All three of the Clippers’ runs were surrendered by Tribe starter Sean Gallagher (photo) in the first four innings. Gallagher began the top of the 1st by walking CF Ezequiel Carrera on four pitches. Carrera promptly stole second base. 3B Lonnie Chisenhall smacked a liner past CF Wimberly and into right center. Chisenhall stumbled as he rounded second base, as if his toe had caught on the bag, and that was the only thing that kept him from reaching third base on the hit. The drive brought Carrera across the plate with Columbus’ first run. Gallagher settled down and got two fly outs around a walk to end the inning.
The top of the 2nd began with a hit batter (1B Wes Hodges) and a walk to DH Luis Valbuena. Gallagher struck out Carlin looking, then got out of the inning thanks to help from two of his fielders. First, Pedro Ciriaco made another horizontal dive to catch a line drive off the bat of Carrera (very similar to the play he made yesterday) for the second out. Second, when Clippers’ Cord Phelps singled up the middle, Corey Wimberly scooped up the ball and made a right-on-target throw in from center to Dusty Brown at the plate, and Brown put the tag on Hodges as he tried to score from second base, ending the inning.
Chisenhall opened the bottom of the 3rd inning with a big blast — a solo homer over the right field wall and over the grass berm to the sidewalk behind the berm. Gallagher retired the next three batters in the 3rd, but he got into trouble again in the 4th. Hodges led off with a double into right field, and Valbuena grounded a single up the middle, fielded by Wimberly in center, as Hodges rounded third and headed for the plate. For the second time in two innings, Wimberly made a spot-on throw from center field to Dusty Brown, who tagged out Hodges at the plate. Unfortunately, that was not the end of the Columbus rally. Valbuena had advanced to second base on Wimberly’s throw, and he went on to third when Luke Carlin singled into left field. Carrera set down a drag bunt that slid just past the mound on the first base side of the infield. Gallagher raced to field the ball and throw to first for a sacrifice, but Carrera was fast enough to beat the throw to first base, allowing Valbuena to score from third with the Clippers’ third run.
Gallagher finished his night having pitched 4 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits, with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts. He threw 79 pitches, 43 of which were strikes. The newest member of the Pirates’ organization, Dan Meyer, (photo) came on in relief of Gallagher to begin the 5th inning. Meyer went 2.2 innings, and he began by retiring the Clippers in order in the 5th. He gave up a walk and an infield single in the 6th, but left both on base. Meyer got two outs and walked two in the 7th, before turning things over to Daniel Moskos. Moskos ended the inning with a slick play on a tapper back to the mound that bounced off his leg and over toward first base. Moskos had to scramble to get to the ball fast enough and made a quick flip to first in time for the out. He was not injured by the ball hitting his leg.
Moskos also pitched the 8th inning, which began with back-to-back strikeouts of Valbuena and Carlin. He gave up a triple to Carrera, and walked Phelps, but got a ground out by Chisenhall to end the inning. Chris Leroux took care of the top of the 9th for the Indians, allowing just a double to 2B Jason Kipnis. Kipnis drove the ball into deep left-center, near the 418′ sign, but Gorkys Hernandez got to the ball so quickly that a hit that is usually a triple this time was only a double.
Gallagher was charged with the loss. The Tribe posted 9 hits (to 10 hits for Columbus), and three of those were by Matt Hague. Pedro Ciriaco was again hitless, though he reached base on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch on strike three. DH Andy Marte also went 0-for-4.
Photo — Corey Wimberly mades a catch in the 1st inning, with Alex Presley backing him up.
Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: Chase d’Arnaud’s ringing triple in the 6th inning, which drove in the Indians’ first run.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: Two amazing throws in from center field by Corey Wimberly, right to the plate so that Dusty Brown could tag out Clippers’ Wes Hodges twice, saving two runs.
Honorable mention #1 — Pedro Ciriaco made a diving catch of a line drive that was nearly identical to the one he made last night.
Honorable mention #2 — 2B Chase d’Arnaud made a diving catch going to his left and way over almost behind first base, of a grounder off Kipnis’ bat in the 7th inning, then was able to recover and make a throw to first from his knees in time to get Kipnis out.
Daniel Moskos…………………… former Indy Indian Joe Martinez
Chris Leroux………………………….. Pedro Ciriaco
Andy Marte…………………..Andrew Lambo, coaching at first base
Go Tribe!
(photos by NancyZ)
