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Indians Win Slugfest In Columbus; Two Homers For Alvarez

Indianapolis Indians 14, �Columbus Clippers 12 (box)

It was another slugfest at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, but at least tonight it was not one-sided. �The two teams combined for 31 hits and 26 runs, and the Indians held on for the win. �After having posted 4 home runs last night, the Clippers put up 5 more home runs tonight. �The Indians homered only once last night, but added 4 homers tonight including two home runs by 3B Pedro Alvarez.

After a "boring" top of the 1st, in which CF Jose Tabata led off with a double and RF Brian Myrow walked, but were both stranded on base, there was at least one run scored in each of the next 10 half innings.

Columbus got started in the bottom of the 1st with back-to-back doubles by 2B Jason Donald and C Carlos Santana, then a 2-run homer by DH Shelley Duncan. �Santana, who homered twice yesterday, nearly had another homer here, but the ball bounced off the top of the wall in right-center field and fell back onto the playing field. �After Duncan's homer, Brad Lincoln gave up a walk, then an infield single to 3B Brian Buscher that bounced off either Lincoln's glove or the mound itself, and headed over toward second base, where it came to rest in the grass out of everyone's reach. �SS Anderson Hernandez followed with a line drive to left field. �Tribe LF Jon Van Every raced in and made a dive, but the ball hit his glove and popped out, making Van Every chase it down. �It was ruled a single, and the bases were loaded. �At that point, new Indians' batting coach Dean Traynor made a visit to Lincoln on the mound. �After a brief chat, Lincoln got RF Chris Gimenez to chop a high bounce to the first base side of the mound. �Lincoln made the quick hop to his left and the leap to snag the ball, then fired to C Erik Kratz, who turned and made the throw to first for a 1-2-3 double play. �Clippers ahead, 3-0.

It was Kratz who put the Indians right back into it in the top of the 2nd. �DH Neil Walker led off with a single slipped through the right side of the infield, and Kratz launched the first pitch he saw on a rising line drive over the left field wall to make the score 3-2. �Not to be outdone, the Clippers came right back in the bottom of the inning, with a lead-off home run by CF Jose Constanza. �Jason Donald doubled, and when he went to steal third base, Kratz's throw went sailing past 3B Pedro Alvarez, allowing Donald plenty of time to come home. �Clippers up 5-2.

Indians Routed In Opener In Columbus

Columbus Clippers 17, �Indianapolis Indians 4 � �(box)

img_1551tabataWe were hoping for a glorious AAA debut for top Pirates' prospect 3B Pedro Alvarez. Instead, it was a glorious AAA debut for a different top prospect -- Clippers' C Carlos Santana. �Santana blasted two home runs, a double, and a single to lead the Columbus Clippers in their rout of the Indianapolis Indians at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio. �And the Indians' performance was anything but glorious.

It really didn't start out too badly. �Starter Kevin Hart walked two batters after two outs in the bottom of the 1st inning, but then got Santana to fly out to end the inning. �He also walked the first batter he faced in the 2nd inning, and then gave up a home run to RF Chris Gimenez. �Hart got out of the 3rd inning with a timely double play, and he had made it through 3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits, throwing 66 pitches, 35 for strikes. �It was the 66th pitch, though, that got him into trouble.

After two quick at-bats, the Indians began the 3rd inning with 2B Brian Friday getting hit by a pitch. �Friday moved to second when SS Argenis Diaz grounded back to the mound, and scored on CF Jose Tabata's (photo) single up the middle. �Tabata stole second base, then Alvarez followed with his first AAA home run -- a rocket-powered shot that hit the roof over the 328 sign in right field. �The idea of the glorious debut was looking good, as the Indians took a 3-2 lead.

In the top of the 4th, Brian Friday was hit by a pitch again. �This time it was a high and inside pitch, that skipped off the top of Friday's helmet (the new big style) as he ducked down and away from the plate. �The Indians were not pleased with Friday being hit twice, and manager Frank Kremblas had a quick chat with home plate umpire David Rackley. �Rackley did not make any motions toward the dugouts though, and did not make any show of warning both managers or benches. �So, when Kevin Hart's 66th pitch, the first one to Carlos Santana in the bottom of the frame, went sailing behind Santana, Hart and his teammates were surprised to hear Rackley immediately toss Hart from the game.

