Indianapolis Indians 10, Columbus Clippers 5
(Box)
The Indianapolis Indians took revenge on the Columbus Clippers tonight, after last night’s 10-6 loss. Tonight at Huntington Park in Columbus, Ohio, it was the Indians who scored 10 runs on 18 hits. Though they did not score in almost every inning as the Clippers did last night, the Tribe had a 4-run inning and a 3-run inning, and three more one-run innings.
Once again, the Indians jumped onto the scoreboard early, with 4 runs in the top of the 1st. With one out, five consecutive Indians’ batters reached base safely. SS Chase d’Arnaud began with a walk. A single by LF Starling Marte moved d’Arnaud to second, and a line drive single into left field by 1B Jeff Clement brought d’Arnaud across the plate. Marte advanced to third base on the throw in to the plate, then scored when RF Brandon Boggs lined a single into center field. C Tony Sanchez walked to load the bases, then 2B Anderson Hernandez drove in Clement with an RBI ground out. DH Jose Morales brought in the final run of the inning, plating Boggs on another line drive single. Sanchez tried to score from second base on the play, but he was cut down at the plate on the throw in from right field.
The Tribe added another run in the 2nd. Tabata walked, then d’Arnaud doubled and Marte singled to deep short, allowing Tabata to score, for a 5-0 lead.
Starter Justin Wilson had allowed only one single in the 1st, but gave up 3 runs to the Clippers in the 2nd. The inning began by a walk to DH Russ Canzler, followed by a 2-run homer by 3B Jared Goerdert. After the homer, Wilson walked the next two batters, CF Tim Fedroff and C Matt Pagnozzi. A fly out let Fedroff tag up and advance to third, then a sacrifice fly by RF Trevor Crowe plated Federoff, cutting the Indians’ lead to 5-3.
The Tribe got those 3 runs right back in the top of the 3rd. Again the Indians made the first out, then had the next 5 batters reach base safely. Sanchez doubled off the top of the center field wall, and Hernandez slipped a single through the left side of the infield to give the Indians runners on the corners. A walk to Morales loaded the bases. 3B Brian Friday ripped the first pitch he saw off the back of the mound and up the middle into the outfield. Both Sanchez and Hernandez scored, with Hernandez sliding in ahead of the late throw in from the infield. Tabata also lined a single into center field, again loading the bases. Columbus changed pitchers, with reliever Matt Langwell taking over for TJ McFarland. Langwell got d’Arnaud to ground to short, for what should have been the start of an inning-ending double play. SS Gregorio Petit threw to second for the force out on Tabata, but Petit’s throw to first was not quick enough to beat the speedy d’Arnaud. D’Arnaud was safe, and that meant that Morales’s run counted. Indians leading 8-4.
Another insurance run scored in the 4th. Boggs was hit on the shoulder by a pitch to begin the rally. Sanchez singled up the middle, as the ball ticked off the glove of 2B Jason Donald. Hernandez smacked a sharp grounder to short, where Petit fielded the ball cleanly, then threw poorly to first base. Boggs scored on the play, as the Indians took a 9-4 lead. The Indians threatened again in the 6th, when Boggs led off with a single along the right field line. Hernandez also singled, advancing Boggs to third, but that was as far as Boggs got before the Indians ended the inning.
Justin Wilson regained his control as he began the bottom of the 3rd. He retired the side in order in that frame, and also in the 4th and 5th, striking out one batter in each inning. Wilson’s night ended after the 5th. He threw 108 pitches (60 strikes) and surrendered 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks. He also struck out 6 batters. Bryan Morris took the mound to begin the bottom of the 6th.
Morris gave up a lead-off walk in the 6th, but did not allow that runner to score. He gave up two singles in the 7th, to Crowe and LF Vinny Rottino. 3B Brian Friday threw wide to first base on Rottino’s hit, allowing both runners to move into scoring position, but Morris struck out the next batter to end the inning, again without a run scoring.
The Indians pushed their lead to 10-3 with another run in the top of the 7th. A single by d’Arnaud started the rally. Marte grounded to short, which forced out d’Arnaud at second base, leaving Marte on first. Clement also singled, with Marte racing around to third base, where no one was covering the base. Boggs singled to right field when Clippers’ RF Crowe dropped the fly ball, and Marte scored easily. Sanchez walked to load the bases, but the inning ended with Hernandez’s grounder to third, for the force out on Boggs.
Duke Welker relieved Morris for the bottom of the 8th. He got the first two outs quickly, then gave up a walk to Fedroff and a single to Pagnozzi. Petit doubled down the left field line and into the corner, driving in Fedroff from second base. The inning ended with a fly out to left field, and the Indians ahead 10-4.
Evan Meek came on to pitch the bottom of the 9th. Meek hit Donald with a pitch, then struck out the next two batters. He walked both Canzler and Goedert to load the bases. Fedroff slipped a single into left field, scoring Donald, to bring the score to 10-5. But Meek got Pagnozzi to lift an easy fly into right field, where Boggs made the catch to end the game.
Each of the Indians’ batters had at least one hit and all but one (Friday) scored at least one run. Jeff Clement, Brandon Boggs, and Anderson Hernandez each had 3 hits; Chase d’Arnaud, Starling Marte, and Tony Sanchez each had 2 hits; Jose Tabata, Jose Morales, and Brian Friday each had 1 hit. All but two were singles — d’Arnaud and Sanchez had doubles. Boggs and Marte were also hit by pitches.
Justin Wilson earned his 7th win of the season, giving him a 7-4 record. The Indians and Clippers now have a 1-1 tie in this 3-game series, with the rubber game tomorrow afternoon.
Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: Anderson Hernandez’s three singles, for two RBI. He drove in Jeff Clement in the 1st inning on a ground out. He singled in the 3rd, singled to drive in Boggs in the 4th, and singled again in the 6th.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: Starling Marte made three outstanding catches in left field. In the 6th, Tim Fedroff hit a long fly to left field. Marte ran back to the wall, where he reached out to make the tough catch at the wall. In the 8th, Marte made a running, one-handed catch off Jared Goedert’s fly ball for the second out of the inning, then ended the inning by catching Trevor Crowe’s line drive.
NOTES
Roster Moves: The Pirates recalled INF Matt Hague today. C Eric Fryer was optioned back to the Indians, since the Pirates no longer need him as an emergency catcher.
With Jordy Mercer up with the Pirates, that leaves just Starling Marte and Rudy Owens to represent the Indians at the AAA All-Star Game in Buffalo, NY on Wednesday.
Game time temperature was 100 degrees in Columbus tonight. (Better than Indianapolis, where it was 105 degrees).
