Indianapolis Indians  7,  Louisville Bats  1
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It might have been the black jerseys, or the fact that Rudy Owens was making the start, or even that they just needed a change of scenery  -- but whatever it was, it worked for the Tribe.  They beat the Louisville Bats, for just their second win of the season, at Louisville Slugger Park in Louisville, Kentucky.  The Indians' only other win came back on Monday -- also with Rudy Owens (photo) pitching, and also the only game before today in which they wore their black alternate jersey tops.   

Owens faced off against Johnny Cueto, who is with the Bats on a rehab assignment from the Cincinnati Reds.  Cueto, who was tagged for the loss, lasted into the 4th inning, and gave up the first two Indians' runs on 2 hits and 2 walks.  He also struck out 4 Tribe batters.


The Tribe made Cueto work in each inning he pitched, with at least one runner on base in every inning.  LF Alex Presley singled up the middle in the 1st, and 3B Josh Harrison walked and stole second base in the 2nd.   The Indians put runners on the corners in the 3rd inning.  With two outs, CF Gorkys Hernandez reached base when he grounded to short and Bats' SS Zack Cozart's throw to first base pulled 1B Danny Dorn off the bag (Hernandez was credited with an infield single).  Hernandez promptly stole second base, and when he did, Bats' C Devin Mesoraco's off-target throw skittered into right field.  Hernandez advanced to third base when Cueto threw a wild pitch on strike three to SS Pedro Ciriaco, giving the Indians runners on the corners.  Cueto bore down and struck out Presley to end the inning, but the Tribe had not made it easy.

The Tribe struck again in the 4th inning.  With one out, RF Andrew Lambo bounced a double off the concrete part of the center field wall for a double.  Harrison grounded to short, where Cozart made his second throwing error of the game, again giving the Indians runners on the corners.  Harrison stole second base, and Cueto walked C Wyatt Toregas to load the bases.  That was the end of Cueto's afternoon.  He was relieved by Jeremy Horst.  2B Brian Friday (photo) greeted Horst with a single through the hole into left field, which drove in Lambo and Harrison.  Horst struck out the next two batters to end the inning, but the Indians had the early lead for the first time all season.  Both runs were charged to Cueto, though Lambo's run was earned and Harrison's was not.  

At the same time, Rudy Owens was busy mowing down the Louisville batters.  He did not allow a hit until the 6th inning, and then when LF Yonder Alonso did line a single into center field, Owens erased him with a double play.  Owens had to deal with some base runners in the early innings --  a walk and a hit batter in the 2nd, another hit batter in the 4th, a walk and a 2-error play in the 5th.  In that play, with 2B Chris Valaika on first base (walk), Horst grounded to third base, where Harrison scooped up the ball.  Harrison's throw to second base was high, so Valaika was safe at second when Brian had to leap to make the catch.  Friday made an off-balance relay throw on to first base, and the ball sailed into the dugout, which let Horst advance to second base.  But Owens maintained his composure, and he calmly got a pop out and a ground out to end the inning and leave both runners standing in scoring position.  

The Altoona Curve and the Richmond Flying Squirrels were rained out in Altoona tonight.  They will make up the game in August.

West Virginia Power  8,  Augusta  5
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The Power scored in each of the first 4 innings to stay ahead of the Augusta Green Jackets on Saturday evening.  2B Drew Maggi got the game off to a good start with a double into right field.   1B Matt Curry walked, then with Maggi off and running, a ground out by 3B Eric Avila let Maggi score.  RF Justin Howard drove in Curry with a single into center field.  Augusta got one of the runs back in the bottom of the 1st with a triple and an RBI ground out off starter Tyler Waldron.  

Back-to-back singles by DH Elias Diaz and C Kawika Emsley-Pai opened the top of the 2nd, and gave the Power runners on the corners.  A passed ball let Diaz score.  SS Gift Ngoepe walked, but was out in a grounder force out, as Maggi got to first in time to avoid the double play.  Another grounder forced out Maggi at second, but CF Mel Rojas also beat out the throw to first, and Emsley-Pai scored.  Augusta also scored one run in the bottom of the inning, on a bases-loaded RBI ground out.  

