Tag: Jean Machi

Indianapolis Indians �2, �Buffalo Bison �0 (box)

The newest member of the Indianapolis Indians, infielder Jim Negrych (photo), played ball in his home town of Buffalo for the first time in many years. �He had hundreds, literally hundreds, of family and friends in the stands, and at times it was a bit hard to tell which team the crowd was cheering for. �And if that weren't enough, Negrych hit the game-winning home run and made some outstanding defensive plays at second base. �It was definitely the Negrych Show at Coca-Cola Field in Buffalo, NY.

Hayden Penn got the start for the Indians, and for the first few innings, he kept getting himself into trouble, then getting out of it. �He got the first two outs of the 1st inning, then walked 1B Mike Jacobs. �A wild pitch on strike three moved Jacobs to second base and put 3B Mike Cervenak on first base. �Then Penn got CF Fernando Martinez to tap back to the mound for the third out.

The Bison opened the 2nd inning with a double into right field by LF Lucas Duda. �Duda got greedy, though, and tried to make it a triple -- and was thrown out by Tribe RF Brandon Moss, through cut-off man 2B Jim Negrych, to 3B Doug Bernier, who tagged out Duda at third. �That bailed out Penn, because he followed the unexpected out by giving up a signle to C Josh Thole, a walk to SS Andy Green, a sacrifice bunt to Buffalo pitcher Pat Misch, and another walk to RF Russ Adams to load the bases. �Penn got out of the inning when 2B Justin Turner bounced to Bernier at third for a grounder force out at second base.

Penn (photo) had to deal with a runner at third base in the 3rd inning too. �With two outs, he gave up a double to Martinez, and another wild pitch put Martinez on third base. �Duda walked, giving the Bison runners on the corners. �But Thole grounded to second base, where Jim Negrych made the scoop and threw to SS Argenis Diaz covering second base for the force out that ended the inning. �Penn finished the first three innings having given up 4 walks, 3 hits (2 doubles and a single), 2 wild pitches �-- but no runs.

The Indians had a hit in each of the first four innings. �The man of the night, Jim Negrych, singled with two outs in the 1st inning. �1B Jeff Clement doubled to lead off the 2nd inning, and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by CF Jonathan Van Every. Brandon Moss singled with two outs in the 3rd. �Clement singled again in the 4th inning. �All four of them were left on base.

Then, Hayden Penn flipped a switch. �Or maybe brought in his not-so-evil twin. �Penn retired the next 9 batters he faced in order, including three strikeouts.

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �3, �Indianapolis Indians �1 (box)

Tribe pitcher Charlie Morton (photo) made his second rehab start with the Indianapolis Indians this afternoon at PNC Field in Scranton, PA, and despite being charged with the loss, Morton had a better outing than he had last week. �Morton pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and a walk, while striking out 6 batters. �Back on Tuesday, Morton had not made it through the 4th inning and had given up 5 runs (2 earned) on 6 hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts. �Opposing batters hit .353 against Morton last week, but hit .292 against him today. �Not wonderful, not great, but at least better.

What was even more telling, though, was that after Morton allowed 3 runs on 6 hits in the first three innings, Morton settled down. �Over the last three innings he pitched today, Morton gave up just one hit, a single to Yankees' SS Eduardo Nunez in the 5th. �Nunez stole second base, but was left there when Morton finished the inning with a ground out. �Morton retired the Yankees in order in the 4th and the 6th, and he struck out 4 batters in those last three innings.

That does mean that Morton had trouble in the first three innings. �In fact, the first four batters he faced in the bottom of the 1st, all singled, and all made good solid contact with Morton's pitches. �RF Reid Gorecki singled up the middle, and DH Colin Curtis slipped a grounder into right field, moving Gorecki to third base. �Gorecki scored on Nunez's single into left field, and 1B Juan Miranda's single loaded the bases. �After a quick visit by pitching coach Dean Treanor, Morton got 3B Jorge Vasquez to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play, started by SS Argenis Diaz, to 2B Jim Negrych, and on to 1B Jeff Clement, who was pulled a little to the infield side of the bag by Negrych's throw, but still was able to tag Vasquez as he ran past. �Curtis scored from third on the play. �Morton struck out C Jesus Montero to end the inning.

