at Bush Stadium, 7-6. The Sounds led 5-2 through 7 1/2 innings, but the Indians plated three runs in the eighth to eventually force extras. Both teams were held scoreless until the 15th when the visitors plated one, only to see Indy respond with two in the bottom half and score the game-winning run on an extra-base hit by Rene Gonzales. George Wright went yard with a team-high three hits, and Razor Shines went deep as well.

2007: Jose Hernandez, serving as Indy's designated hitter, drove in a career-high six RBI in a 7-2 Indians win over Toledo at Victory Field. Hernandez went 2-for-3 with two home runs, a two-run shot in the fourth and a grand slam in the sixth. It was Hernandez' second grand slam in a week span, the first coming in a 7-2 win on Aug. 18 at Charlotte. Hernandez is one of five Indians in the Victory Field era to club two grand slams in a single season, joining Aaron Boone (1997), Roberto Petagine (1998), Brandon Moss (2010) and Josh Bell (2016).

2006: The Indians boasted four multi-hit and three multi-RBI performances in a 9-5 win at Columbus that saw every Indy batter record at least one hit among 17 knocks for the game. After enduring an early 3-1 deficit, Indy put up four runs in the sixth and two in the seventh thanks to two-RBI days by Carlos Maldonado, Yurendell de Caster and Craig Stansberry.

1998: Rich Stoll, a native of Attica, Ind., threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of a doubleheader against Buffalo. He walked one batter and recorded four strikeouts over 7.0 innings in the 3-0 triumph. It was the final no-hitter thrown by the Indians at Bush Stadium.

1967: Bill Fischer and Chuck Taylor each recorded complete games and victories as the Indians swept Denver in a doubleheader at old Victory Field, 6-4 and 7-2. Indianapolis Cathedral High School graduate Ron Keller took the loss for Denver in the first game as Dick Kenworthy went 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Cotton Nash ripped a solo home run for Indy in the nightcap, his 27th blast of the season.

2004: The Indians scored multiple runs in five separate innings en route to a 13-1 win over Toledo at Victory Field. Corey Hart went 3-for-4 with a double, sacrifice fly and two RBI, and Jeff Liefer belted his 19th home run of the year while driving in four runs. The Indians recorded 19 hits and all nine batters in their lineup registered at least one knock. Jason Childers struck out eight and scattered eight hits in 7.2 innings to earn the victory.

1979: Paul Moskau, Davis May, Sheldon Burnside and Angel Torres tossed the first combined no-hitter in franchise history and eighth overall in a 5-0 win at Evansville. The four pitchers combined for four walks and six strikeouts, with Moskau starting the game with three strikeouts in as many perfect frames. Three of Indy's five runs – plated in the third, seventh and eighth inning – came via a two-run homer by Don Werner and a solo shot by Ron Oester.

2011: In just his second game with the Indians, right-handed pitcher Nelson Figueroa struck out 10 hitters at Toledo on his way to a complete game. He limited the Mud Hens to one run in the third inning and stranded eight runners on the bases in his 9.0 innings of work. The Indians cushioned their 2-1 lead with a five-run eighth inning followed by a two-run ninth. Much of Indy’s offense in the 9-1 win came off the bat of Pedro Alvarez, whose only hit of the game was a grand slam.

1967: Victory Field was renamed Bush Stadium in honor of Indianapolis native and then-Indians president Owen J. "Donie" Bush. Bush first played for the Indians in 1908 before becoming a major league shortstop for Detroit. He then managed Indy to three straight 90-plus win seasons from 1924-26 and took the Pittsburgh Pirates to the World Series in 1927. Bush also served as co-owner of the Indians and was dubbed as Indianapolis' "Mr. Baseball."

1962: The Indians played a twin bill at Denver and won the first game 5-2 in 10 innings for their 22nd win in the month of August. Jim Koranda and Harry Simpson both hit homers for Indy. Despite losing the nightcap 9-1, Indy entered the month of September an American Association-best 30 games over .500 (84-54).

1978: Champ Summers, the eventual Minor League Player of the Year, blasted two home runs vs. Springfield to keep the Indians' playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win as they awaited their postseason destiny. Their chances of winning the Eastern Division title relied on the outcome of the second game of a doubleheader between Evansville and Iowa. The Indians and Triplets were tied for first place heading into the day, but Evansville’s 3-2 loss to Iowa in Game 2 of the doubleheader provided Indy clarity. Indianapolis went on to the American Association playoffs as the Eastern Division champions. Summers hit .368 that season with 34 home runs and 124 RBI.

1989: Jay Baller struck out two over 3.0 innings in an 8-1 win at Nashville to give him his 34th save of the season, an American Association record. The 34 saves were a franchise record at the time as well until Bob Scanlan converted 35 saves in 2000.