Losses for Indians and Pirates

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 4, �Indianapolis Indians 3

The Indians' last-chance rally fell short this afternoon in Tampa, as the Indians lost to the Yankees for the second day in a row. �It was the Indians' 5th straight spring training loss. �Tribe starter Chris Jakubauskas pitched 2 innings and allowed one run on two hits and a walk, while striking out 3 batters. �Kyle Bloom also took the mound for the Indians, and he suffered the loss as he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and a walk in his two innings.

CF Jose Tabata got the Indians going with an �RBI double in the 6th inning. �SS Brian Friday added a solo home run in the 8th. �The Indians entered the top of the 9th behind 4-2. �With two outs, 1B Brian Myrow, CF Jon Van Every, and LF Neil Walker hit consecutive singles, as Walker picked up the RBI. � But the Indians left Van Every and Walker stranded as a strikeout ended the inning and the game.

Blue Jays 11, �Pirates 2 �(box)

Three strikes against the Pirates today:

1. �Pirates' batters were able to get only 5 hits. �Two of those were by CF Andrew McCutchen, and 2B Aki Iwamura, RF Garrett Jones, and starter Daniel McCutchen each had one.

2. Pirates' pitchers gave up 14 hits. �Daniel McCutchen went 4 innings and gave up 5 of those hits for 5 runs, though only 2 runs were earned. �Brandon Donnelly lasted only 0.2 innings and allowed 3 runs on 3 hits. �Anthony Claggett gave up 2 unearned runs and 3 hits, and Jeff Karstens was responsible for one run on 2 hits. �Evan Meek pitched a scoreless inning (but gave up a hit) and Steven Jackson retired the only batter he faced.

3. �Pirates' fielders made 4 errors, which explains all those unearned runs. �SS Ronny Cedeno made fielding errors on back-to-back plays in the 2nd inning, Garrett Jones made a fielding error in the outfield, and 3B Jeremy Farrell, up from minor league camp, made a throwing error.

Also in the game today: �CF John Raynor, 2B Doug Bernier, RF Steve Pearce, C Erik Kratz, LF Austin McClune, 1B Calvin Anderson.

Hart, Walker To Indianapolis

The Pirates made more roster moves this morning. �Righty starter Kevin Hart was optioned to AAA Indianapolis. �Pirates' management points out that, because of the scheduling vagarities, there will be only one time in the first 3 weeks of the season when a 5th starter is going to be needed. �With Hart in Indianapolis, he will have the opportunity to make a few starts during those 3 weeks.

Also optioned to Indianapolis: �3B Neil Walker and reliever Chris Jakubauskas.

INF/OF Brian Myrow, C/INF Hector Gimenez, and relievers Jean Machi, Wil Ledezma, and Brian Burres were all reassigned to minor league camp. �All five were signed as free agents. �Myrow and Gimenez both played for Indianapolis last season and with their minor league contracts were expected to return to Indy for 2010. �Machi pitched at AA and AAA in 2009. �All three relievers had an outside chance of making the major league bullpen.

Indians Play To Tie; Walker In The Outfield For Pirates

Indy Indians 1, �Las Vegas 51's 1 �(tie)

The Indians and the 51's (Blue Jays) played to a 1-1 tie this afternoon in Dunedan, Florida. �The Indians' pitchers were the stars of the show, allowing the 51's only 6 hits in the game. �Starter Brad Lincoln pitched 3 shutout innings, and gave up 2 hits, while striking out 5 batters. �Reliever Ronald Uviedo pitched a perfect inning of relief, with 2 strikeouts. �Las Vegas's only run came in the 8th inning, on a single, a stolen base, a throwing error, and an RBI single.

The Tribe scored in the 4th inning. �DH Brandon Jones blasted a triple, then scored on SS Brian Friday's sacrifice fly.

In big league camp:

Pirates 9, �Red Sox 7 �(box)

Neil Walker made his debut as an outfielder in this afternoon's Grapefruit League game, as the Pirates clubbed 3 homers to beat the Red Sox. �Walker was a late-inning defensive replacement for RF Delwyn Young. Walker had a single in two plate appearances, and is 5-for-11 at the plate in spring training.