Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 9, Indianapolis Indians 8
(Box)
A throwing error and a sacrifice fly allowed the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees to score the tying and the winning runs in the bottom of the 10th inning, to defeat the Indianapolis Indians tonight, at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY. A loss by the Columbus Clippers allows the Indians to maintain their 10-game lead in the International League Western Division.
The Indians struck first with a run in the top of the 2nd. DH Jeff Clement led off the inning with a walk, and he raced around from first to score on 3B Yamaico Navarro’s double into left field. They added 2 more runs in the 3rd, when SS Chase d’Arnaud and CF Jose Tabata hit back-to-back singles, then Clement doubled into center field, scoring both base runners. Indians ahead, 3-0.
Tribe starter Justin Wilson buzzed through the first three innings. He retired the first 8 batters in order, then gave up a single to RF Darnell McDonald with two outs in the 3rd. McDonald tried to steal second base, and was promptly thrown out by Indians’ C Tony Sanchez, to end the inning.
The Yankees got to Wilson in the bottom of the 4th. Wilson got the first batter of the frame to strike out, but the next four batters reached base safely. 2B Corban Joseph walked, SS Eduardo Nunez singled up the middle, and DH Ronnier Mustelier walked, loading the bases. 3B Brandon Laird also walked, forcing in Dickerson with the Yankees’ first run. Wilson threw a wild pitch, which got a short bit away from Tony Sanchez. Sanchez scrambled after it, but Wilson was a little slow to cover the plate, and that let Nunez score. A sacrifice fly by Francisco Cerevelli drove in Mustelier. The throw to the plate was in time, but Sanchez could not handle the ball, and Mustelier was safe, tying the score at 3-3.
That ended the evening for Justin Wilson. He had thrown 73 pitches (41 strikes) in 3.2 innings, and allowed 3 runs on 2 hits and 3 walks. Bryan Morris relieved him, and quickly ended the 4th inning with a pop up.
The Indians took the lead back again in the top of the 5th. Chase d’Arnaud was hit by a pitch, then he advanced to third base on Tabata’s single through the hole and into right field. 1B Matt Hague grounded out to short, which allowed d’Arnaud to score. Indians up, 4-3. The Tribe added another run in the 6th. LF Christian Marrero opened with a walk. RF Brandon Boggs grounded to second, but was safe at first when the throw from 2B Joseph went wide of first (Boggs credited with a hit, and no error charged to Joseph). Sanchez also walked, loading the bases for the Indians. 2B Anderson Hernandez grounded wide of first base, forcing 1B Kosuke Fukudome to dive to his right. Fukudome made the stop, hopped up, and darted to first base to make the out on Hernandez, but Marrero was able to score on the play, and the Indians had a 5-3 lead.
Bryan Morris kept the Yankees scoreless in the 5th and 6th innings, allowing one hit in each inning. He gave up a solo home run to CF Melky Mesa to begin the 7th inning. Two outs later, Morris was relieved by Doug Slaten. Slaten finished the 7th with a walk and a strikeout, but the Yankees were back within one run, 5-4.
The top of the 8th brought 2 more runs for the Tribe. Boggs led off with a walk, and Sanchez singled through the left side of the infield. Hernandez tried to put down a sacrifice bunt, though it turned into a force out at third, leaving Sanchez at second and Hernandez at first. Both runners moved up one base when d’Arnaud tapped a grounder back to the mound. The Yankees changed relievers, and Tabata greeted the new pitcher with a single up the middle, which plated both Sanchez and Hernandez, for a 7-4 score.
That lead did not last long. Doug Slaten began the 8th by giving up three hits and a walk. Nunez and Mustelier both singled. Laird doubled into center field, just over Tabata’s head, scoring Nunez. Cerevelli worked a walk, to load the bases, and that was all for Slaten. Tim Wood came on in relief. The first batter Wood faced, Mesa, lined a single into center field, and Mustelier scored. Fukudome grounded to short, where d’Arnaud was able to get the ball to second base in time for the force out on Mesa Fukudome beat out the relay throw to first base, and Laird scored on the play to tie the game at 7-7. The inning ended with a double play, 6-4-3 (d’Arnaud to Hernandez to Hague).
Neither team scored in the 9th inning. Marrero walked for the Indians, and LF Chris Dickerson singled and Nunez walked for the Yankees, but all were left stranded. The Tribe began the 10th with a walk by Sanchez. He was replaced by pinch-runner Eric Fryer (who later stayed in the game behind the plate). Hernandez’s sacrifice bunt moved Fryer to second base, and Fryer scored when d’Arnaud singled into center field. With two ground outs, d’Arnaud got as far as third base, but was not able to score. The Indians had again retaken the lead, 8-7.
All the Indians had to do was keep the Yankees from scoring in the bottom of the inning…. Cervelli led off with a single, and went to third when Mesa ripped a double down the left field line. An intentional walk to Fukudome loaded the bases. RF Darnell McDonald grounded to third, where Navarro scooped up the ball and fired to the plate for the force out on the lead runner. His throw was wide, though, and Fryer’s foot came off the plate as he stretched for the ball. Cervelli scored the tying run, and the bases were still loaded. Dickerson lifted a fly ball to center field, and the walk-off run scored when Mesa tagged up and scored on the sacrifice fly.
Jose Tabata had 3 of the Indians’ 10 hits, and drove in 2 runs. Both Chase d’Arnaud and Tony Sanchez had two hits, including a double for Sanchez. Tim Wood was charged with both a Blown Save and the loss — his 5th of the season.
Indians’ Hitting Gems of the Game: Jeff Clement’s 2-RBI double in the 3rd inning, which helped give the Indians their early lead; and Jose Tabata’s 2-run single in the 8th, which gave the Indians their biggest lead of the game.
Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: The double play turned in the bottom of the 8th. The Yankees had already scored 3 runs to tie the score, and they still had runners on the corners with only one out. Chase d’Arnaud, Anderson Hernandez, and Matt Hague completed the double play to halt the Yankee’s rally.
