The Clippers tied it up in the 4th inning, when 2B Cord Phelps led off the inning with a solo home run — a 5-run lead blown by the Indians.� Morton did settle down after that.� He retired the next three Clippers on three ground outs in the 4th.� He worked around a double by Jordan Brown, along with a fumble for a fielding error by Alex Presley in center field, which let Brown move to third base.� Morton got a strikeout and a ground out, leaving Brown standing on third.� He gave up a 2-out single to Jose Constanza in the 6th, but ended that inning with a pop out.� Morton threw 101 pitches (67 strikes) in his 6 innings of work, and allowed 7 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits and a walk, with 2 strikeouts.
Clippers’ reliever Jeremy Sowers took over for David Huff after just 3 innings, in which he gave up 7 runs on 10 hits.� But now the Indians needed to break a tie, and Sowers was having none of it.� He retired 6 Tribe batters in order in the 4th and 5th.� Bryce Stowell put down 3 more Tribe batters in the 6th.� Doug Bernier led off the 7th with a double that found its way into a recess in the right field wall.� He moved to third base on a groundout by Brandon Moss.� Brian Myrow made it runners on the corners with a walk, but they were both left stranded when both Jeff Clement and Erik Kratz struck out to end the inning.
The score was still tied when Charlie Morton gave way to Steven Jackson to begin the bottom of the 7th — so Morton was not eligible for either the win or the loss.� Jackson got one out, then gave up the go-ahead run with a solo blast to Jared Goedert.� And a fly out later, he gave up an insurance run, another solo home run, to 1B Wes Hodges.� Clippers ahead, 9-7.
But the Indians were not done yet.� They got those two runs back, tying the score again in the top of the 8th.� With Jensen Lewis on the hill for the Clippers, Jim Negrych worked a walk, and moments later, Jonathan Van Every (photo) made it even with a booming home run that hit the right-center field scoreboard.� Lewis walked Doug Bernier and Brandon Moss with two outs after the homer, and he was relieved by Vinnie Pestano.� Pestano ended the inning with a pop out.
Danny Moskos was next out of the bullpen for the Tribe, also coming into the game with the score tied.� He got two fly outs, then gave up a single to Jose Constanza, on a low liner that slipped past the diving Doug Bernier and into left field.� Constanza stole second base, sliding into second base without a throw, because Erik Kratz had dropped the ball as he went to transfer it from his glove to his throwing hand.� Moskos walked Josh Rodriguez, then after a brief visit with pitching coach Dean Treanor, Moskos gave up a line drive single to Luis Valbuena.� Constanza rounded third and headed for the plate as the throw came in from Brandon Moss in right field.� The speedy Constanza reached the plate just ahead of an on-target throw from Moss, and the Clippers again had the lead.
The Indians had one last chance in the bottom of the 9th.� Erik Kratz singled up the middle with one out, and he was replaced by pinch-runner Kevin Melillo. Jim Negrych punched a single through the right side of the infield, and Melillo raced to third base.� Negrych stole second base, putting two runners in scoring position.� A strikeout and an easy fly out ended the game, though, and the Clippers had the win.
Moskos was charged with the loss, his first with the Indians.� Each member of the Indians’ line-up had at least one hit, and Doug Bernier led the charge with three hits — two doubles and a single.� Brian Myrow, Jeff Clement, and Erik Kratz each had 2 hits; Myrow had 4 RBI and Kratz picked up 3 RBI.
�
Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game:� Three home runs, but the really clutch one was Jonathan Van Every’s 2-run homer in the 8th inning, to tie the score.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game:� Also in the 8th inning, Brandon Moss made a running one-handed catch of a long fly ball that sailed into the right field corner.� If it had fallen in, the Clippers would have had at least one more run in that inning.
�
NOTES:
The Indians next travel up to Toledo, where they will play two games against the Mud Hens before the All-Star break.
�
�
Go Tribe!
�
(photos by Nancy)
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
�
