Todd Redmond was nearly matching Lincoln’s performance for the first half of the game. �He allowed only one hit in the first two innings, a double down the right field line by Luke Carlin (photo) in the 2nd inning.
The Tribe got to Redmond in the bottom of the 3rd. �Argenis Diaz began the inning with a soft liner to right field. �Lincoln dropped down a perfect 2-strike bunt to sacrifice Diaz to second base. �Then Jose Tabata hit a smash to the base of the right field wall, easily scoring Diaz. �But poor base running on Tabata’s part put a damper on the rally. �Diaz rounded second and got about half way to third and stopped. �The throw in from right field caught him in no-man’s land, and he was tagged out, 8-4-5. �A fly out ended the inning.
Redmond pitched two more 1-2-3 innings, but then the Tribe struck again. �Lincoln started a rally in the bottom of the 6th with a lead-off double to the left field wall that LF Matt Young could not hold on to. �(Young had made a spectacular at-the-wall catch on Brian Myrow’s fly ball in the 4th.) �Jose Tabata bounced a 1-2 pitch off the back of the mound and over towards second base. �2B Joe Thurston came up with the ball, but had no play, and the Indians had runners on the corners. �CF Kevin Melillo lifted a fly ball to left field, but it was too short for either runner to advance. �Then Brian Myrow took a fly ball to the left field warning track, and Lincoln scored from third base to five the Indians a 2-0 lead.
(Photo: �Lincoln takes his lead off second base in the 6th inning.)
Pedro Alvarez came to the plate next, with two outs and Tabata on first base. �He took a 2-0 pitch high over the right field fence above the 362-foot sign for a no-doubt home run, and the Indians had a 4-0 lead.
That was all the scoring the Indians would do. �Redmond sat down after 6 innings, having allowed 4 runs on 6 hits. �He was relieved by former Indy Indian (briefly in 2005) Vladimir Nunez, who retired the Tribe in order in the 7th, with 2 strikeouts. �Jo-Jo Reyes added a 1-2-3 inning in the 9th.
After having pitched 7 one-hit scoreless innings, Lincoln came out for the 8th inning. �He’d thrown less than 60 pitches at that point, but he might have been tiring a little. �Matt Young opened the inning with a standing triple into the left-center gap. �Lincoln hit Joe Thurston with a pitch, putting runners on the corners with no outs. �Brandon Hicks grounded to third base, where Pedro Alvarez started what should have been a double play, conceding the run to get two outs. �Young scored from third easily, and Thurston was forced out at second. �But 2B Brian Friday took the throw from Alvarez deep in his glove, and he couldn’t pick the ball out of the glove in time for the throw to first. �That left the Braves with a runner on first with one out instead of two. �Lincoln struck out C JC Boscan (for the third time in the game, the only strikeouts Lincoln would get).
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(Photo: �Brian Myrow makes a play at first base in the 1st inning.)
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Pinch-hitter Barbaro Canizares came up next, and he hit a little bloopy single that dropped into short right field, sending Hicks to third base. �A wild pitch by Lincoln got away from Luke Carlin, and by the time he chased the ball down over toward the Braves’ dugout, Hicks had scrambled across the plate with the Braves’ second run. �Canizares advanced to second base and into scoring position for�CF Jordan Schafer. �Schafer’s bloop hit fell in between Jose Tabata and Kevin Melillo in short left-center, and Canizares scored from second base. �Finally, Lincoln got 3B Wes Timmons to fly out, ending the inning and Lincoln’s night.
But the Indians were still ahead, 4-3. �Justin Thomas came on to pitch the top of the 9th. �He gave up a lead-off line drive single to Gregor Blanco, but Blanco was erased when 1B Freddie Freeman lined out right to Argenis Diaz. �Diaz fired back to first base, easily doubling off Blanco, who was almost at second base already, expecting the ball to land in center field. �The Braves were deflated, and Matt Young struck out on three pitches to end the game and give Thomas a save.
The win halts the Indians’ 3-game hitting streak. �Gwinnett had also come into this game with a 3-game hitting streak, so someone had to give…
Indians’ Hitting Gems of the Game: �#1– Pedro Alvarez’s 10th homer of the season, a 2-run blast that turned out to be the winning run. � #2 — Brad Lincoln’s double, which started that 6th inning rally.
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Indians’ Defensive �Gems of the Game: �Argenis Diaz was all over shortstop tonight. �He started the double play that erased Gregor Blanco, and Lincoln’s throwing error, in the 4th inning. �He made an amazing stop deep in the hole, followed by a turn and a perfect throw to first base on Blanco’s grounder in the 7th. �Then, Diaz made the catch on Freeman’s line drive in the 9th and threw on to first base in time to double off… yup, Blanco again.
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More Photos:
Ryan Lewis, the Indians’ bullpen catcher, likes to do this, but doesn’t get to very often:
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Photos: �Left: �Lewis turns it over to Carlin; � �Right: �Watching from the dugout
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NOTES:
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Neil Walker (photo)�was not in the starting line-up and was “unavailable” except for hitting — his right index finger was taped up, and throwing the ball was going to be a problem. �He did get into the game to pinch-hit for Brad Lincoln in the bottom of the 8th (strikeout). �He stayed in the game on a double-switch, playing left field. �Luckily, the ball didn’t come to him, so he didn’t have to worry about making any throws.
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The Pirates have asked that Jose Tabata play more left field, which is where they expect him to play when he gets to Pittsburgh. �That’s why the Indians have tried Brandon Moss (yesterday) and Kevin Melillo (today) in center field.
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Jonathan Van Every, who began the season with the Indians, before being traded back to the Red Sox, has been designated for assignment by Boston. �If he gets through waivers and is assigned to Pawtucket, we could see him again when the PawSox come to Indy in the second week of June.
The Zooperstars are performing at every Saturday evening game at Victory Field. �They have a new cast member, specifically designed for the Indians: �”Ramdy Johnson”, who wears a #30 Indianapolis Indians’ jersey. �Check out the facial hair:
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Go Tribe!
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(Photos by Nancy)
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