Kingham Masters Chiefs With 85-Pitch Gem

INDIANAPOLIS - Nick Kingham spun an 85-pitch complete game to guide the Indianapolis Indians to a swift 3-1 win over the Syracuse Chiefs Thursday night at Victory Field. Kingham's effort lasted just 1 hour and 58 minutes, and was the first nine-inning complete game by a Tribe pitcher since Adam Wilk on July 6, 2014.

Indianapolis (64-53) got off to a fast start at the plate after Kingham worked a seven-pitch first inning. The Indians, who totaled just one hit in a 3-1 loss Wednesday afternoon against Buffalo, strung together three knocks in the opening frame to secure a 2-0 lead.
Max Moroff started the rally with a single to left, and Jordan Luplow followed with an RBI triple to the wall in right. Two pitches later, Danny Ortiz lined a run-scoring single up the box.
Kingham cruised one time through the order, needing just 28 pitches through the first three innings. His bid at perfection ended on an infield single by Zach Collier that opened the fourth, but Kingham's battery mate Elias Díaz promptly threw out Collier at second base on a stolen-base attempt.
Indy tacked on another run in the bottom half to go up 3-0. Erich Weiss doubled and took third on a groundout. After Gift Ngoepe wore a Phillips Valdez fastball off his chest, Kingham executed a suicide squeeze with runners at the corners, giving him his fourth career RBI.
The 25-year-old faced the minimum through the sixth. Syracuse (45-73) scored its lone run in the seventh on a one-out home run by Brandon Snyder, his 15^th of the season.
Kingham (7-6) won his fourth straight decision while lowering his ERA to 3.70. He encountered just two three-ball counts the entire game and struck out eight for a third time in 2017. He allowed a season-low two hits. His counterpart Valdez (0-1) suffered his first Triple-A loss after surrendering three runs on eight hits in five innings pitched.
Kevin Newman, Moroff, Luplow and Ortiz combined to go 7-for-14 atop the order.
The Indians and Chiefs continue their four-game set with the second contest Friday night at Victory Field. The Tribe will send right-hander Tyler Glasnow (7-0, 1.61) to the mound while the Chiefs will counter with righty Esmil Rogers (1-0, 2.45). First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m.