Monthly Archives: May, 2011

Indianapolis Indians 9,  Pawtucket Red Sox  7
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3B Josh Harrison (photo) went 5-for-5 at the plate to lead the Indians in a come-from-behind win over the Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island tonight.  Harrison smacked two singles and three doubles, and contributed 2 RBI, as the the Indians scored 9 unanswered runs after trailing the PawSox 7-0.

Justin Wilson made the start for the Indians, but he lasted only two innings.  He was responsible for all 7 of Pawtucket's runs (6 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks, with no strikeouts.  Home runs were the beginning of the end for Wilson, who gave up 3 in his briefest start of the season.  

With two outs in the bottom of the 1st, Wilson gave up the first homer, a solo blast by DH Hector Luna.  The trouble really got going in the 2nd, when the first four batters reached base safely.  C Michael McKenry led off with another solo home run.  2B Tory Thomas singled, then  3B Brent Dlugach made the score 4-0 with a 2-run homer.  SS Jose Iglesias singled, and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by RF Matt Sheely.  Then Wilson walked three consecutive batters --  CF Che-Hsuan Lin on four pitches, LF Daniel Nava on a 3-2 count, and Luna on a 3-1 count.  Luna's walk forced in Iglesias.  A grounder to 1B Matt Hague might have been an inning-ending double play, and Luna was forced out at second, but Harrison's throw back to first was wild, allowing 1B Lars Anderson to reach first safely, and allowing Nava to score from third base.  The inning finally ended with a ground out by McKenry, but the PawSox had a 6-run inning, and led the Tribe 7-1.  

Saturday evening with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates:

Altoona Curve  8,  Binghamton Mets  6
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First, the Curve and the Mets had to finish up yesterday's game, which had been suspended in the 7th inning, with the score tied at 6-6.  Binghamton had scored 4 runs in the 1st, and one run in both the 4th and 5th.  The Curve had tied the score with 3 runs in each of the 5th and 6th innings.  The big hit in the 5th was CF Starling Marte's triple, and the big hit in the 6th was pinch-hitter Eric Fryer's triple.   Curve starter Aaron Thompson had allowed all 6 Binghamton hits on 9 hits, no walks, with 4 strikeouts in his 5 innings of work.  Tim Alderson came on to pitch in the bottom of the 6th, and allowed a hit but maintained the tie.  

The top of the 7th began with a single by LF Quincy Latimore, who was replaced at first base by SS Jordy Mercer on a grounder force out at second.  Mercer stole second base, then took third on a wild pitch.  3B Jeremy Farrell walked to put runners on the corners, and that's when the game was suspended.  When they picked it up again this afternoon with a new relief pitcher, two quick outs left Mercer and Farrell still standing on the corners.  

Anthony Claggett came on in relief of Alderson, and in a double switch, Shelby Ford took over at first base for Miles Durham.  Claggett kept the Mets from scoring in the bottom of the 7th.  Then Ford gave the Curve the lead with a solo homer in the top of the 8th.  The Curve added an insurance run in the top of the 9th, when Mercer and Farrell led off with a pair of singles.  Pinch-hitter Kris Watts moved both runners into scoring position with a ground out, then RF Brad Chalk lined a single into left field.  Mercer scored easily on the play, but Farrell was out at the plate on the throw in from left field.  

Claggett held on to the lead with a scoreless bottom of the 8th, allowing just one hit.  He was credited with his third win of the season.  Noah Krol earned his 10th Save of the season with a scoreless 9th.  He walked the first batter of the inning, then retired the next three batters with two fly outs and a pop out.

Indianapolis Indians  6,  Pawtucket Red Sox  3
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3B Andy Marte (photo) blasted a grand slam in the top of the 9th to boost the Indians to a win over the Pawtucket Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.   

Brian Burres made the start for the Indians, though he did not figure into the decision tonight.  After retiring the PawSox in order in the 1st inning, Burres gave up a double to LF Daniel Nava with one out in the 2nd.  A walk to C Luis Expositio followed.  1B Matt Hague dropped a foul pop that should have been an out, giving 2B Brent Dlugach a second chance.  Dlugach took advantage of the opportunity, ripping a double on a line into left field, driving in Nava.  Exposito advanced to third base.  SS Jose Iglasias lined a single up the middle, and Exposito also scored.  Dlugach rounded third and headed for the plate, but was tagged out at the plate  when CF Gorkys Hernandez's throw to C Dusty Brown was on target and on time.  

Boston Red Sox' Bobby Jenks, with Pawtucket on a rehab assignment, pitched the first inning for the PawSox.  He threw 14 pitches (8 strikes) for a scoreless inning, though LF Alex Presley singled off Jenks, with a liner into center field.  

When Jenks finished his inning, he was relieved by the regularly scheduled starter, Matt Fox.  The first two Indians who faced Fox reached base -- Hague singled into left field, and Marte worked a walk.  Fox got out of the jam by striking out DH Jason Jaramillo, getting Brown to fly out, then doubling Hague off second base. 

Friday evening's action with the Pirates' lower minor league affiliates:

Altoona Curve  6,  Binghamton Mets  6
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Rain halted the game between the Curve and the Mets in Binghamton, NY in the top of the 7th inning, with the score tied at 6-6.  Starter Aaron Thompson got into trouble early in the game, when he gave up 4 runs to the B-Mets in the bottom of the 1st.  A single and a hit batter led off the inning, then two fly outs and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position.  Three singles brought in a run each, and a double added the 4th run of the inning.  Thompson gave up a hit in each of the next two innings, but erased one with a double play, and left the other stranded.  A solo homer in the bottom of the 4th gave the Mets a 5-0 lead, then a single, a double, and a sacrifice fly gave the Mets their 6th run in the 5th. 

The Curve put one runner on base in each of the first four innings, but none of those runners came around to score.  2B Brock Holt walked in the 1st, but was out in a double play.  C Tony Sanchez singled in the 2nd and moved to second base on a wild pitch.  Holt smacked a ground-rule double in the 3rd, and SS Jordy Mercer walked and got as far as third base in the 4th.  

1B Miles Durham got the Curve going with a rally in the top of the 5th, when he was hit by a pitch.  Thompson tried for a sacrifice fly, but it turned into a forcer out of Durham at second base, leaving Thompson on first.  Holt singled, then CF Starling Marte tripled into right field, scoring both Thompson and Holt.  LF Quincy Latimore singled into left field, bringing in Marte, to cut the B-Mets' lead to 5-3.

The Mets made it 6-3 in the bottom of the 5th, but the Curve came right back with another 3 runs in the top of the 6th to tie the game.  A fielding error at shortstop put 3B Jeremy Farrell on base, and Sanchez's double let Farrell came around to score from first base.  RF Brad Chalk walked, then pinch-hitter Eric Fryer drove in base runners with the second triple of the game.  

Tim Alderson came on to pitch the bottom of the 6th, and he worked around a single, to maintain the tie.  The top of the 7th began with a single by Latimore, and a grounder force out by Mercer, leaving Mercer on first base.  Mercer stole second and then moved to third base on a wild pitch.  Farrell walked, to give the Curve runners on the corners  -- and that's when the storms halted the game.  

The game will resume on Saturday prior to the regularly scheduled game.  This game will finish as a 9-inning game, but the regularly scheduled game will probably be a 7-inning game.