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RBIs By Alvarez and Kratz Not Enough In Suspended Game; Friday Hits Big in Second Suspended Game

First, the Indians had to finish up yesterdays' game -- suspended due to rain. �Then they had to play a 7-inning game for today.

Gwinnett Braves �4, �Indianapolis Indians �3 � (suspended, now finished) (box)

IMG_0462Home runs were the key in the first part of this game, which was started on Monday night -- read more about it here. Gwinnett's Barbaro Canizares started the scoring with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. �Indians' LF Brandon Moss knocked a solo homer in the top of the 2nd, and Braves' Alex Romero answered with a solo blast to lead off the bottom of the inning.

The Braves were leading 3-1 going into the bottom of the 4th. �Starter Daniel McCutchen (photo) got into trouble quickly, when LF Matt Young bounced a weird hop off 2B Argenis Diaz's shoulder for an error. �Alex Romero walked, putting runners on first and second, as the rain got serious. �A double steal moved the runners to second and third. �SS Brandon Hicks came to the plate and had a 1-2 count on him when the game was halted.

McCutchen finished with 3 innings of work, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks. �Two of those hits and runs came on homers. �McCutchen threw 58 pitches, 30 for strikes.

When the game resumed on Tuesday, Anthony Claggett took over for McCutchen, inheriting two runners on base and a 1-2 count on Hicks at the plate. �Claggett threw two balls, but then got Hicks to ground out easily to Pedro Alvarez at third, with the runners forced to hold their positions. �C Clint Sammons bounced to first base, where 1B Brian Myrow scooped and fired back home, where C Erik Kratz tagged out the lead runner Young at the plate. �Claggett ended the inning with a strikeout, escaping the jam without letting a run score.

IMG_2330The Braves scored again in the 5th inning. �CF Jordan Schafer lined a single into center field, and when Claggett tried to pick him off first base, the throw hit Schafer. �After taking a few minutes to make sure he was ok, Schafer popped up and stole second base on the next pitch. �A sacrifice bunt by 3B Wes Timmons moved Schafer to third base, and a single lined into left field brought him home. �Braves up, 4-1.

The Indians rallied in the top of the 6th. �CF Jon Van Every led off with a walk. �He moved to second base, then on to third, on ground outs by Argenis Diaz and Brian Myrow. �Pedro Alvarez smacked a double to deep center field, to plate Van Every. �Erik Kratz (photo) followed with a single slipped through the hole and into left field, and Alvarez raced around third to score. �That put the Tribe within one run of the Braves, at 4-3. �The rally ended when RF Brandon Jones grounded out.

Anthony Claggett also pitched the 6th inning, allowing only a walk. �He came out to begin the 7th inning, and got a strikeout, before turning the ball over to Justin Thomas. Claggett�finished with 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run on 2 hits and a walk, with 4 strikeouts. �Thomas finished the 7th inning with two quick outs, a strikeout and a fly out. �Brian Bass came on to pitch the 8th, working around a lead-off single to keep the Braves scoreless again.

After their two runs in the 6th, the Indians managed only one base runner for the rest of the game. �Manager Frank Kremblas decide not to use a pinch-hitter for Anthony Claggett. �Batting for himself, Claggett worked the count full then took a walk. �He moved to second base on a wild pitch, but was left there at the end of the inning. �The Indians went down in order in the 8th and 9th innings, including three strikeouts.

IMG_2328Argenis Diaz was the only Tribe batter to have 2 hits in the game (both singles). �Daniel McCutchen was charged with the loss, his second of the season with the Tribe.

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Brandon Moss's (photo) solo home run, which put the Indians on the scoreboard in the 2nd inning.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with one out and Joe Thurston on first base, Barbaro Canizares bounced a slow roller to Pedro Alvarez at third. �Alvarez grabbed it on the second hop, then fired to second base, where 2B Brian Friday made the pivot and threw on to first base for the inning-ending double play, which cut short the Braves' rally.

Indians Are Suspended Again

What is it with the suspended games?

