Indianapolis Indians  7,  Rochester Red Wings  5   (Game 1)
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A 4-run 6th inning gave the Indians the edge this afternoon at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY, despite being out-hit 13-9.  SS Chase d'Arnaud led the Tribe with 3 hits and 2 RBI, and LF Alex Presley and 3B Andy Marte had 2 hits apiece.

Both teams got their scoring started early with 2 runs in the 1st inning.  With former Indy Indian (2009) Eric Hacker making the start for Rochester, d'Arnaud began with a strikeout, then 2B Corey Wimberly was hit by a pitch.  Presley walked, and when Hacker pick-off attempt went wild, both runners moved into scoring position on the error.  RF John Bowker's grounder let the Rochester third baseman fire back to the plate, where Wimberly was tagged out.  With Bowker still on first base, Marte lined a double into left field, scoring both Presley and Bowker for the early 2-0 lead. 

The Red Wings came right back in the bottom of the inning.  The first batter Brian Burres faced, CF Dustin Martin, doubled into right field, and the next batter, SS Trevor Plouffe, smacked a 2-run homer to tie the score.  

Marte doubled again in to lead off the top of the 4th, and when the Wings' right fielder misplayed the ball, Marte advanced to third.  A sacrifice fly by 1B Matt Hague plated Marte, to give the Indians a 3-2 lead.  

Burres had a tough second inning to work through.  The lead off batter, 3B Chase Lambin, led off with a single, but was picked off first and caught stealing.  After a ground out, a walk, a single by Martin, and another walk loaded the bases.  Burres got out of the jam with a ground out, leaving the bases full.  Burres also got lucky in the 4th, when another single by Lambin and a double by C Steve Holm had Lambin rounding third and heading for the plate.  Presley made the play on the double in left field, then his throw in was relayed by d'Arnaud, who fired on to C Wyatt Toregas for the tag out of Lambin at the plate.   

More brief notes for Saturday, since we're on the road....

Florida State League All-Star Game, played in Clearwater, Florida
FSL North  5,  FSL South  3
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Three Marauders' players got in on this game:  C Ramon Cabrera, 1B Aaron Baker, and 2B Jarek Cunningham were all starters for the South squad.  The North scored first, with a single, a triple, and fielding error in center field in the bottom of the 1st, for a 2-0 lead.  The South tied it up in the top of the 4th, thanks to the Marauders.  Cabrera led off with a single through to left field.  After two outs, Baker brought in Cabrera with a 2-run homer to tie the game.  

The North took the lead again in the bottom of the 5th.  A walk, a stolen base, an RBI double, and an RBI single gave the North a 4-2 lead.  The North added some insurance in the bottom of the 8th, on two singles and a double.  The South had one last chance in the top of the 9th, which began with a lead-off single.  Baker grounded out, moving the runner to second base, and another single put him on third.  A sacrifice fly brought in the run, but a ground out ended the rally and the game.  

Cabrera played 3.5 innings before being replaced by another catcher.  He went 1-for-2, with a ground out in his other at-bats.  Cunningham played 5.5 innings before letting another second baseman get into the game.  He grounded out and popped out in his two plate appearances.  Baker played the whole game, and went 1-for-2 at the plate, with two walks.   

We're on the road, so just brief recaps for a few days....

Rochester Red Wings  7,  Indianapolis Indians  4
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Indians' errors contributed to the Red Wings' big inning, and the Indians' own big inning was not big enough, as the Tribe lost to the Red Wings at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY.  

The Wings jumped all over Tribe starter Rudy Owens in the bottom of the 1st, beginning with a ground-rule double on the first pitch Owens threw.  A walk and a grounder force out gave Rochester runners on the corners.  Both of those runners scored on 1B Aaron Bates' double down the right field line, for a 2-0 lead.  

The Indians got one run back in the top of the 2nd.  1B John Bowker led off with a single, then stole second base.  C Eric Fryer lined a single to short, and Bowker scored from second base.  

