Jakubauskas used the strikeout one more time in the 5th inning. �Will Rhymes led off with a little dribbly hit that ended up behind the mound and in front of second base. �Rhymes tried to steal second base, but he was no match for Luke Carlin. �Carlin fired a perfect throw to Neil Walker, who was at second base tonight (photo). �Carlin’s throw beat Rhymes to second base by the length of his slide, and the tag was easily applied. �It was a piece of luck for the Tribe, because the next batter, Brent Dlugach, doubled to deep left center field. �CF Jon Van Every made a heroic dive for the ball, but could not come up with it. �The double would have easily scored Rhymes if he’d had successfully stolen second base. �Jakubauskas got a ground out and then a strikeout to get out of the inning without a run scoring.
That was all for Jakubauskas for the night. �He had thrown 93 pitches (53 strikes) and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks, with 7 strikeouts. �Brian Bass came in from the bullpen to begin the 6th inning, and he pitched 3 innings. �Bass faced just 10 batters over those 3 innings, and he made only one mistake: �with two outs in the 8th inning, Bass gave up a solo home run to Jeff Larish. �That turned out to be the winning run.
The Indians’ bats got going in the 6th inning. �After allowing just 2 hits over the first 5 innings, Toledo starter Alfredo Figaro struggled in the 6th. �LF Jose Tabata led off with a single up the middle. �Brandon Jones followed with a grounder to third, which looked like it was going to turn into a double play. �But 3B Danny Worth’s throw to second base was to the outfield side of the base, and 2B Max Leon’s foot was pulled off the bag as he made the catch, just as Jose Tabata arrived at the bag. �Leon was disrupted enough so that he could not make the throw to first base, and the double play didn’t happen. �Worth was charged with a throwing error on the play. �DH Brian Myrow flied out, and at that point, Figaro was relieved by Daniel Schlereth. �Almost before Schlereth had time to take a breath, Tabata and Jones executed a perfect double steal, to give the Indians two runners in scoring position. �But once again, the runner at third could not come in, and neither could the one on second. �Schlereth struck out 3B Pedro Alvarez, walked Steve Pearce (unintentionally), then struck out Neil Walker to end the inning and leave two runners on base and in scoring position.
The Indians did finally get onto the scoreboard in the 7th inning. �With Schlereth still on the mound, Jon Van Every led off with a smash to the wall in center field. �The throw back to the infield came to SS Brent Dlugach, but when Dlugach flipped the ball over to second base to make sure Van Every was going to stay there, the throw went wide. �After a little bobble, the ball rolled away from second base, behind the pitcher’s mound, and headed toward first base. �But, with the action in the outfield, 1B Jeff Larish was no where near first base, and C Mike Rabelo was also quite a distance away. �Van Every saw the ball escaping and he headed for third base, reaching safely on what was ruled a throwing error on Dlugach. �Luke Carlin (photo) followed with a single slipped just to the right of second base and past 2B Leon, and Van Every easily came in to score — an unearned run. �Argenis Diaz put down an even more perfect sacrifice bunt than he’d done in the 3rd inning, to advance Carlin to second base. �Once again, though, the Indians left a runner in scoring position — a strikeout and a fly out ended the inning with Carlin still on second.
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The Indians picked up an earned run in the 8th inning off Mud Hens’ reliever Jason Waddell. �With two outs, Steve Pearce (photo) lifted a very long and very high fly ball down to left field, near enough to the foul line so that the wind might have been a factor in whether or not it stayed fair or went foul, particularly at that altitude. �The wind that had been gusting at the beginning of the game died down in the later innings, though, and this ball was ruled fair. �It sailed all the way to the fence behind the grass beyond the sidewalk in left field, all the way to the fence between Victory Field and Maryland Street, with a gang of small kids chasing after it. �Neil Walker followed Pearce’s blast with one of his own — another long fly to the 418′ mark in left center. �Walker’s hit got out there faster than Pearce’s earlier one did, and the Toledo center fielder was in better position this time, so that Walker’s was only a double instead of a triple. �Jon Van Every walked, and Waddell headed for the showers. �Reliever Jay Sborz took over for Waddell, and a very odd play ensued. �Luke Carlin grounded to second base, but again Max Leon had trouble with the ball. �Leon had it, dropped it, picked it up, and lost it again. �When he lost it the last time, the ball rolled quite a distance away, over toward the shortstop position. �Walker, who had advanced to third base on Carlin’s grounder, saw the ball rolling free with no one near it, so he scrambled for the plate. �Toledo 3B Danny Worth got to the ball, turned, and fired to the plate. �C Mike Rabelo got the throw just in time to tag out Walker as he slid in, to end the rally.
Jean Machi came on to pitch for the Indians in the top of the 9th, with the Indians behind by one run. �Machi needed just 5 pitches to retire the side in order. �Unfortunately, Jay Sborz also retired the Indians in order in the bottom of the 9th, and Toledo had hung on for the win. �Chris Jakubauskas was charged with the loss, even though it was Brian Bass who had given up the go-ahead home run. �The Indians left 9 runners on base ( 5 left on base for the Mud Hens).
Pedro Alvarez (photo) went 0-for-4 tonight, with two strikeouts. �He did reach base on an error in the 4th inning, but had base running problems. �Before the pitcher Figaro had even begun his wind-up for the first pitch to the next batter (Walker), Alvarez took off for second base. �Maybe he thought Figaro had started the wind-up? �But because Figaro hadn’t started the wind up, he merely had to turn and throw to his second baseman, and Alvarez was caught out in the middle of nowhere. �He was tagged out on the “caught stealing”.
The loss gives the Indians a 3-7 record. �They have lost all 4 games played against the Mud Hens so far this season.
Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: �Steve Pearce’s enormous towering bomb over the left field wall, the berm, the sidewalk, and very nearly the fence along Maryland Street. �It was his second home run of the season, and his 5th RBI.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the 4th inning, Chris Jakubauskas made the stab-catch of Max Leon’s come-backer to the mound. �His glares toward third base and second base were effective in keeping the runners from moving, and he easily made the out at first base.
(Photo: �Brian Bass)
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NOTES:
Roster moves — The Pirates put starting pitcher Ross Ohlendorf onto the disabled list, so they “recalled” Daniel McCutchen to take that roster spot. �Of course, McCutchen was still with the Pirates, and had never actually left the team when he was optioned down a few days ago.
Pitcher Justin Thomas was activated onto the Indians’ roster. �He hasn’t pitched since spring training ended. �Corey Hamman was moved onto the disabled list to make room for Thomas.
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Left: �Chris Jakubauskas on the mound
Right: �Pedro Alvarez makes a throw from third base
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Left: Steve Pearce at first base
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Right: �Neil Walker makes contact
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Go Tribe!
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(Photos by �Nancy)
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