Morton had a little momentum from the double play and the strikeout, and he retired the Yankees in order in the 2nd, aided by an impressive catch by Jim Negrych on a short soft liner by CF Greg Golson. �Negrych had to go behind him and to his right to make the play.

The Indians had managed only one hit over the first two innings. �Jeff Clement smacked a double over the head of LF David Winfree, who did not judge the wind and the ball very well, and then couldn't readjust fast enough. �The top of the 3rd began with a single into center field by RF Brandon Jones. Argenis Diaz (photo) hit a fly ball into right field, which Yankees' RF Reid Gorecki let bounce just in front of him, making the catch on a very short hop, about at the level of his ankles. �Jones had had to hold up because he thought Gorecki might be able to catch the ball, and then when the catch was made after the bounce, Jones had to race to second. �Gorecki was expecting it, and was easily able to fire to second base to force out Jones. �Diaz was safe at first, and he moved to second base on a wild pitch from Yankees' starter Tim Redding. �LF Kevin Melillo first slugged a long ball down the right field line which curved foul at the last moment, missing a home run by only about 10 feet. �Melillo eventually�flied out, and Diaz tagged up and advanced to third base. �Then Jim Negrych collected his first AAA hit and his first AAA RBI with a double off the wall in left field, scoring Diaz, and cutting the Yankees' lead to 2-1.

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A sight Pirates' fans have longed to see

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Indianapolis Indians �5, �Pawtucket Red Sox �3 (box)

Mike Crotta earned his 4th win with the Indians this afternoon at Victory Field, and he was boosted by a 3-hit performance by 3B Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez was a single short of hitting for the cycle, a feat that has never been accomplished by an Indians' player at Victory Field.

Alvarez had the first of the Indians' 6 hits in the game -- in fact, he had half of the team's hits. �In the bottom of the 2nd, Alvarez drove a long fly ball to the deepest part of Victory Field, to the 418' sign in the left-center field alley. �The Pawtucket LF Aaron Bates and CF Ryan Kalish were no where near to that area when the ball fell in, nearly at the warning track. �By the time they got there, Alvarez was easily on his way to third base with a triple. �After a strikeout, Tribe CF Brandon Moss plated Alvarez with an RBI ground out to the right side of the infield, and the Indians had the first run of the game.

1B Brian Myrow led off the Indians' half of the 4th inning with a double, which fell in almost at the feet of LF Aaron Bates (who usually plays first base, not outfield). �Alvarez followed the double by taking a 1-2 pitch just barely over the right field wall (probably by less than 10 inches) and into a crowd of summer-camp kids. �It was his 12th homer of the season.

Alvarez's third hit followed more Tribe scoring in the 5th. �SS Argenis Diaz led off the inning by working a walk. �LF Kevin Melillo, who has 5 hits in his last 3 games, doubled to the wall in the right-center alley. �Diaz was off and running on contact. �Aided a bit when RF Daniel Nava picked up the ball, dropped it, and picked it up again, Diaz raced around to score. �Doug Bernier dropped down a sacrifice bunt, moving Melillo to third base. �Myrow brought Melillo in from third with a sacrifice fly to right field. �The throw in to the plate was up the line, and Melillo scored easily. �Alvarez came to the plate with the bases clean, and he kept the rally going with a double to right-center field. �That was as far as he would get, though, as C Erik Kratz struck out to end the inning.

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Frank and Pedro

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Indianapolis Indians �5, �Columbus Clippers �3 (box)

Brian Burres (photo)�finally got to play a game for the Tribe, in his third stint on the Indians' roster. �He earned the win at Victory Field tonight, with 5.1 solid innings of work. �He was aided by DH Brandon Moss, whose clutch double drove in three runs in the 5th, as the Indians posted 10 hits for 5 runs.

Burres had been on the Indians' Opening Day roster, but went back to the Pirates when Ross Ohlendorf had problems with back spasms just a few days into the Indians' season. �He was optioned back to the Indians on April 21st, but called back 4 days later, again without having made an appearance for the Tribe, when Chris Jakubauskas was hit by a batted ball. �With Dana Eveland joining the Pirates, Burress was sent down again... and this time has at least gotten one start in this time... in case the Pirates need him again.