Indianapolis Indians �3, �Charlotte Knights �1 (box)

IMG_3228When lightning and rain suspended this game on Friday night, it was a pitching duel between the Indians' Brad Lincoln and the Knights' Matt Zaleski. Lincoln had allowed one hit and one walk in 5 innings, while striking out 7 batters. �Zaleski had held the Tribe batters to 2 hits (a double to 1B Brian Myrow and a single to DH Brandon Moss), no walks, and he had struck out 6 batters.

The game was resumed at 6 pm on Saturday, and LF Kevin Melillo (photo) got the restart off with a bang -- he slammed the first pitch from reliever Kyle McCulloch over the right field wall for a solo home run.

Anthony Claggett took over for Lincoln for the second part of the game. �With one out in the bottom of the 6th, Claggett gave up a solo homer to CF Buck Coats, to tie the game at 1-1. �Claggett went on to retire three Knights in order in the 7th inning.

The Tribe broke the tie in the top of the 7th. �C Erik Kratz led off the inning with a double to deep center field. �A single by Brandon Moss moved Kratz to third base. �With the runners on the corners, 2B Brian Friday bounced a grounder to third base, starting a double play. �Kratz scored from third base, though (no RBI), and the Indians had a 2-1 lead. �Another double play squelched a rally in the 8th inning, when CF Jose Tabata singled, but was doubled off first when Melillo lined out right to the Knights' first baseman.

IMG_3310Charlotte threatened in the bottom of the 8th. �Claggett (photo) began the inning by hitting RF Jordan Danks with a pitch. �DH �Donny Lucy dropped a sacrifice bunt, which Claggett fielded cleanly, but Friday could not make the catch on Claggett's throw to first. �The error put Knights on the corners. �Another sacrifice bunt by 2B CJ Retherford moved Lucy to second base, but Danks had to hold at third. �That was all for Claggett. �Justin Thomas came in from the bullpen, and he ended the inning with a foul pop out to 3B Pedro Alvarez and a strikeout, leaving two runners in scoring position.

Alvarez gave the Tribe an insurance run in the top of the 9th. �His 11th home run of the season left the yard over the left field wall, giving the Indians a 3-1 lead. �The next three Indians' batters went down in order, and Jean Machi finished the game for the Tribe by doing the same to the Knights in the bottom of the frame. �Machi earned his 7th save of the season. �Claggett was charged with a Blown Save, due to the home run in the bottom of the 6th, but he was also given the win, since he was the pitcher of record when the Indians scored in the top of the 7th. �That homer was only the 2nd, and the last, �hit of the game for the Knights.

IMG_2671Indians' Hitting Gems of the Game: �Home runs by Kevin Melillo and Pedro Alvarez. �Melillo's was his second of the season and the second in two games (over three days). �Alvarez's homer was his 11th of the season and his 44th RBI.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �Five one-hit innings by Brad Lincoln �(photo), needing only 61 pitches to do it. �He dominated the Knights, and made it look easy.

(Click on "Read more" for the second game)

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Indians’ 9th-Inning Rally Falls Short

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Gwinnett Braves �6, �Indianapolis Indians �5 (box)

IMG_3210A 9th-inning rally, sparked by a pair of Gwinnett errors, put the Indians within one run of tying the game. �The rally fell short, though, and the Braves held on to take the win at Victory Field on Monday night.

The Indians were trailing 6-3 going into the bottom of the 9th. �With Braves' reliever Michael Dunn on the mound to begin his second inning, pinch-hitter Luke Carlin grounded to short, but SS Brandon Hick's throw to first was low and short, and Carlin was safe at first on the error. �Dunn was removed, and reliever Stephen Marek came in from the bullpen to take care of the Indians. �CF Jose Tabata greeted Marek with a line drive into center field, moving Carlin to second base. �2B Neil Walker was next, and he had the crowd holding its breath for a moment with a long fly ball to left-center, but it turned out to be only a long out. �1B Brian Myrow did what he does best -- get on base, somehow, some way. �This time it was by working the count full, fouling off another pitch, and taking a walk to load the bases.

