Monthly Archives: May, 2011

Shelby Ford gets the force out at second base, as Brian Friday backs him up.








Indianapolis Indians  8,  Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees  5
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The Indianapolis Indians engineered another come-from-behind win tonight, to defeat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at Victory Field.  2B Shelby Ford (photo), who last played for the Indians in 2009, celebrated his return to AAA with 3 hits and started two big Tribe rallies.  LF John Bowker also contributed 3 hits and 3 RBI.  Reliever Tony Watson celebrated his 26th birthday with two scoreless innings of work, including 5 strikeouts.  

When starters Sean Gallager and Adam Warren squared off last week, Warren dominated the Indians and held the Tribe batters to just 3 hits in 8 innings.  Today, Gallagher and the Tribe turned the tables on Warren.

The Yankees began the game by taking advantage of an error in the top of the 1st.  With one out, Gallagher walked SS Ramiro Pena, then gave up a single up the middle to DH Jesus Montero.  1B Jorge Vazquez tapped a fast bouncer back to the mound, which Gallagher easily fielded.  He whirled and fired to Ford covering second base (photo above), for the force out on Montero.  Ford's relay on to first base, though, was airmailed and landed in the visitor's dugout.  Vazquez was awarded second base, and Pena, who had reached third base, was sent on home, for the Yankees' first run of the game.  The run would have been unearned, but while pitching to CF Justin Maxwell, Gallagher threw a wild pitch.  If the throwing error had not been made, Pena would have been on third base, and would have scored on the wild pitch, which changed to run from "unearned" to "earned".  Maxwell popped out to Ford to end the inning.  

The Bradenton Marauders have a scheduled day off on Memorial Day, while the Altoona Curve and the West Virginia Power have afternoon games.

Altoona Curve  8,  Binghamton Mets  0
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 Mile Colla pitched 6 scoreless innings for the Curve, to earn his fourth win of the season.  Colla was a man on a mission, keeping the game zipping right along -- the game was done in less than 2.5 hours.  He gave up 4 runs, and no walks, while striking out 2 batters.  Colla retired the first 6 batters he faced.  He gave up back-to-back singles to open the 3rd inning, then left them in place, as he set down the next three to end the inning.  He worked around a lead-off batter in the 4th, putting down the next three batters in that inning, and three in a row in the 5th also.  The last hit Colla allowed was a 2-out double in the 6th, which ended with a fly out.  

The Curve bats were slow to get going too.  They went down in order for the first four innings, then got to the Mets' starter Bradley Holt in the 5th.  SS Jordy Mercer led off the 5th with a walk, and with one out, 3B Jeremy Farrell singled, then C Kris Watts homered, giving the Curve a 3-0 lead.  The inning continued with RF Brad Chalk reaching second base on a throwing error by the Mets' shortstop, then moving to third base on Colla's sacrifice bunt.  A wild pitch allowed Chalk to score, for a 4-1 lead.  

The Curve came right back in the 6th inning, scoring 4 more runs off the Binghamton relief pitcher.  LF Quincy Latimore began with a solo home run.  Mercer followed the homer with a single into left field, then the newest Curve just up from West Virginia, 1B Matt Curry, also singled.  Farrell made it three singles in a row, bringing in Mercer.  Watts walked to load the bases, and Chalk singled into right field, driving in both Farrell and Watts.  

 Bryan Morris took over for Colla to begin the 7th inning.  Morris pitched 3 scoreless and hitless innings, retiring all 9 batters he faced in order.  Morris also contributed a hit in the 8th inning, when he lined a single into right field.  He earned his second save of the season.

In the wake of more injuries, the Pirates have called infielder Josh Harrison up from the Indians.  

Harrison has played both second and third base for the Tribe this season.  In 37 games, Harrison has hit .321 for the Indians, with 8 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and 11 RBI.  The Cincinnati native has walked 7 times and struck out 17 times.  He has stolen 8 bases in 13 tries.  Harrison began the season with a hot April, hitting .375.  He has dropped to a still-respectable .282 in May, but with more RBI.  

Harrison is needed because Steve Pearce, who has been playing third base for the Pirates in the absence of Pedro Alvarez, is going onto the DL with a calf injury.  It will likely be a short-term promotion for Harrison, just until Alvarez returns.... unless Harrison makes a big splash at the major league level.   

The Pirates have not yet made an official announcement, but it is likely that catcher Ryan Doumit will also be going on the DL.  Tribe catcher Jason Jaramillo is not ready, after being hit by a foul ball earlier in the week.  That's making it look like Dusty Brown will be added to the Pirates' 40-man roster and called up to join the Pirates in New York.  Brown was pulled from the Indians' starting line-up at the last moment last night, and he's the only other option.  Wyatt Toregas has played only sparingly so far this season and has yet to get a hit.   

UPDATE: Yes, confirmed, Brown has also been added to the 40-man roster and promoted.  Ross Ohlendorf was moved to the 60-day DL to make room.

1B Matt Curry has also been promoted from the A level West Virginia Power to the AA Altoona Curve.  Yes, that is right -- skipping right over the A+ Bradenton level.  Curry has been hitting .361 for the Power, with 15 doubles, 3 triples, 9 homers, and 34 RBI.  Curry hit .400 in April and has "dropped" to .325 for May.  The Texas native is 23 years old, a little old for the A level anyway.  

Aaron Baker, the regular first baseman for the Marauders  is currently hitting .275 with 8 doubles, 7 homers, and 38 RBI.


And more update:
Coming up from Altoona to fill the new holes on the Indians' roster:  INF Shelby Ford, OF/1B Miles Durham, and C Eric Fryer.  Ford has played with the Indians before (2009), but it will the first time at the AAA level for durham and Fryer.