Burres got off to a good start tonight. �He retired all three batters in the 1st inning, including striking out both former Indy Indian DH Brian Bixler, who had his way with the Tribe yesterday, and also C Carlos Santana, the top Cleveland Indians' prospect. �Burres gave up a two-out single to 3B Jared Goedert in the 2nd inning, but ended the inning my making the catch on a soft pop to just in front of the mound (photo below, as Burres examines the ball after making the catch).

Brian Bixler was a problem for his former teammates again tonight. �When Burres faced him again in the third inning, after CF Michael Brantley single past the diving Tribe 2B Brian Friday, Bixler took a long high fly ball down the left field line. �The ball sailed just inside the foul pole, then hooked around the back of the pole, but it was fair when it counted -- a 2-run home run to give Columbus a 2-0 lead.

Burres worked out of a jam in the 5th. �After two outs, including a nice snatch of a sinking line drive by RF Kevin Melillo, Burres gave up a single to RF Chris Gimenez and a a walk to 2B Josh Rodriguez. �An easy grounder to short for a force out at second ended the inning without a run scoring.

The Indians went down in order in the 1st inning, then were unable to take advantage of runners on base in the next two innings. �3B Pedro Alvarez led off the 2nd with a single lined into center field. �Moments later, though, Alvarez was caught straying a little too far off first base, probably as he was trying to work out the timing of Clippers' starter Josh Tomlin's delivery. �There was a brief run-down, pitcher to 1B Wes Hodges to SS Anderson Hernandez, and Alvarez was out. �CF Jonathan Van Every walked in that inning, but he was left stranded. �In the 3rd, SS Doug Bernier drove a liner over the leaping Hodges and into right field for a single. �He moved to third base on Kevin Melillo's loopy single that just fell in, in short center field, but both runners were left on base.

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Charlie Morton is here (far right)

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Columbus Clippers �5, �Indianapolis Indians �1 (box)

There's a reason that the Columbus Clippers are in first place, and today the Indians saw why. �Stellar pitching by Columbus starter Yohan Pino combined with a 2-hit, 4-RBI day by former Indian SS Brian Bixler (photo) gave the game to the Clippers this afternoon at Victory Field.

Hayden Penn made the start for the Indians, but suffered the loss as he allowed 4 runs on 9 hits in 6.1 innings. �Brian Bixler had a hand in each of those 4 runs, plus the run given up by reliever Jean Machi. Penn began the game well, retiring the first six batters in order, including getting Bixler to pop out to Tribe 2B Doug Bernier in the top of the 1st. �Penn struck out two batters in the 2nd inning. �There was also a moment in the 2nd that made the crowd gasp. �LF Nick Weglarz smacked a sharp one right back to the mound on one bounce. �The ball hit Penn (like yesterday with Powell, it wasn't clear where on his body he'd been hit). �The ricochet off Penn went high into the air, and came back down right at 3B Pedro Alvarez, who was playing over toward the shortstop position. �Alvarez caught the bounce, and threw to first base to make the out on Weglarz. �Manager Frank Kremblas and trainer Thomas Pribyl leapt out of the dugout, but they took only two or three steps onto the field before Penn vigorously waved them off. �He was fine, and he proved it by striking out the next batter to end the inning.

Columbus made their first move in the 3rd inning. �Penn (photo) gave up singles to DH Brian Buscher and 2B Josh Rodriguez to open the inning. �A sacrifice bunt by RF Jose Constanza moved both runners up one base. �Penn struck out CF Michael Brantly for the second out of the inning. �That brought up Brian Bixler, who lifted a bloopy ball into short right field just inside the foul line -- right in no-mans'-land, where neither RF Kevin Melillo, 1B Brian Myrow, nor 2B Doug Bernier could reach it. �That brought in both Buscher and Rodriguez, two RBI for Bixler, to give the Clippers a 2-0 lead.