That brought up 3B Pedro Alvarez (photo).�Alvarez bounced the 1-0 pitch to first base, for what should have been an easy out at first. �But Braves' 1B Freddie Freeman charged the slow roller and missed. �It looked like he was already thinking about how he was going to throw to the plate before he actually had the ball in his glove. �The ball went under his glove and skipped down the line about 12 - 15 feet behind first base. �Carlin scored easily from third, and Tabata also scored as Freeman had to reverse and chase down the ball. �Both runs were unearned, and Alvarez was credited with one RBI.

IMG_3262Now the Indians were with in one run, 6-5, and C Erik Kratz came to the plate. �Kratz already had a single in the game, and he'd walked twice. �But this time, he grounded a 0-2 pitch to short, and SS Brandon Hicks began a 6-4-3 double play that ended the rally and the game.

The Indians had scored first, back in the bottom of the 1st inning. �Jose Tabata led off by slipping a grounder through the right side of the infield for a single. �Neil Walker lined a double into right field, sending Tabata to third base. �1B Brian Myrow (photo) grounded to first base, and the Braves conceded the run to get the out, as Tabata scored from third. �Pedro Alvarez brought in Walker, who had advanced to third base on Myrow's play, with a sacrifice fly. �The throw from Gwinnett's CF Jordan Schafer came in high and up the third base line, and Walker scored easily. �The Indians had a 2-0 lead.

Indians Fall To Yankees Twice

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �10, �Indianapolis Indians �7 (box)

IMG_3309This was the completion of the suspended game from last night. �(Take a look here to read more about the first 3.5 innings.)

The start of the restart was delayed about 40 minutes because of the threat of rain. �The tarp was put down, but when the rain never happened, it was pulled, and play began. �Despite worrisome weather forcasts, it didn't rain for the rest of the evening, and there was even a bit of sunshine.

The Yankees took the field for the restart, holding an 8-5 lead. �Starter Jeremy Powell had made a shaky start, allowing all 8 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. �The Yankees had batted around in the top of the 4th, as Powell struggled on a wet and slippery mound and his teammates behind him battled soggy grass. �Steven Jackson came on in relief of Powell, but 5 runs came in �to give the Yankees the lead.

On the restart, Anthony Claggett (photo) took the mound for the Indians. �Claggett just didn't have it tonight. �He walked 6 batters in 1.1 innings, though miraculously did not give up any runs. �He walked the first two batters in the top of the 5th, then got a double play, which eliminated one runner but put the lead runner (LF Chad Huffman) on third base. �Two more walks loaded the bases, but a grounder to SS Argenis Diaz gave Claggett a force out at second base, and he had escaped his self-made jam.

IMG_3311The next inning was more of the same, though. �The first batter flied out, with CF Jose Tabata first coming in, then having to reverse, and then make a running over-the-shoulder catch. �Claggett put the next three batters on base, with a walk to DH Jon Weber, a hit by C Jesus Montero, and a walk to Huffman. �That was enough for manager Frank Kremblas to see. �Claggett left having walked 6 of the 10 batters he faced.

Vinnie Chulk (photo) was next out of the bullpen. �He came into the game with one out and the bases loaded -- and proceeded to strike out RF Reid Gorecki and get 3B Matt Cusick to end the inning and leave those three runners right where he found them.

Chulk came back out for the 7th inning. �He gave up a single into right field to CF Greg Golson. �A grounder moved Golson to second base. �Chulk got a gift next. �He tried to pick Golson off second base, but his throw was wide and got into center field, and Golson raced to third base. �But the umpires pointed him back to second base -- home plate ump Mark Lollo had called time out just a split second before Chulk turned and made the throw to second, making the whole thing a "no play". �Then it turned out to be moot. �A single by 1B PJ Pilittere, who had taken over for David Winfree, singled down the right field line, and Golson scored anyway.

