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Clippers Sink Indians With 6-Run 7th

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Columbus caught up in the bottom of the 5th. �Jakubauskas gave up a lead-off double to 3B Brian Buscher, then struck out Brian Bixler. �Espino singled into right field, to plate Buscher with the tying run. �CF Jose Constanza hit the second double of the inning, moving Espino to third base. �Espino scored on Trevor Crowe’s sacrifice fly, and Columbus was ahead 3-2. �A ground out ended the inning, and that was the end of Jakubauskas’ afternoon. �He finished with 5 innings of work, and 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk, with one strikeout.

Steven Jackson came in to pitch in the top of the 6th for the Tribe. �He gave up a 2-out double and an intentional walk to Brian Buscher, but the inning ended when Luke Carlin picked Buscher off first base. �Then the 7th inning happened, and the Clippers blew the game wide open. �The frame began with a double by Brian Bixler. �Espino bunted Bixler to second, but when Jackson’s throw to first flew past Steve Pearce for an error, Espino was safe also. �A single by Constanza brought in Bixler, and another by Crowe loaded the bases. �Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to score the second run of the inning. �That was all for Jackson. �A surprise reliever entered the game: �Corey Hamman. Hamman had been released by the Pirates in the middle of last week, and even the Indians’ radio broadcasters Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley were taken by surprise when they saw Hamman warming up in the bullpen — he had not even been in the clubhouse less than an hour before game time.

Hamman faced only one batter, Jose Constanza, and he walked Constanza on 7 pitches. �Vinnie Chulk came on next. �Chulk gave up a single to RF Shelley Duncan, which brought in two more runs. �After a strikeout, Buscher singled in a run. �Bixler came to the plate for the second time in the inning, and for the second time in the inning, he doubled, plating the 6th run of the inning. �Chulk finally struck out Espino to end the inning. �Columbus had a 7-run lead, 9-2.

The Tribe rallied in the 9th. �With one out, Luke Carlin singled, and moved to second base on defensive indifference. �SS Argenis Diaz and LF Jose Tabata followed with two more singles, and Tabata’s brought in Carlin. �DH Brian Myrow slipped a ball just past the Columbus first baseman, initially ruled a hit, but later changed to an error. �It allowed Diaz to score and moved Tabata to third base. �3B Pedro Alvarez was hit by a pitch on the leg to load the bases with two outs, but a pop up ended the rally and the game.

Jakubauskas was charged with the loss. �Jackson was responsible for 4 runs (3 earned) in the 6th, while Hamman and Chulk were responsible for one run each.

Jose Tabata, Steve Pearce, Neil Walker, Luke Carlin, and CF Jon Van Every each had 2 hits in the game, and Argenis Diaz had one hit.

The two teams split the 4-game series with 2 wins each. �The Indians now travel on to Toledo to play two games against the Mud Hens.

Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: �Steve Pearce’s triple in the 4th inning, which missed being a home run by a very short distance. �It was the Tribe’s only extra-base hit of the game.

Indians Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the bottom of the 4th, Columbus DH Carlos Santana hit a smash that was targeted for right field. �Steve Pearce made a dive to his right (not his glove side) and came up with the ball, then had to scramble up and race to first base because the play happened so fast that Jakubauskas hadn’t had time to get there. �Pearce beat Santana to the bag by half a step for the out.

NOTES:

Pedro Alvarez had been hitless in the last two games. �He has 3 hits in 17 at-bats (.176) and all three hits were home runs.

Steve Pearce leads the team with 8 hits (.471), and Jose Tabata has 7 hits (.350).

Jean Machi is the only member of the Tribe pitching staff who has not yet allowed a run. �Vinnie Chulk leads the staff with 4 strikeouts.

Kevin Hart has been suspended for 3 games and fined an unspecified amount after throwing behind a batter on Opening Day.

Go Tribe!

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