Penn gave up a ground rule double to 3B Jared Goedert in the 4th inning, but left him on base. �Then he got into trouble with lead-off hits again in the 5th inning. �This time Rodriguez got on with a grounder up the middle, but he was erased when Penn picked him off first. � Constanza beat out what was supposed to be a bunt when, the ball got stuck in Penn's mitt -- by the time he pulled it out and made the throw, Constanza beat the throw easily. �Michael Brantly walked on four pitches, as Constanza stole both second and third bases. �C Luke Carlin double-clutched on his throw to second base for the first steal, and Constanza was in well ahead of the throw. �Carlin made a good throw to third on that steal, but 3B Pedro Alvarez couldn't hold onto the ball, and Constanza was safe. �With runners on the corners, guess who came to the plate again? �Brian Bixler, of course. �Bixler doubled for the second time in the game, taking this ball down into the right field corner for one RBI as Constanza scored easily. �With Brantley at third and Bixler at second, Penn bore down and got a pop out and a fly out to end the inning. �Clippers 3, Indians 0.

Indianapolis Indians �4, �Gwinnett Braves �0 (box)

Brad Lincoln (photo) pitched 6 shutout innings, scattering 4 hits and one walk, while striking out 6 batters on his way to his 6th win for the Indians at Coolray Field in Gwinnett County, Georgia tonight. �The Indians posted 12 hits, including 3 by 1B Brian Myrow and two each by LF Jose Tabata and 2B Brian Friday, on their way to victory. �Three of the Tribe's hits were triples.

Lincoln dominated the Braves, just as he dominated the Charlotte Knights last week. �He has now recorded 11 consecutive scoreless innings. �In his last start against the Braves, at home on May 22nd, Lincoln allowed 3 hits in the 8th inning, after he had pitched 7 scoreless innings -- that's 3 runs over the past 19 innings. �Lincoln threw 81 pitches tonight, 52 for strikes.

Today, Lincoln gave up a double to 2B Joe Thurston with two outs in the 1st inning, then retired the Braves in order in the 2nd and 3rd innings -- and he struck out the side in the 3rd. �3B/2B Luis Bolivar singled into right field to lead off the 4th inning, but Lincoln picked him off first base. �The Braves put two runners on base at the same time in the 5th, with a double by LF Alex Romero and a walk to C Clint Sammons, but Lincoln ended that inning with a strike out, leaving both runners on base. �Thurston also singled in the 6th inning, but was again left on base.

After the game, Lincoln said that he has found that the key to pitching well for him is to "get ahead early in the count and make the hitters have to swing the bat. �To make the hitters get in a defensive state at the plate is a good thing for me, and it's one of those things that has been working for me.... I feel like I have become a complete pitcher, not just a strikeout pitcher, but an efficient pitcher." �When asked about the possibility of being called up to the Pirates and plugged into the rotation on schedule to face the Washington National's Stephen Strasburg on June 8th, Lincoln told interviewer Scott McCauley "I have always been that type of guy that wants to be there in that big situation and go against the best. �It's something that I would look forward to. �If I get that call, it would be very exciting.... however, I'm not going to assume anything."

Lincoln got two 2-run innings of run support from his teammates, and he helped out there too. �The Tribe batters put at least one runner on base in every inning but the 8th. �They scored their first pair of runs in the 3rd inning, taking advantage of a pair of triples. �With one out,�Jose Tabata hit a laser over the head of RF Mitch Jones for a stand-up triple. �Brian Myrow drove in Tabata with a sinking line drive into left field for a single. �3B Pedro Alvarez (photo) had the second triple, a drive into the right-center field alley, which easily brought Myrow around to score. �The throw in from the outfield got away from the Braves' infielders and sailed to the facing of the third base dugout, but not far enough away for Alvarez to score. �Alvarez was 1-for-5 in the game.

The Tribe threatened in the 4th inning. �Brian Friday led off with a double that slipped past the Braves' third baseman and down the left field line into the corner. �SS Doug Bernier singled up the middle, and the Indians had runners on the corners. �Lincoln dropped down a bunt that was intended to be a suicide squeeze. �3B Luis Bolivar scooped the bunt, looked Friday back to third (it was too close for him to score anyway), then threw on to first base, but he had delayed just a fraction of a second too long in looking back at Friday, and the hustling Lincoln beat the throw to first, for a hit. �That gave the Tribe the bases loaded with no outs -- but they could not get a run across the plate, as two strike outs and a line out ended the inning with all three runners standing right there.

C Erik Kratz doubled with one out in the 5th, and he got as far as thrid base on a ground out by CF Jon Van Every, but that threat fell short also.