Veal Two-Hits Yankees; 3 Hits For Tabata

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Indianapolis Indians �3, �Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �0 (box)

IMG_2667Donnie Veal (photo above) dominated Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Victory Field on Tuesday night, holding the Yankees to just 2 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings of work. �Veal struck out a total of 7 batters, including 5 of the last 9 batters he faced. �Indians' CF Jose Tabata (photo) out-hit the Yankees all by himself, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while 1B Brian Myrow had 2 hits and 2 RBI.

Veal had more trouble in the early innings than he did later in the game. �With one out in the 1st, he gave up a walk to 2B Reegie Corona and a single to SS Eduardo Nunez, but got out of the inning with a grounder to SS Brian Friday for a double play. �He used 18 pitches to get through the 1st inning, and then needed another 19 in the 2nd inning, when he worked another walk but still kept the Yankees scoreless.

Veal also had to work around a base runner in each of the 3rd and 4th innings. �C Chad Moeller began the 3rd inning with a double, but Veal left him standing right there, while he racked up his first two strikeouts of the game around a pop up. �The third walk Veal allowed came in the 4th inning to LF Jon Weber, but another double play started by Brian Friday ended that inning.

IMG_2301Meanwhile, Jose Tabata was leading the Indians' offensive attack. �He opened the bottom of the 1st with a line drive into left field for a double. �2B Neil Walker was hit on the foot by a pitch, then Brian Myrow (photo) lined a single into right field, and Tabata came around from second base to score. �After a pop out by 3B Pedro Alvarez, RF Brandon Jones walked to load the bases, but C Luke Carlin bounced into a double play, and the Indians could not take advantage of the bases-loaded situation.

Yankees' starter Jason Hirsch thought he had the Indians under control in the 2nd inning, when he began the frame with two fly outs. �But then Brian Friday ripped a double into left field, and surprised Hirsch by stealing third base. �Jose Tabata grounded to third base, but beat out the throw to first for a hit, allowing Friday to score. �Neil Walker lined a single into right field, moving Tabata to third base. �With runners on the corners, Brian Myrow again slapped an RBI single, this time into center field, and Tabata scored easily. �A ground out ended the inning, but the Indians had a 3-0 lead.

Both teams were pretty quiet for the remainder of the game. �Jose Tabata collected his third hit of the game in the 4th inning, again beating out a throw on an infield hit. �As Neil Walker stepped into the batters' box following Tabata's hit, some serious jawing erupted from the Yankees' dugout, possibly related to what had been a close play at first base. �1B Umpire Dan Bellino tossed someone in the dugout -- it wasn't clear whom until S/W-B manager Dave Miley came out of the dugout to continue the jawing �-- yup, it was Miley. �Once the dust had settled and the game resumed, Tabata promptly stole second base, then stole third. �Neil Walker walked, but the Indians left the runners stranded on the corners when Brian Myrow grounded out.

Homers By Alvarez, Friday, and Walker Help Crotta Cruise

Indianapolis Indians 8, �Toledo Mud Hens 1 (box)

IMG_2743The Indians scored in four consecutive innings on Friday night, then added one more run in the top of the 9th for good measure, as they cruised past the Mud Hens in Toledo. �Mike Crotta (photo) made the start for the Indians, and pitched 7 innings, allowing just one run on 7 hits, no walks. �He struck out 5 batters. �Three Indians homered -- 3B Pedro Alvarez, DH Brian Friday, and 1B Neil Walker -- as the Tribe collected 10 hits.

The first three innings were quiet for both teams. �Crotta gave up a double to SS Brent Dlugach in the 2nd inning and single to former Indy Indian C Robinzon Diaz in the 3rd, but stranded both of them on base. �The Indians put only one runner on base over those innings, when SS Doug Bernier made Mud Hens' 3B Will Rhymes dive for a grounder behind the bag, but still beat out his throw to first base. �Bernier was still left on base at the end of the inning.

The Indians dented the scoreboard in the top of the 4th. �Neil Walker led off with a walk, then stole his 10th consecutive base of the season. �Pedro Alvarez drove in Walker with a huge home run over the 406' sign in right-center field, and the Tribe was up 2-0.