The Power took a big step ahead in the 3rd.  Avila led off with a double, and after two outs, four consecutive singles drove in 3 runs.  Diaz plated Avila, and Emsley-Pai plated Diaz; Ngoepe's single put two runners on, and Maggi's single scored Emsley-Pai.  Another single by Avila and a fielding error on a fly into center field by Howard gave the Power an unearned run in the 4th.  

Augusta kept tacking on runs, but one at a time -- a solo homer in the 4th, and a run on two singles and a sacrifice fly in the 5th.  Waldron pitched 5 innings and allowed 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk, with 4 strikeouts.  He was relieved by Zach Foster to begin the 6th.  Foster pitched 3 hitless and scoreless innings and hit one batter, who was promptly caught stealing by Emsley-Pai.  Jason Townsend pitched the 9th and gave up the final Augusta run, on two singles, a passed ball, and an RBI ground out.  

Waldron earned his second win of the season.  Emsley-Pai went 3-for-4, with an RBI and 2 runs scored.  Besides the singles in the 2nd and 3rd, he also singled in the 8th inning, but was left on base.  Maggi, Avila, and Diaz all had 2 hits in the game.  

Manager Dean Treanor stands with Dusty Brown, one of only two Indians' runners to reach as far as third base.  






Louisville Bats  3,  Indianapolis Indians  0
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Louisville starter and former major league pitcher Dontrelle Willis (photo) held the Indians to 6 scoreless innings, and his relievers did the same for the remaining 3 innings, as the Indians lost to the Bats at Victory Field tonight.  

Willis allowed 5 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 6 batters in his 6 innings of work.  The Indians had only two base runners reach as far as third base.  In the 2nd inning, C Dusty Brown worked a walk with two outs.  He advanced to third base on RF Gorkys Hernandez's line drive single down the right field line.  Brown got no further, as Willis struck out both 2B Brian Friday and starting pitcher Brad Lincoln to end the inning.  

Willis gave up back-to-back singles in the 4th inning, but the Indians could not capitalize on that either.  1B Matt Hague slapped a grounder that took a goofy hop on the mound.  Willis stabbed at the ball, but he stumbled, then took a tumble (but came up laughing), and Hague was safe at first.  Moments later, Bats' catcher Corky Miller picked Hague off first base, and threw him out trying to reach second base.  3B Josh Harrison also lined a single into right field, then stole both second and third bases.  Two strikeouts left him standing there too.

Losses all around in the Pirates' minor league organization:

Augusta Green Jackets  5,  West Virginia Power  3
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A 4-run 2nd inning by Augusta had the Power trying to catch up for most of the game.  With Zack Dodson getting the start, Augusta scored on two singles, a throwing error by 3B Eric Avila, a 2 RBI triple, and an RBI ground out.  Only two of the runs were earned.  Dodson retired the side in two other innings, and walked two batters in the 4th.  The Power posted 8 hits (to Augusta's 5 hits), and put runners on base in each of their first four innings but could not bring any of them around to score.  The top of the 5th began with back-to-back singles by LF Rogelios Noris and SS Gift Ngoepe.  2B Drew Maggi dropped down a sacrifice bunt, but a missed catch error by the Augusta first baseman put Maggi safe on first, moved Ngoepe to third, and allowed Noris to score.  Ngoepe scored on an RBI ground out.  

Dodson was relieved by Brooks Pounders to begin the bottom of the 5th.  Pounders surrendered another unearned run, on two singles, a passed ball, and a wild pitch in the 5th.  He retired the side in order in both the 7th and 8th innings.  Ryan Beckman retired the side in order in the 8th inning.  

The Power continued to put runners on base in each inning, and they scored again in the 8th.  RF Dan Grovatt walked, moved to second base on a ground out, and scored on DH Justin Howard's line drive single into left field.  Ngoepe also singled in the 3rd inning.  CF Mel Rojas singled three times:  in the 1st, the 3rd, and the 7th.  He also stole second base in the 1st.