Monthly Archives: July, 2009

Indians' RF Brian Myrow (photo) was the hero with the game-winning, walk-off RBI in the bottom of the 9th tonight at Victory Field. �His third hit of the night brought in SS Brian Bixler from third base, earning Myrow a pile-on in the infield from his teammates, and a face full of shaving cream from starter Ian Snell. �(Check out the photo, along with a funny story, on radio broadcaster Scott McCauley's blog.)

The score had been tied since the 6th inning, and it looked like the game was going to go into extras. �The bottom of the 9th started with a long line drive by 2B Shelby Ford, and hopeful gasps from the crowd -- until the ball landed neatly in the mitt of Bulls' RF Matt Joyce. �

SS Chris Barnwell grounded out to second base, and extra innings were one out away. �Then CF Brian Bixler lifted a long double, over the head of the Bulls' LF Jon Weber, to the deepest part of left-center field, and hope remained. �LF Lastings Milledge (photo),��who had been hitless in his previous 4 trips to the plate, hit a high chopper toward third base. �Bixler raced to third, and by the time the ball finally came down and into the glove of Bulls' 3B Elliott Johnson, Milledge was across the first base bag, and Johnson didn't even make a throw. �That brought up Brian Myrow, with runners on the corners and two outs. �Myrow took the first two pitches, both strikes, later saying that the two pitches were into the catcher's glove so fast that he didn't even have time to react to them. �But, he continued to be patient, and took the next three pitches, which were out of the strike zone, running the count full. �Myrow stroked the next pitch through the hole between first and second bases and into right field, allowing Bixler to score easily from third base. �The Indians had the win, and Myrow had the shaving cream. �

Ian Snell (photo, with C Erik Kratz and Chris Barnwell behind) did not figure into the decision, since the game was tied when he exited. �Snell pitched 6 innings, and threw 101 pitches, with 62 strikes. �He pitched deep into the count on most of the batters he faced, particularly in the first four innings. �Snell walked one batter in each of the first three innings, leaving two on base, and erasing one with a strike out/throw out double play in the 2nd on a stolen base attempt. �That strikeout, to C John Jaso, started a group of 9 strikeouts. �Snell struck out two batters in each of the 3rd through 6th innings. �

Snell did not give up a hit until the top of the 5th, when John Jaso hit a liner into center field. �Jaso was left standing on first, though, when Snell struck out the next two batters to end the inning. �The other two hits, and the only run, that Snell allowed, came in the 6th. �2B Henry Mateo led off the inning by scorching a grounder between 1B Steve Pearce and the right field foul line, moving so fast that Pearce did not even have time to react before it was past him. �After Mateo's double, SS Reid Brignac worked a walk. �

Snell struck out Matt Joyce for the first out of the inning, but CF Justin Ruggiano also doubled, taking the ball to the base of the wall in the right-center field alley. �That scored Mateo from second base with the tying run. �Brignac thought about rounding third and heading for home, but his manager Charlie Montoyo held him up at third. �Ruggiano made the turn around second, but was slow getting back to the bag, and he was tagged out in a heads-up play, when Brian Myrow threw the ball in from right field to 2B Shelby Ford, who relayed it on to Steve Pearce covering second. �Pearce tagged out Ruggiano before he could get back to second. �Snell ended the inning with strikeout #9, on former Indy Indian (2006) 1B Chris Richard. �

[Photo: Chris Barnwell at shortstop]

The Indians did their initial scoring early, and it was Brian Myrow who had the RBI then too. �In the bottom of the 1st inning, Brian Bixler led off with a line drive into left field for a single. �Lastings Milledge dropped down a bunt, but it moved a little to fast and went right to Bulls' pitcher Jason Cromer, who whirled and threw to second base, getting the force out on Bixler. �

Brian Myrow followed with a long fly ball, over the head of LF Jon Weber, to the deepest part of Victory Field. �Myrow cruised into second with a double, but the speedy Milledge came all the way around from first base to score the Indians' first run. �

Jason Cromer pitched 6 innings for the Bulls, and he did not allow another run to scor e, though he had to contend with Indians' batters on the base paths in every inning but the 3rd. �3B Neil Walker (photo) lined a single into center field in the 2nd inning, though he was forced out on a fielder's choice. �In the 4th, Steve Pearce led off with a single through the hole into left field, and DH Tagg Bozied reached base when his grounder bounced off the heel of 2B Henry Mateo's glove and over his shoulder for an error. �A double play and a fly out ended that inning. �The biggest threat Cromer faced came in the 6th. �Brian Myrow led off with his second double of the game, and Pearce walked. �Bozied dropped down a perfect sacrifice bunt, moving Myrow and Pearce up 90 feet so that both were in scoring position. �Walker connected on an "oops" swing, and the ball landed just in front of the mound. �Walker was easily out at first, and Myrow and Pearce could not move. Erik Kratz was intentionally walked to load the bases, and the gamble paid off for the Bulls: �Shelby Ford flied out to end the inning. �

The Indians put two base runners on again in the 7th, against reliever Julio DePaula. �Chris Barnwell singled into left field, and Brian Myrow walked, but both were left stranded. �DePaula also retired the Tribe in order in the 8th inning.�

After Snell finished his evening's work, relievers Mike Koplove and Chris Bootcheck kept the Bulls from breaking the 1-1 tie. �Koplove allowed only a single over the 7th and 8th innings. �Bootcheck needed exactly three pitches to take care of the Bulls in the top of the 9th. �Justin Ruggiano ripped Bootcheck's first pitch into right field for a single. �Chris Richard grounded the second pitch to deep short, where Chris Barnwell was able to make the stop and throw to second for the force out on Ruggiano, but Richard was safe at first. �Jon Weber took pitch number three to short also, and this time, Barnwell was able to start the double play, Barnwell to Ford to Pearce, to end the inning. �That brought the Indians to the bottom of the 9th, and the walk-off win. �

[Photo: �Neil Walker and Erik Kratz are on-deck]

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �What else but Brian Myrow's walk-off RBI single? �Myrow went 3-for-4 with two doubles, the single, and a walk, and he had both of the Indians' RBI.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the 6th inning, Myrow returned the ball to the infield after Justin Ruggiano's RBI double. �Heads-up play by Shelby Ford and Steve Pearce let them tag out Ruggiano as he was slow to get back to the bag after taking the turn. �It put a halt to the Bulls' momentum, leaving a runner on third with two outs, instead of runners on second and third with one out. �

More photos: �Ian Snell, � Neil Walker

Go Tribe!

[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]