Brian Friday added another run in the 5th inning with his first home run of the season, a long fly ball over the left field wall. �Then the Tribe kept going with a run in the 6th. �With one out, Alvarez walked, and a wild pitch moved him to second base. �RF Brandon Jones singled up the middle, and Alvarez raced around from second base to score. �That gave the Indians a 4-0 lead and sent the Toledo starter Ryan Ketchner to the showers. �Scot Drucker struck out C Erik Kratz and LF Brandon Moss to end the inning.

Carlin, Friday, and McCutchen Clip the Wings


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Mike Crotta and Donnie Veal are charting in the stands.

Indianapolis Indians 7, �Rochester Red Wings 2 (box)
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C Luke Carlin went 3-for-3 at the plate and SS Brian Friday gave the Tribe the lead with a huge triple, to help Daniel McCutchen and the Indians take the first game of a 4-game series against the Rochester Red Wings at Victory Field on Monday night.
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Daniel McCutchen (photo) had to work hard during the first three innings. �In the first inning, he threw 21 pitches, and threw a first pitch ball to each of the 5 batters. �He needed 26 pitches in the 2nd inning, and three of those five batters also saw a first pitch ball. �Finally in the 3rd, McCutchen started throwing first pitch strikes, to four of the five batters in that inning.
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The game began with a bang, as Red Wings' 2B Matt Tolbert ripped a 2-1 pitch down the right field line and into the corner. �Tolbert rounded second and headed for third. �He got there just as the ball did, but the throw from the relay man, 2B Neil Walker, came in to 3B Pedro Alvarez high, and Alvarez had no chance to apply a tag. �McCutchen got the next batter, SS Trevor Plouffe, to ground out to short and Tolbert did not advance, but when LF Brian Dinkelman grounded to the right side of the infield, Tolbert scored easily. �3B Luke Hughes singled into right field, but was left on base, and the Red Wings had a 1-0 lead.
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IMG_2378McCutchen worked around a 2-out single by 1B Brock Peterson and a walk to C Jair Fernandez in the 2nd inning. �In the third, again with two outs, he gave up a single to Luke Hughes and an RBI double by CF Dustin Martin off the top of the wall in left-center to the right of Jackie Robinson's "42". �Martin was left stranded when RF Matt Macri struck out, but the Red Wings had increased their lead to 2-0.
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Rochester starter Glen Perkins came into the game with an 0-3 record and a ERA above 10. �He did not pitch like that for the first four innings, though. �Perkins faced only one batter over the minimum in those four innings. �He retired the side in order in the 1st. �He gave up a walk to Pedro Alvarez in the 2nd, but erased him in a double play. �He let Luke Carlin (photo) single up the middle in the 3rd, but erased him with another double play. �The Indians left their first runner on base in the 4th, when CF Jose Tabata led off with a grounder to short and beat out the throw to first base. �Tabata stole his 17th base of the season, but got no further, as Perkins ended the inning with two short fly outs (Neil Walker and 1B Brian Myrow) and a strikeout (Alvarez).
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Alvarez’s Homer Caps Lucky 7 In The 6th

IMG_2699Indianapolis Indians 9,

Buffalo Bison 2

(box)

3B Pedro Alvarez smashed a 3-run homer (photo) to cap off a 7-run inning as the Indians stampeded the Bison in the first game of an 8-game homestand at Victory Field. �The Indians recorded 15 hits in the game, with each position player in the starting line-up picking up at least one hit except for 2B Brian Friday, and Friday contributed a sacrifice bunt in the big inning. �Both C Erik Kratz and LF Brandon Moss had 3 hits in the game, while CF Jose Tabata, 1B Neil Walker, and SS Argenis Diaz each had 2 hits.

