Shelby Ford's lead-off home run was a bright spot for the Indians.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 10, Indianapolis Indians 3 [box]
A shaky first inning from Tribe starter Rudy Owens gave the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees a lead they would never give up, as the Indians lost at Victory Field tonight. Owens suffered his 4th loss of the season, and with the Tribe bullpen getting thin, outfielder Corey Wimberly made his professional pitching debut. The Yankees posted 17 hits and scored in every other inning.
It was a tough night for Owens (photo). He lasted 5 innings and allowed 7 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks. The first inning began with three consecutive hits: a double by CF Austin Krum, a single by SS Ramiro Pena, and a 2-RBI triple by C Jesus Montero. The triple hit near the top of the right field wall, over the leaping RF Miles Durham, who then crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, as CF Alex Presley chased down the ricochet. Montero held at third when 1B Jorge Vazquez grounded to third for the first out of the inning, then Owens walked LF Justin Maxwell.
Maxwell was leaning off first, and Owens' throw to first picked him off. Maxwell took off for second base. 1B Matt Hague took a quick look over at Montero on third to make sure he was not thinking of going home on the steal attempt. But that extra second it took Hague to look to third was enough so that the throw to SS Brian Friday, covering second, was a second too late. Montero made an awkward slide into second base and Friday's tag was late, and Montero was called safe (photos below). As Friday looked at the umpire in protest, Montero, still off balance, rolled off the base -- if Friday had held the tag, Montero would have been out.
After a strikeout by 3B Brandon Laird, DH Jordan Parraz lined a 2-RBI single into center field, driving in both Montero and Maxwell. 2B Kevin Russo also walked, then RF Dan Brewer's RBI single plated Parraz. Brewer tried to advance to second base on the throw in from Durham in right, but a quick throw by 3B Andy Marte to Friday this time let Friday tag out Brewer. The Yankees had a 5-0 lead.