Lincoln (photo) also gave up a single to 2B Ed Lucas to begin the 5th inning, but retired the next three batters in order. Lugo led off the 6th with a single lined over SS Friday’s leap. Lincoln walked Heyward, then got Gomez to fly out. Castillo grounded wide of first base, where 1B John Bowker fielded the ball and threw to second base, where Friday forced out Heyward. Friday’s throw back to first, with Lincoln covering, was not in time to make the double play out on Castillo though. A fly out ended the inning, without another run scoring. That was the end of Lincoln’s evening. He had allowed that one run on 5 hits and 2 walks, with 4 strikeouts. He threw 84 pitches, with 60 strikes.
Former Pirate farmhand Todd Redmond made the start for the Braves. He allowed only two Tribe baserunners over the first 4 innings, both walks. Friday walked in the bottom of the 1st and was left on base. Wimberly worked a walk in the 3rd, but was picked off first base.
Redmond’s brief no-hit bid ended in the 5th, when C Eric Fryer led off with a grounder through the middle of the infield. The ball got past SS Lugo, but 2B Lucas made a diving stop behind the bag, but by the time he hopped up, he did not have time to catch Fryer at first. Fryer was quickly erased, though, when Lambo bounced back to the mound and Redmond started a 1-6-3 double play. CF Gorkys Hernandez singled though the left side of the infield, for the Indians’ second hit, then he stole second base. He was left on base when Lincoln grounded out to first. Wimberly also singled off Redmond in the 6th inning, when he zipped a double down the left field line and into the Indians’ bullpen, making LF Constanza hunt for the ball under the bullpen bench. Wimberly tagged up and advanced to third on d’Arnaud’s fly out into foul territory by the visitor’s bullpen. Heyward’s throw back to the infield was airmailed to behind third base, and Wimberly slid into third easily. The next fly out, by Friday, was too short for Wimberly to tag up and score, though, and a third fly out ended the inning. Redmond allowed only 3 hits and 2 walks in his 6 scoreless innings.
Anthony Claggett relieved Lincoln to begin the 7th inning. The first batter Claggett faced, Lucas, bounced a ball off the third base bag and into the Indians’ bullpen for a double. Lucas advanced to third base on a ground out, then scored an insurance run for the Braves on pinch-hitter Dan Nelson’s sacrifice fly to deep center field. Claggett also gave up a single to Constanza, but Fryer threw Constanza out when he tried to steal second base.
Claggett came back out to begin the 8th inning. He struck out Lugo, then was relieved by lefty Justin Thomas. Thomas faced the lefty Heyward and got him to ground out to second base, then struck out Gomez to end the inning. Thomas also retired the side in order in the 9th.
The Tribe put one runner on base in each of the last three innings, but still were not able to score. Bowker extended his hitting streak to 9 games, the longest hitting streak of any member of the Tribe this season, with a single lined into center field in the 7th. Bowker was also caught trying to steal second base. Wimberly looped a single into right field with two outs in the 8th, but d’Arnaud struck out to end the inning. Presley (photo, in right field) slipped a single through the right side of the infield in the 9th, but three other Indians’ batters struck out to end the inning and the game.
The Indians are back at .500, with one more game against Gwinnett in this series.
Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: Corey Wimberly’s double in the 6th inning. It was the Indians’ only extra-base hit of the game, and Wimberly was the only member of the Tribe to reach third base.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: Wimberly again, in his first game in the infield for the Tribe (photo). In the 4th, he saved a run from scoring when he made a dive behind second base, first keeping the ball in the infield, and second making the throw to first for the out on batter Wilkin Castillo. Mauro Gomez, who had been at second base, was able to move up to third, but he had to stay at third and could not score.
A few more photos:
Jason Heyward, who arrived in Indianapolis shortly before the game:
Jason Heyward on second base … Todd Redmond
Chase d’Arnaud at third base… Miles Durham coaching first base
Eric Fryer doesn’t use batting gloves……….. Chase d’Arnaud watched his foul ball go into the stands
Go Tribe!
(photos by Nancy)