Lincoln started another run-scoring rally in the 6th by working a walk. �Jose Tabata doubled off the top of the right field wall, moving Lincoln to third base. �Then RF Kevin Melillo tripled over Braves' RF Jones' head, to score both Lincoln and Tabata. �That chased the Braves' starter Jose Ortegano, who had allowed all 4 of the Indians' runs, on 11 hits.

The Tribe batters did not do as well against the Braves' bullpen. �Cory Gearrin relieved Ortegano and struck out two batters to end the 6th, then allowed only one base runner over the next two innings -- he hit Erik Kratz with a pitch, though erased him with a double play. �Stephen Marek took over for the 9th inning, and he gave up a walk to Kevin Melillo and a single to Brian Myrow (his third hit), but left both on base when he ended the inning.

Wil Ledezma pitched 2 scoreless innings after Lincoln sat down. �He gave up a double in the 7th and a walk in the 8th, but struck out 5 batters. �Jean Machi pitched a scoreless 9th, allowing a single and a walk, and he ended the game with a strikeout. �It was not a save situation.

The win gave the Indians a split of the 4-game series with the Braves, and also a split of the season series. �The Indians will not play the Braves again during the 2010 regular season. �The Tribe has a 28-26 record, which puts them in third place in the International League Western Division, 6.5 games behind the first-place Columbus Clippers. �The Indians return to Victory Field on Friday, to begin a 4-game series with the Clippers -- hoping to gain some ground on them in the standings.

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Indians' Hitting Gems of the Game: �Three triples, which were factors in all four of the runs the Indians scored: �Jose Tabata (2nd triple of the season), Pedro Alvarez (3rd of the season), and Kevin Melillo (3rd of the season).

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �Three pitchers, Brad Lincoln, Wil Ledezma, and Jean Machi, combined for 9 shutout innings, and a total of 13 strikeouts.

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NOTES:

Donnie Veal has has a consultation with noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews, and the result is that Dr. Andrews will be performing Tommy John surgery on Veal's left elbow tomorrow. �That's the end of Veal's 2010 season... with hopes that he'll be ready to return sometime near the beginning of the 2011 season.

Lincoln has been named the Indians' Player of the Month for May. �There will probably be an official presentation of the award this weekend.

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Go Tribe!

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(photos by Nancy)

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Sunday afternoon action for the Indians -- completing last night's suspended game (third one in 10 days) and then the regularly scheduled game.

Charlotte Knights �8, �Indianapolis Indians �4 (box)

When we left our heros (read more about the beginning of the game here), the Knights had just taken a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 5th inning. �1B Brian Myrow gave the Indians their first 2 runs in the top of the 1st with a 2-run homer. �A single by 3B Pedro Alvarez and an RBI double by RF Brandon Moss added another run in the top of the 4th.

Jeremy Powell (photo) made the start for the Tribe, and had pitched 4.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and a walk, with 2 strikeouts when the game was suspended due to power outages. �Powell had allowed only one hit in the first 3 innings, but that one hit was a solo homer by Knights' DH Stefan Gartrell in the 2nd inning. �Powell got into trouble in the 4th inning, when he gave up a walk, a single, and a 2-RBI double to LF Jordan Danks, all coming with 2 outs in the inning.

The score was tied at 3-3 when the lights went out the first time. �That delay lasted only a short time, and the Indians threatened in the top of the 5th when play resumed. �A missed catch error by the Charlotte first baseman put CF Jose Tabata on second base, and Tabata stole third. �But he remained there as a strikeout, a walk, and another strikeout ended the inning. �Jeremy Powell was able to come back out and begin the bottom of the 5th, but the first batter, 2B Luis Rodriguez, homered to give Charlotte a 4-3 lead. �Powell got one out and had 2 strikes on the next batter, CF Buck Coats, when the power went out again.

Of course, neither starting pitcher returned when the game resumed this afternoon. �Brian Bass (photo) took the mound for the Indians, inheriting a 1-2 count on Buck Coats. �Bass needed just one pitch to get Coats to swing at strike three (strikeout credited to Bass). �Then he needed just one more pitch to get former Pirate farmhand SS Brent Lillibridge to pop out, ending the inning.

