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St. Pierre made up for the missed tag in the bottom of the inning, clubbing a lead-off home run on the first pitch he saw to tie the score at 1-1.� Two outs later, Crotta (photo) gave up a triple to CF Andy Dirks.� He got out of the inning when LF Jeff Frazier grounded to deep short.� Pedro Ciriaco made the diving stop deep in the hole, then jumped up and fired the long throw across the diamond to save the run from scoring from third base.
Crotta took advantage of good fielding behind him in the next two innings, which looked remarkably similar.� In the 4th, he walked Bertram, then got Guez to bounce to third base, where 3B Doug Bernier started a double play, 5-4-3 (Bernier to Friday to Bowker).� It was St. Pierre who walked in the 5th, then was erased when 3B Shawn Roof grounded into a double play, 4-6-3 (Friday to Ciriaco to Bowker).� The Indians were also scoreless in those two innings, as Oliver held them to just a walk by Bernier.
Both teams scored again in the 6th.� Alex Presley led off with a high chopper that bounced over the infielders and into right field for a single.� Presley stole second base (his 7th of the season).� Brandon Moss and Kevin Melillo both struck out, but John Bowker came through with a double over the head of Andy Dirks in center field, bringing in Presley to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.� The lead was short-lived.� 2B Scott Sizemore led off with a double, then moved to third on a ground out.� After a second ground out, DH Casper Wells also doubled, and Sizemore came in with the tying run.
Three more innings of donuts followed.� C Jason Jaramillo singled to begin the top of the 7th, and he advanced to second base on Doug Bernier’s sacrifice bunt, but he was left on base.� Crotta retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning.
The Indians threatened in the 8th, with reliever Brendan Wise taking over for Oliver.� Alex Presley reached on a fielding error as the ball hopped past Scott Sizemore, who had been moved to shortstop.� Wise threw a wild pitch, which bounded high over and behind the plate, as Presley advanced to second base.� Brandon Moss singled into right field, and Presley headed for third base.� Manager Frank Kremblas was waving him on to the plate, where his speed might have had him in safely, but Presley was running with his head down and he missed the wave-in, instead stopping at third.� He had to hold there at third base when Kevin Melillo grounded to first base.� John Bowker was intentionally walked next, which set up the only double play turned by the Mud Hens in the game — Erik Kratz grounded to third, for the 5-4-3 double play that ended the threat without Presley scoring.
Steven Jackson relieved Crotta to begin the 8th.� Crotta had thrown 97 pitches, with 57 strikes.� Jackson gave up a two-out triple to the base of the center field wall to LF Max Leon, but a pop out to Doug Bernier in foul territory near third base ended the inning with Leon still in place, and the tie still preserved.
Each team had one single in the 9th — by Jason Jaramillo for the Indians and by Ben Guez for the Mud Hens.� Brandon Moss also singled in the top of the 10th.� He drove a grounder along the first base line, which 1B Bertram knocked down with a dive that took him into foul territory.� He was lying prone on the grass, but made the flip throw back to first base, where reliever Casey Fien made the catch, but just a tick too late, as Moss had crossed the plate.
Then it was the bottom of the 10th.� Brian Bass took the mound in relief of Steven Jackson.� 2B Justin Henry grounded to the right side, too far from second base for 2B Brian Friday to be able to get to it.� But instead of going after the ball, 1B John Bowker headed back to first, expecting to take a throw.� The ball got past everyone and into right field, and Henry hustled into second base.� Max St. Pierre dropped down a bunt, intending it to be a sacrifice.� But Bass was so fast off the mound and over toward the third base line to make the scoop, that Henry held up at second base.� Bass whirled to throw to third base, but found no Henry moving that way, so he fired to first instead to get the out on St. Pierre.� Shawn Roof walked, and Scott Sizemore singled to short, loading the bases with one out.� Then Max Leon slipped a single past Bowker at first base and along the right field line, scoring Henry from third base with the winning run.
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Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game:� John Bowker’s RBI double in the 6th inning, which scored Presley from second base.
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Indians’ Defensive Gems of the Game:� Three double plays turned by the Indians infield.� The first, in the 2nd inning, got Mike Crotta out of a jam with two runners on base.� The other two double plays erased base runners who had walked in the 4th and 5th innings.� Then, in the 9th, Jason Jaramillo threw out Ben Guez as he was trying to steal second base.
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NOTES:
Pitcher Chris Jakubauskas, who has been outrighted to Indianapolis after being removed from the Pirates’ 40-man roster, will be joining the team within a few days.
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Go Tribe!
(photos by Nancy)
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