Owens worked around a walk and a single in the bottom of the 2nd inning, then allowed just one hit over the next three innings.  But things fell apart on him in the 6th.  Bates led off with a double into right field.  After a walk, 2B Toby Gardenhire dropped down a sacrifice bunt.  Owens fielded the bunt but threw wildly to first, and all three runners were safe on the error.  Owens walked the next batter, forcing in a run.  He was relieved by Justin Thomas, but Thomas hit the first batter he faced with a pitch, forcing in another run.  A single drove in two more runs.  A double play finally gave the Tribe two outs, and Thomas was relieved by Jose Ascanio, who had just been assigned to the Indians.  The first batter Ascanio faced grounded to third, but a throwing error by 3B Matt Hague allowed the batter to reach safely, while the runner from third base scored the 5th run of the inning.  Red Wings 7, Indians 1.

Jared Hughes and Sean Gallagher each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to finish the game for the Tribe.  Meanwhile, the Tribe batters were not having much success with the Red Wings' pitchers.  CF Gorkys Hernandez singled in the 3rd, but was caught trying to steal second base.  Bowker and Hague hit back-to-back singles in the 6th, but were left on base.  Hernandez also doubled down the right field line in the 7th, but was stranded.  

The Tribe rallied in the top of the 9th.  Three pinch-hitters started the inning: Andy Marte led off with a double into center field, Wyatt Toregas struck out, then Miles Durham singled, bringing Marte across the plate.  After a fly out, Hernandez hit his second double of the game, a ground-rule double, moving Durham to third base.  SS Chase d'Arnaud also doubled, which drove in Durham and Hernandez to bring the score to 7-4.  But Rochester ace reliever Anthony Slama was brought in from the bullpen, and Slama got DH Corey Wimberly to ground out, ending the game.  

The Indians and Red Wings play a split double header on Saturday -- one game at 1:05 pm, and the second game at 7:05 pm.  




 

Friday's action with the Pirate's lower minor league teams -- the brief version, as we're on the road:

The Bradenton Marauders are off for the Florida State League's All-Star weekend.  The 50th FSL All-Star Game will be played on Saturday, in Clearwater, FL.  Representing the Marauders:  C Ramon Cabrera and INF Aaron Baker and Jarek Cunningham.  Kyle McPherson and Brett Lorin were also named to the team but won't be participating because McPherson was promoted to AA, and Lorin is injured.  

The Pirates have signed Jon Schwind (41st round pick), and he will report to the GCL Pirates.  Schwind was listed as a catcher when drafted, but he also plays some infield and out field.   


Williamsport Crosscutters  7,  State College Spikes  0
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Not the way the Spikes wanted to start the season.  Starter Nick Kingham had two good innings, allowing only a single, but things fell apart in the 3rd.  That inning began with a lead-off homer, then after one out, a single and a stolen base put a runner on second.  After the second out, an RBI single drove in the second run of the inning.  A walk and a 3-run homer made it 5-0.  Joely Rodriguez took over for Kingman in the 4th, and gave up an unearned run on a double, a wild pitch, and a passed ball.  Rodriguez also loaded the bases in the 5th, but got out of the jam with a fly out.  Vince Payne pitched the next two innings, allowing only two singles.  Joan Montero took the bottom of the 8th, and gave up the final Williamsport run on a hit batter, a walk, and an RBI double.  

The Spikes collected 6 hits.   C Samuel Gonzalez singled and doubled, and RF Carlos Mesa singled twice, while two newly signed draft picks,  CF Taylor Lewis and DH Derek Trent, each singled.  The Spikes threatened in the 3rd inning, when 3B Walker Gourley was hit by a pitch, then Trent reached base on a fielding error by the Williamsport left fielder.  Gourley came around from first and tried to score on the play, but was tagged out at the plate.  They had another chance in the 4th, when LF Exicardo Cayonez was hit by a pitch and Gonzalez doubled, moving Cayonez to third, but both were left on base.