IMG_2683The Indians went into the bottom of the 6th with a slim 2-1 lead. �Buffalo starter, Bobby Livingston, who had pitched briefly for the Indians in 2009, had completed 5 innings and reliever Kiko Calero was beginning his work on the mound. �Brandon Moss began the fun with an easy liner into center field, his second hit of the game. �Moss took off for second base, and though he did not get there before the ball did, Bison shortstop Ruben Tejada dropped the ball on the throw, and Moss was safe with a stolen base. �Erik Kratz took a fly ball to the left-center field alley, for his second double of the game, and Moss cruised home with an insurance run (1). �Brian Friday dropped down a neat sacrifice bunt, moving Kratz to third base. �Argenis Diaz lifted a little fly to short right field, which fell in between three Bison chasing after it. �Kratz had been waiting to tag up, so when the ball fell in, he headed for the plate. �The throw came in to Buffalo catcher Josh Thole on the first-base side of the plate and a little in front, as Kratz slid on the outside of the third base side, his right hand skimming the plate as he went by, scoring the second run (2). �Diaz advanced to second base on the throw. �Brian Myrow came on to pinch-hit for starter Brad Lincoln, and he took the first pitch he saw up the middle for another single, scoring Diaz (3). �Jose Tabata (photo) was next, and he was hit on the left hand by a pitch, putting runners on first and second bases. �That brought up Neil Walker, who'd already had a single and an RBI in the previous inning. �Walker smacked a liner into right-center field, which hit the ground just about a foot in front of the glove of the diving outfielder. �The ball got past him and kept rolling, and Walker had an RBI double as Myrow crossed the plate (4). �That was enough to send Calero to the showers.

5-Run 6th Inning Sinks Veal and Tribe

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs �10, �Indianapolis Indians �6 (box)

IMG_2300Five runs by the Iron Pigs in the 6th inning put the game out of reach for the Indians in Saturday's game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. �With starter Donnie Veal on the mound for the Tribe, the Iron Pigs batted around, beginning with a lead-off double by RF Cody Ransom. �Tribe CF Jose Tabata had to make a long run, but couldn't quite get to the ball, as it glanced off the end of his glove. �3B Neil Sellers walked, and after a fly out, C Dane Sardinha smacked a long fly that bounced on the warning track in left-center, then bounded over the wall. �Ransom scored, but Sellers had to be stopped at third base because it was a ground-rule double. �Pinch-hitter Paul Hoover was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and former Indy Indian CF Rich Thompson lifted a long fly ball to left field. �LF Neil Walker got to the ball for the out, but Sellers tagged up and scored on the sacrifice, as the throw in to the infield was cut off. �2B Luis Maza followed with a double, bringing in two more runs, and that was the end of Veal's night.

Vinnie Chulk relieved Veal, but he gave up a single, which moved Maza to third base. �A pitch in the dirt got past C Erik Kratz, and Maza scrambled home from third base. �A strike out ended the inning. �Those 5 runs (one was unearned) were charged to Veal, who allowed a total of 7 runs (6 earned) on 7 hits and 4 walks, over 5.2 innings, with one strikeout.

The Indians scored first in the game, with two runs in the top of the 1st. �Jose Tabata (photo) opened the game with a walk, on three pitches which appeared to be very close -- close enough to get Lehigh Valley's starter (and former Indy Indian) Ryan Voglesong and catcher Dane Sardinha upset. �With the dangerous Tabata on base, the Iron Pigs' 2B Luis Maza had to stay a few steps closer to the second base bag. �That gave Neil Walker the space he needed to slip a ball through the right side of the infield for a single, moving Tabata to second base. �3B Pedro Alvarez also singled through the hole into right field. �This time RF Cody Ransom bobbled the ball, so manager Frank Kremblas changed his "stop at third" sign to a "keep going" sign, and Tabata raced home. �Walker moved up to third base, and when 1B Steve Pearce flied out, Walker scored on the sacrifice. �Then came a poor base running move: �Alvarez stepped a little too far off first base, and was picked off by Vogelsong. �It was the 8th time this season that the Indians had a runner picked off first.

Walker Leads Come-From-Behind Tribe Win

Indianapolis Indians 10, �Pawtucket Red Sox 9 (box)

IMG_2374It was a dreary, rainy, frigid afternoon in Rhode Island this afternoon, but it probably looked quite sunny to Tribe LF Neil Walker (photo). He began the day with a solo home run in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, and he ended the day with a line drive single into center field, which drove in the game-winning run, giving the Tribe their fifth win in a row. �It also moved the Indians back to .500 (10-10), where they hadn't been since April 12th, just 4 games into the season.

Kevin Hart made the start for the Indians. �After retiring Pawtucket in order in the bottom of the 1st, including two strikeouts, Hart struggled mightily. �The second inning began with a double by 2B Tug Hulett, on a ball that fooled Tribe RF Brandon Moss, going over his head and to the wall. �A quick out, then a walk to C Dusty Brown and a single to 3B Jorge Jimenez loaded the bases. �Moss got the ball back to the infield quickly on Jimenez's hit, so the lead runner Hulett was held at third base. �It didn't matter, though, as RF Bubba Bell lined a single in to center field, scoring both Hulett and Brown to take the lead. �Bell stole second base, and SS Ryan Khoury singled next, driving in Jimenez, and moving Bell to third base. �CF Josh Reddick dropped down a bunt, meant to get Bell in from third, but the ball dropped foul, rolled into fair territory, rolled away from the grass, then stopped right on the chalk line, which is where C Erik Kratz picked it up. �Bell did not take off from third, though Khoury did advance to second base, and again the bases were loaded. �Hart struck out LF Daniel Nava, then walked DH Angel Sanchez forced in the fourth run of the inning. �Finally, a ground out by Hulett ended the inning -- 10 batters to the plate, 4 runs in, and 39 pitches from Hart.

IMG_2659The Indians got two of the runs back in the top of the 3rd. �SS Brian Friday led off with a walk, and CF Jose Tabata brought him in with a triple off the top of the wall in center field. �Neil Walker collected his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to plate Tabata, and the Indians were within one run, 4-3.

But when Hart (photo) went back out to begin the bottom of the 3rd, he got into trouble again when the first four batters reached base. �A single by 1B Aaron Bates bounced just base the outstretched glove of SS Argenis Diaz and into left field. �Hart then threw 8 straight balls, walking both Dusty Brown and Jorge Jimenez. �Bubba Bell slipped a single through the hole and into right field, bringing in Bates and leaving the bases still loaded. �That was all for Hart, who exited having thrown 68 pitches, half for strikes. Steven Jackson, who had finished serving his suspension for hitting a batter last Thursday night, came on to relieve Hart. �The first batter Jackson faced was Khoury, who grounded to third base. �It was tailor-made for a 5-2 play back to the plate to force out the lead runner, and maybe even a double play if Kratz could throw on to first. �But, 3B Pedro Alvarez got excited and had trouble picking the ball out of his glove, then threw it over Kratz's head. �Brown scored from third, and while Kratz was tracking down the ball behind him, Jimenez rounded third and scored too, just before Kratz could throw to Jackson, covering the plate. �The error was Alvarez's fourth of the season, but the first throwing error.

Kratz Gets Save #1 In 15th Inning

Indianapolis Indians 7, �Louisville Bats 6 (box)

It's just a few minutes after midnight, radio broadcaster Howard Kellman just said "Good Morning Everyone" as he came back from a station ID break, and Erik Kratz just earned his first career save with a nicely pitched 15th inning. �The Indians' fifth lead in this game was finally the one that stuck, and the 4 hour 57 minute game has ended with an Indians' win. �CF Jose Tabata hit the Indians' only home run of the game in the top of the 15th for the winning run. � And, these players have to be on a bus in about 4 hours to head out to catch a flight to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where they will be playing... later today. �"I just don't want it to go to my head," quipped Kratz about his first save.

IMG_2518The first half of the game was dominated by the starting pitchers. �Tribe starter Donnie Veal (photo) retired the first 8 batters he faced. �He gave up a walk and a single in the 3rd inning, but got out of the small jam with a strikeout. �Veal breezed through the 4th inning, then gave up a lead-off single in the 5th, but erased that batter with a double play. �Louisville starter Travis Wood gave up a single to LF Brandon Moss in the 2nd, and a single to 3B Doug Bernier in the 4th, but both of them were eliminated with subsequent double plays.

