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(Photo: �Pedro Alvarez, Argenis Diaz, Brian Myrow, and Neil Walker)
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Mike Crotta settled down a little after that. �He retired the next two batters on two pop ups to end the 3rd inning. �He walked Jesus Montero to begin the 4th inning — the only walk Crotta allowed. �Chad Huffman singled to put two runners on base, but Crotta got Reid Gorecki to bounce to short, where Argenis Diaz started another 6-4-3 (Diaz to Walker to Myrow) double play, and a line out to Diaz, who looked a little surprised to see that ball sticking in his glove, to end the inning. �Crotta also gave up a two-out single to Eduardo Nunez in the 5th, but ended that inning without allowing another run.
(Photo: �Pitching coach Dean Treanor discussed the situation with Mike Crotta and Erik Kratz)
It was in the 6th inning that things got out of hand for Crotta. �He began the inning by allowing four straight hits: �a single on the first pitch by Jon Weber, a double off the top of the wall in the right field corner by Jesus Montero, an single down the right field line by Chad Huffman that scored both Weber and Montero, and a triple off top of the right field wall (missed a home run by about a foot) by Reid Gorecki, scoring Huffman. �That made the score 6-0, and that was all for Crotta.
Justin Thomas came in for Crotta with a runner on third and no outs. �He got a ground out, with the runner holding on third, then hit Kevin Russo with a pitch to put runners on the corners. �A single by 2B Reegie Corona brought Gorecki in from third base and left runners on first and second bases. �Eduardo Nunez nearly brought in more runs with a fly ball to the wall in left field. �Kevin Melillo saved Crotta and Thomas with a leaping catch, making the two runners scramble back to their respective bases. �Finally, a fly out ended the inning, but the Yankees had a commanding 7-0 lead.
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Justin Thomas (left photo above) came back out to pitch the 7th inning. �He gave up a lone walk, but kept the Yankees from scoring again. �Wil Ledezma (right photo above) also gave up a walk in the 8th, but also did not give up any runs. �Jean Machi took the 9th inning, and he retired three Yankees in order. �That ended Machi’s streak of three appearances in which he allowed runs to score (6 runs over 2+ innings).
Once Romulo Sanchez finished his days’ work, the Indians were able to make some progress against the Yankees’ relief corps. �With one out in the 7th inning, Erik Kratz lined a single into center field off reliever Grant Duff, who was making his AAA debut. �Kevin Melillo moved Kratz to third base with a double into right field. �Argenis Diaz made it three hits in a row with a bloopy singled into center field, plating Kratz with the Indians’ first run. �Melillo went to third base on the play (photo), and he scored on Jose Tabata’s sacrifice fly. �The Indians were finally on the scoreboard, 7-2.
The Tribe added two more runs in the 8th inning off Yankees’ Zack Segovia. �Again with one out, Pedro Alvarez drilled a double down the right field line to the service bay doors. �Brandon Moss brought him home with the Tribe’s biggest hit of the game — a 2-run homer to center field.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre closer Jonathan Albaladejo took the mound for the bottom of the 9th. �Kevin Melillo greeted him with a blazing double down the right field line that came to rest under the Yankee’s bullpen bench. �A wild pitch moved Melillo to third base, and a ground out by Jose Tabata brought Melillo in to score. �Neil Walker kept the Tribe alive with his league-leading 17th double of the season, going down the left field line. �But that was all the Indians would get, as Brian Myrow struck out to end the game.
Photos: �Left — Jean Machi was back in his usual form; � �Right — Neil Walker gets ready
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Photos: �Left — Brandon Moss and one of the umpires have a friendly discussion before the game � Right — �Romulo Sanchez was happy to be back at Victory Field
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Photo: �Left– �Argenis Diaz; � Right — Brandon Moss and Pedro Alvarez
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Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: � Brandon Moss’s (photo) 2-run homer in the 8th inning. �It flew out just to the left of straight-out center field.
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Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the top of the 6th inning, with runners on first and second bases and one out, Eduardo Nunez lifted a long fly ball to left field. �Kevin Melillo made a perfectly timed leap and a catch at the left field wall. �The fly was a few feet short of being a home run, but if Melillo had not made the catch, at least one and maybe two more runs would have scored. �There is a photo of Melillo’s catch, taken by John Gray,�on the Indians’ home page.
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NOTES:
Justin Thomas hit a batter in the 6th inning. �It was the 27th time this season that the Indians’ pitchers have hit a batter — tops in the International League, much to the dismay of the rest of the league. �The Charlotte Knights have hit the second-most batters, only 20. �Donnie Veal and Lehigh Valley’s Ehren Wassermann are tied for the individual league lead, at 6 hit batters each. �Brad Lincoln and Steven Jackson are among several pitchers tied for second place with 4 hit batters.
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Go Tribe!
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(photos by Nancy)
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