Monthly Archives: May, 2009

[Photo: �Jeff Salazar steals his third base of the game]

The Indianapolis Indians stole 9 bases, a new Victory Field record, but still lost to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees this evening. �The overall Indians' team record is 10 stolen bases in one game, a feat that was achieved on May 14, 1936, when the team was part of the American Association; that was the league record also. �The record at Victory Field, and the most recent high for stolen bases in a game came last season, when the Tribe stole 7 bases against the Durham Bulls on August 15th. �

Just stealing bases wasn't enough, though. �The S/W-B Yankees lead the International League in a host of categories: �team batting average (.312 coming into the game), runs scored (177), hits (277), doubles (54), homers (29), and they lead the league in RBI by over 40 (168, to Columbus' 122). �It wasn't hard to see why, as the Yankees recorded 15 hits in tonight's game. �

Tribe starter Virgil Vasquez (with C Erik Kratz in photo) kept the Yankees from scoring for the first 4 innings. �There were base runners in each inning but the 2nd, as 2B Kevin Russo and RF Todd Linden �sharply lined two hits in the 1st inning, and LF John Rodriguez lined a double down the left field line in the 3rd. �In the 4th, 1B John Miranda fired a ball back to the mound, which ricocheted off Vasquez's glove, knocking him to the ground. �The ball came to rest just a few feet from the first base line, and by the time Vasquez could get up and get to it, Miranda was safe at first. �Vasquez was not injured, and wouldn't even look into the Tribe dugout, so the training staff left him alone.

The Indians scored first, when 3B Neil Walker�planted a line drive into right field in the 2nd inning. �C Erik Kratz brought Walker in with an RBI double off the left field wall. �

The stolen base factor came into play in the 3rd inning. �The Tribe already had two stolen bases by then, courtesy of RF Jeff Salazar. �Salazar had walked in the 1st inning, stole second base easily with a good jump on the first pitch to DH Garrett Jones,�and then three pitches later stole third base, not even drawing a throw from Yankees' catcher Pilittere. �CF Andrew McCutchen led off the 3rd inning with a walk, and stole second base (photo). �Salazar reached base when his bat exploded as he hit the 1-0 pitch, sending pieces of wood over the left side of the infield and putting a weird spin on the ball as it bounced toward third base. �S/W-B 3B Eric Duncan couldn't handle the spin and was charged with a fielding error, putting runners on the corners. �Salazar promptly stole second base (his 3rd steal of the game), not drawing a throw for fear that McCutchen would come home on a throw to second base. �A walk to Jones loaded the bases. �

Neil Walker (photo) lined his second hit of the night into right field for 2 RBI, scoring both McCutchen and Salazar. �LF Larry Broadway got everyone's hopes up when he smacked a ball down the first base line, but it was foul by only about a foot, and he struck out to end the inning. �Indians 3. Yankees 0.

The 5th inning was Vasquez's downfall, as the Yankees came back to take the lead. �With one out, C PJ Pilittere grounded a single up the middle, and Kevin Russo followed with a bloopy single into short right field behind first base. �John Rodriguez blasted a 1-0 pitch well over the wall in right field, for a 3-run homer to tie the score. �Todd Linden followed with another long fly ball, over the heads of the big rightward infield shift, which Andrew McCutchen caught on the warning track. �The reprieve was short, though, as DH Shelley Duncan followed with a rising line drive over the left field wall for a solo home run to take a 4-3 lead. �The inning ended on an odd play. �Juan Miranda hit a chopper that bounced in front of the plate then flew high into the air along the first base line. �1B Steve Pearce aggressively charged in, catching the ball at his shoetops just before it could bounce foul, about 15 feet from first base. �Pearce expected Miranda to be running toward first base, but Miranda thought the ball was going to be foul, so he was only 4 or 5 steps from home plate. �Pearce ran the ball almost all the way to the plate, as Miranda stood there, waiting to be tagged, and Miranda walked back to his dugout laughing.

More stolen bases and a key RBI by Pearce (photo) tied the game for the Tribe in the bottom of the inning. �With one out, Jeff Salazar lined a single into right field and Garrett Jones moved him to third base with a single into center field. �Jones stole second base (5th of the game). �Pearce slipped a single into left field, plating Salazar to tie the score and advance Jones to third base. �That chased Yankees' starter George Kontos (who was making his AAA debut) from the game. �Reliever Zachary Kroenke came on, and before he even made a throw to the plate, he turned and fired to first base, catching Pearce too far off the bag. �Seeing that he couldn't get back, Pe arce ran for second base, and 1B Miran da threw to second, as expected. �But the throw went to the infield side of the bag and SS Doug Bernier had to go several steps away from the bag to catch the throw. �Pearce slid in safely to second, credited with a steal, and while that was going on, Jones ran for the plate, sliding in safely ahead of the relay throw (7th stolen base of the game) with the go-ahead run. �Pearce then stole third base, for #8 of the game.

[Photo: �Larry Broadway lined a foul ball that was almost an RBI hit}

Virgil Vasquez pitched a scoreless 6th inning, getting a key double play in the process. �The 7th began with PJ Pilittere grounding a double down the left field line and into the Indians' bullpen. �Luis Nunez came in as a pinch runner for Pilittere, and Kevin Russo moved Nunez to third base with a perfectly placed bunt along the third base line. � John Rodriguez collected his 4th RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to tie the game again.

[Photo: �Luis Cruz makes the catch on Shelley Duncan's pop out in the 1st inning.]

Vasquez finished his night's work having gone 7 innings and allowing 5 runs on 11 hits. �He did not walk anyone, and he struck out 5 batters. �Brian Slocum took the mound to begin the 8th inning. �He was greeted with a line drive single by Miranda, then got two outs. �Doug Bernier singled through the hole into left field, and C Chris Stewart walked to load the bases. �Kevin Russo gave the Yankees the lead and an insurance run with a 2-RBI single up the middle, scoring Miranda and Bernier. �Slocum allowed a single and a walk in the 9th, but left those runners on base. �

The Tribe threatened in the 7th inning. �With two outs, Neil Walker collected his third hit of the game, a double that bounced off the base of the wall in right-center field. �He stole third base, for the Tribe's 9th steal of the game. �This one was controversial -- the throw seemed to beat Walker to the bag, but he was ruled safe. �Protests by the Yankees third baseman Eric Duncan and Manager Dave Miley went unheeded. �Larry Broadway was hit by a pitch, and Erik Kratz walked to load the bases. �The inning ended with the three runners still on base when SS Luis Cruz struck out. �The Tribe went down in order in both the 8th and 9th innings, and the Yankees had their 20th win of the season. �Brian Slocum was charged with the loss, his first decision of the year. �

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Neil Walker, who went 3-for-5 in the game, with a double and two singles. �The hits broke a 4-game hitless run, and gave Walker a much-needed boost: �"It's good confidence-wise for me, but also it's good because I've felt like I haven't helped this team as much as I would like to offensively lately. �It's always a positive thing to do what you can and to play well to help your team out."

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �Jeff Salazar made another spectacular catch in the outfield. �Tonight he was playing right field. �In the top of the 5th, Doug Bernier drove a liner into right field, along the line, and it looked like it was going to end up rattling around in the corner. �Salazar raced toward the line, and made a diving catch of the line drive.

Go Tribe!

[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]

The Curve will be happy to see that the SeaWolves do not appear on their schedule again for the next month or so.