INDIANAPOLIS – Enmanuel Valdez hit his second home run in three days and Khristian Curtis allowed no runs in relief, but the Indianapolis Indians lost, 4-3, to the Toledo Mud Hens at Victory Field on Saturday night.
Wilber Dotel opened the game on the mound for Indianapolis, making his third major league rehab appearance since hitting the injured list on June 13. A sacrifice fly from Trei Cruz put the Mud Hens up 1-0 in the first inning, but Enmanuel Valdez quickly tied it up, 1-1, in the next frame with a sac fly of his own.
A wild pitch by Toledo’s (10-7, 44-47) Dylan File plated Nick Cimillo in the second inning, and the Indians (10-7, 41-51) were up briefly, 2-1. But Brett Callahan’s two-RBI double in the next frame and a sac fly from Cal Stevenson flipped the contest again, 4-2.
Valdez pulled Indianapolis within one, extending his team-leading home run count to 12 with a solo shot to center field in the bottom of the third. Valdez’s long ball was the last run of the game, as the Indians fell 4-3.
Ricky Vanasco (W, 3-1) threw 1.2 scoreless frames and earned the win. Nick Sandlin (S, 2) allowed no runs in the eighth and ninth innings for the save. Justin Meis (L, 0-1) took his first loss of the season after giving up three runs in the third.
Indianapolis will look to finish the week on a high note, facing Toledo for the series finale on Sunday afternoon at 1:35 PM. LHP Connor Wietgrefe will start for the Indians against the Mud Hen’s RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long.