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*By the 9th inning, things were completely out of hand.� The only pitchers left in the bullpen were Justin Thomas, Steven Jackson, and Jean Machi, all of whom pitched yesterday.� Rather than burn one of them in what was becoming a lost cause, Jonathan Van Every came in to pitch (photo).� Van Every has pitched a few times before, including for the Boston Red Sox in a blow-out game earlier this year.� He faced five Louisville batters in the top of the 9th.� Henry started by doubling into center field.� Then Van Every got two outs, when Sappelt lined out to short and Cozart flied out.� Dorn also doubled, plating Henry with the Bats’ 16th run of the game.� Van Every ended the inning by striking out pinch-hitter Luis Terrero.� (Note the smirk.)
*Twice the Indians had the bases loaded with two outs, but could not bring anyone across the plate.� In both the 2nd and 4th innings, LF Kevin Melillo and Pedro Ciriaco hit back-to-back singles, then Alex Presley walked to load the bases.� But in the 2nd, 1B Mitch Jones flied out.� In the 4th, Jones teased the crowd with a long fly ball down the left field line, but the ball curled foul, and Jones eventually popped out in foul territory.
*2B Brian Friday, who is 0-for-5 games (0-for-13), and 4-for-26 in his last 10 games, struck out looking in the 5th, and the frustration got to be too much.� He had a few words for home plate umpire Travis Brown, and they were the wrong words.� Friday was ejected.� (That was why Jonathan Van Every entered the game.)
*The Indians posted 12 hits, but scored only 6 runs, leaving 10 runners on base.� They were 3-for-9 with runnerss in scoring position.� The Bats had 16 runs on 18 hits, and left only 6 runners on base.� Of those 6, only one runner was left on base in the first 5 innings.� They went 10-for-20 with runners in scoring position.
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There were a few good points:
* The Indians came to the plate in the bottom of the 1st, down by 6 runs, but they did not roll over.� Kevin Melillo (photo) and Pedro Ciriaco struck out to begin the inning, but the next four Indians reached base as the Tribe cut the Bats’ lead in half.� Alex Presley lifted a fly ball to right field.� Three Bats converged, and similar to what happened in left-center field last night, they all looked at one another, then let the ball fall between them.� Presley was credited with a double, but it was a communication error by the Bats.� Mitch Jones blooped a single into center, scoring Presley from second.� RF Brandon Moss ripped a double into the right field corner, but because Bats’ RF Dorn got the ball back to the infield quickly, Jones had to stop at third base.� Jason Jaramillo took care of that, with a double grounded down the right field line, to score both Jones and Moss.� For two more innings, the Indians were only down 3 runs, 6-3.
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* In the 6th, Brandon Moss blasted a 3-run home run, a no-doubter over the right-center field wall, near the light pole and just about 10 feet away from the red pick-up truck.� (Moss reportedly hit the truck during batting practice.)� Pedro Ciriaco was on second base after an infield single that slid under 3B Mike Costanzo’s glove and a wild pitch.� Mitch Jones was on first base after a walk.
* Pedro Ciriaco singled three times and scored once.
* Kevin Melillo, Alex Presley, and Brandon Moss each had two hits.� One of Presley’s was a double, and Moss had a double and the homer.
* Brian Bass pitched to 6 batters, and allowed 2 hits, but was not responsible for any Bats’ runs.
* Jonathan Van Every was clearly having fun pitching (photo).� Luis Terrero was not thinking it was much fun to be struck out by an outfielder masquerading as a pitcher.
* Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game:� Moss’s homer.� It was his 22nd of the season, and he now has 93 RBI.� That is second in the International League, just two behind Durham’s Dan Johnson, who isn’t even playing for Durham any longer.� Moss has 3 more games to catch up.� The third highest total, 87, belongs to Freddie Freeman who is no longer with the Gwinnett Braves.
* Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game:� Doug Bernier made some nice plays at third.� In the 2nd, he stretched out completely going to his left to make the stop on a grounder by Dave Sappelt, then fired to first base for the out.� In the 3rd, with Frazier on first base, Devin Mesoraco grounded to third, where Bernier made another amazing stop, then started a 5-4-3 (Bernier to Friday to Jones) double play.
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* Brandon Moss got acrobatic as the team took the field to begin the game (photo sequence):
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More conventional running from Moss;� Bryan Myrow
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Jason Jaramillo; � and�� Erik Kratz at first
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NOTES:
John Bowker (photo) has been named the Indians’ Player of the Month for August.� He led the team with a .319 average and 4 home runs in August,� as well as 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 10 RBI in the month.
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Jeff Clement, who was with the Indians for two days to rehab his left knee, has returned to Pittsburgh.� He now has a left oblique strain that the team doctors are looking at.� He had the same problem this time last season.
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Go Tribe!
(photos by Nancy)