The Knights got the best of Bass in the 6th inning, though. �1B Dayan Viciedo led off with a line drive into center field on the first pitch he saw from Bass. �RF Josh Kroeger walked, and Gartrell moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. �Danks singled into right field, scoring Viciedo. �Bass got a strikeout, but a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez scored Kroeger from third base. �3B Javier Colina singled also, driving in Gartrell, and the Knights had increased their lead to 7-3.

Corey Hamman took over for Bass for the last two innings. �He allowed only one hit, but that hit was a solo home run by Brent Lillibridge in the 7th, to give Charlotte an 8-3 lead. �Hamman worked around a hit batter in the 8th inning, striking out a total of 3 batters over the two innings.

Charlotte replaced their starting pitcher with Noblesville, Indiana native (and 2001 Indiana "Mr. Baseball") Wes Whisler. �Whisler had been struggling in some recent appearances, particularly during the month of May, but he did not have much trouble with the Indians. �He retired the first 10 Tribe batters he faced in order, taking him into the top of the 9th. �With one out in the 9th, the Indians started a rally against Whisler, putting four batters in a row on base. �C Luke Carlin started with an infield hit to deep short, then Brandon Moss and SS Doug Bernier followed with two more singles. �Bernier's single scored Carlin. �2B Argenis Diaz worked a walk to load the bases. �The Knights took that opportunity to relieve Whisler and bring in reliever Greg Aquino. �Aquino faced only Jose Tabata, and on a 2-2 pitch, got Tabata to bounce to short, where Lillibridge started a 6-4-3 double play, cutting short the Tribe rally and ending the game.

Jeremy Powell was charged with the loss, his 5th of the season. �Doug Bernier and Brandon Moss each had two hits, a single and a double, and one RBI in the game.

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Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Brian Myrow's home run in the top of the 1st, his 4th blast of the season.

Regularly scheduled game -- click "read more"

What is it with the suspended games?

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

When 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.

Charlotte 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.

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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.

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Indians' 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.

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

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Indianapolis Indians �9, �Charlotte Knights �7 (box)

3B Pedro Alvarez tallied 4 hits and an RBI, while LF Kevin Melillo and SS Argenis Diaz each contributed 2 hits and 2 RBI, as the Tribe bullpen bailed out starter Hayden Penn for a victory over the Knights in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC.

Penn (photo) got into trouble early, surrendering runs to the Knights in each of the first four innings of the game. �He walked 6 batters and gave up 8 hits for 6 runs over 3.2 innings of work. �Penn began the bottom of the 1st by giving up a triple to Knights' LF Buck Coats and an RBI single by former Pirate farmhand SS Brent Lilibridge. �C Luke Carlin threw out Lillibridge trying to steal second base, which probably saved another run from scoring -- a single by 1B Dayan Viciedo might have scored Lillibridge from second base. �After a walk by DH Josh Kroeger, a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning. �A walk, and singles by Coats and Lillibridge added another run in the 2nd inning.

Penn had needed 20 pitches to get through the first inning, and 22 for the second inning. �He continued to struggle in the 3rd inning, using another 22 pitches. �The 3rd began with a walk to Kroeger, then a strikeout. �RF Stefan Gartrell's 2-run homer to right-center field gave the Knights a total of 4 runs. �Two more batters reached, on a walk and a throwing error by 2B Brian Friday, but 2B CJ Retherford flied out and 3B Luis Rodriguez was doubled up when he tried to tag up and advance on the throw in from center field.

Penn quickly got into more trouble when he came back out to begin the 4th inning. �A walk by Coats and a single by Lillibridge started the inning, and a sacrifice bunt by Viciedo moved the runners up to second and third bases. �Kroeger struck out, but a walk to C Tyler Flowers loaded the bases for Gartrell. �Gartrell licked his chops and drove in two more runs with a line drive double into right field. �That was all for Penn, who finished with 84 pitches (only 42 strikes). �Justin Thomas relieved Penn, and ended the inning without letting in any more runs.

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Indianapolis Indians �4, �Gwinnett Braves �2 (box)

CF Brandon Moss's (photo left)�double in the 8th inning made all the difference at Victory Field tonight, as the Indians beat the Braves to close this home stand. �Daniel McCutchen (photo above) made the start for the Tribe, pitching 7 strong innings, but he did not factor into the decision. �Reliever Steven Jackson got the win, his first of the season with the Indians.

