Pirates, Reds, Set For Indy Showdown

The 12 millionth fan is expected at tonight's game against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

For the first time since 1997, Major League Baseball comes to Victory Field this weekend. The exhibition game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds sold out in less than an hour in November.

The team says the game marks the quickest sellout since Victory Field opened in 1996. The last time a Major League Baseball team played in Indianapolis was June 12, 1997. That day, the Indianapolis Indians defeated the Reds 3-1 in an exhibition game. First pitch for Saturday’s game is set for 1:35 p.m. The Indians expect more than 14,000 fans to attend.

The Indianapolis Indians have been the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate since 2005 and recently announced a four-year player development contract extension through the 2020 season. In October, the Capital Improvement Board in Indianapolis approved a 20-year lease agreement to keep the Indians at Victory Field. The deal calls on the team to pay no rent, but cover operational and maintenance expenses.