The Indians scored the first runs of the game in the 5th inning. �RF Steve Pearce led off with a single to third, and the next two batters struck out. �Then 2B Brian Friday rocketed a ball down the left field line, and while the ball was busy rattling around in the corner, Pearce came around to score all the way from first base. �SS Argenis Diaz followed with a line drive into right field, and Friday headed for home. �The throw in from the outfield came in on the first-base side of the plate, and Friday slid in safely, to give the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Veal seemed to be tiring in the 6th, when he walked two batters, but still held on to end the inning and keep the Bats from scoring. �With two outs in the 7th, Veal walked another batter, and he was relieved by Anthony Claggett. The first batter Claggett faced, C Wilkin Castillo, ran the count full, fouled off a few more pitches, then hit a 2-run homer over the right field wall to tie the game.

The Indians came right back in the top of the 8th. �Back-to-back singles by Argenis Diaz and Brian Myrow, who had come into the game in a double-switch to play first base, led off the inning. �Myrow's single dropped into left field just a few feet in front of LF Juan Francisco, who looked like he could have made the catch with a bit more hustle. �3B Doug Bernier surprised the Bats by dropping down a sacrifice bunt on a 3-2 count, and when pitcher Travis Wood threw to third in an attempt to get the force out on Diaz. �The throw was low and it skipped past third and into left field, allowing Diaz to score the go-ahead run. �Myrow made it to third base and Bernier was safe at first after his sacrifice. �That was the end of Wood's night, and Chad Reineke came on in relief. �Reineke struck out the next two batters, but then threw a wild pitch, allowing Myrow to score. �Indians 4, Bats 2.

Tribe Relievers Disintigrate

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(photo: �Jonathan Van Every slides across the plate with the Indians' only run)

Toledo Mud Hens 10, �Indianapolis Indians 1 (box)

IMG_2482Indians' starting pitcher Brad Lincoln (photo) pitched 6 innings and gave the Indians a solid start, leaving the game behind, but only by two runs -- a game still within reach. �But the two relievers who came in from the bullpen, Vinnie Chulk and Anthony Claggett, completely fell apart in the last two innings of the game, as the Mud Hens overwhelmed the Indians at Victory Field on Monday night.

Lincoln began the game with two scoreless innings, though his command was a little off. �He hit one batter, and threw first-pitch walks to three of the four batters in the 1st inning. �The second inning was a little better -- he hit another batter, but struck out two. �The first Toledo run scored in the 3rd inning, when Lincoln gave up a one-out single to Mud Hens' 2B Will Rhymes. �The single was followed by a walk to SS Brent Dlugach, a single off either the side of the bound or the tip of Lincoln's glove by RF Brennan Boesch, which scored Rhymes, and another walk to 1B Jeff Larish. �That left the bases still loaded, with one out.

C Luke Carlin came to Lincoln's rescue. �He caught Larish napping a bit at first base �while Lincoln was pitching to CF Casper Wells, and Carlin's snap throw down to first base picked Larish off. �That turned out to be a big out. �Wells grounded to short for an easy out to end the inning, leaving two runners in scoring position.

The Indians had scored one run in the 2nd inning off Toledo starter and former Indian and Pirate, Phil Dumatrait. �3B Pedro Alvarez led off with a line drive into right field, and 1B Steve Pearce followed with another line drive, this one into center field. �Alvarez was off and running with the pitch, and easily reached third, sliding in before the throw (photo).

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The runners-on-the-corners situation turned into just a runner on third, when Pearce tried to steal second base on a ball that Dumatrait threw into the dirt. �Toledo catcher Mike Rabelo recovered the ball quickly, though, and his throw down to second easily beat Pearce, who slid wide to the outfield side of the bag. �Alvarez was the next runner to be thrown out. �LF Jonathan Van Every tapped back to the mound, and Dumatrait quickly scooped up the ball and threw back to the plate, where Rabelo tagged out Alvarez as he tried to score from third.

That left Van Every on first base. �DH Brandon Moss worked a walk, and C Luke Carlin lined a single into right field, allowing Van Every to race around from second base and score.