McCutchen was reactivated from the Disabled List earlier today, where he had missed one start due to a tired arm. �His arm didn't look at all tired today. �Of his 7 innings, he buzzed through four of them, retiring the side in order (1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th). �He gave up a lead-off hit to SS Brandon Hicks in the 7th inning, but erased Hicks on a double play, then got another ground out to end that inning.

The Braves caused McCutchen some problems in the 2nd inning. �1B Freddie Freeman led off with a line drive into left field for a double. �After a sacrifice bunt to move Freeman to third base, McCutchen gave up three consecutive singles. �Hicks singled into left field, scoring Freeman. �Hicks tried to steal second base, but was thrown out on a perfect throw by C Luke Carlin. Braves' C Clint Sammons and 2B Luis Bolivar both singled also, but McCutchen got Braves' starter Chris Resop to bounce to first base, ending the inning with Sammons and Bolivar still on base.

(Photo: �Luke Carlin and Daniel McCutchen discuss strategy)

Resop dominated the Indians' batters over the first two innings. �He struck out four batters and got two fly outs. �He allowed only Luke Carlin to reach base, after working the count full, fouling off another pitch, then finally taking ball four.

But Resop's control started slipping in the 3rd inning. �SS Brian Friday led off with a ball along the left field line, and his aggressive base running put him on second base, just ahead of the throw back into the infield. �Daniel McCutchen dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Friday to third base. �LF Jose Tabata smacked a ball back to the mound, which ricocheted off Resop's glove with a high bounce toward second base. �The bounce was high enough so that by the time 2B Luis Bolivar waited until the ball came down and threw to first, the speedy Tabata had enough time to beat out the throw. �Friday scored easily from third base, and the score was tied at 1-1. �Tabata reached third base on a single into center field by 2B Kevin Melillo, but 1B Brian Myrow bounced into a 3-6-3 (1B Freddie Freeman to SS Brandon Hicks and back to Freeman) to end the inning.

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Kratz celebrates his home run.

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Gwinnett Braves �6, �Indianapolis Indians �3 (box)

With two outs in the top of the 9th, the Braves broke a 3-3 tie, scoring 3 runs and holding on to take the win at Victory Field this afternoon.

Reliever Wil Ledezma (photo, with Luke Carlin) had pitched a scoreless 8th inning, then started the 9th with a fly out and a pop out. �Then things fell apart. �Pinch-hitter Matt Young tapped a slow roller to second base, which 2B Brian Friday fielded, but had no time to throw to first before Young got there. �CF Gregor Blanco worked the count full, fouled off a couple more pitches from Ledezma, then took a walk. �3B Wes Timmons followed with a single lined into right field, scoring Young with the go-ahead run. �Ledezma was relieved by Jean Machi, and the Tribe still had hope -- they had come from behind to tie the score twice already in this game.

Machi struck out the first batter he faced, 1B Barbaro Canizares, but strike three was a wild pitch. �Blanco scored easily from third base as C Luke Carlin chased nearly to the backstop after the ball. �But Machi did not run in to cover the plate, and the second runner, Timmons saw that (or at least Gwinnett's manager Dave Brundage saw it). �Timmons had been heading to third, and just kept going. �He was about 10 feet from the plate when Machi woke up and realized he was not where he ought to have been, and by then it was way too late -- 2 runs scored on one wild pitch. �With Canizares on first, RF Mitch Jones doubled down to the left field corner. �The Braves decided to intentionally walk SS Brandon Hicks because the pitcher, reliever Craig Kimbrel, was hitting in the 6th spot in the batting order (after a double switch). �Kimbrel hit for himself, and Machi was able to get the strikeout to end�the inning. �Machi had thrown 19 pitches, but only 8 were strikes.

The Tribe had one more chance in the bottom of the 9th, now down by 3 runs. �Kimbrel, who had retired three Indians in order in the 8th, struck out Luke Carlin to begin the bottom of the 9th. �He walked Brian Friday next, then struck out SS Argenis Diaz. �Pedro Alvarez, who was getting a day off from third base, came on to pinch-hit, and after a full count plus some foul balls, he also walked. �But 3B Doug Bernier struck out to end the game and earn Kimbrel his first win of the season.

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

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

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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.

The 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.