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Mike Crotta kept rolling along, facing the minimum number of batters in the 6th and 7th.� 2B Chase Lambin led off the 6th with a single, but he too was erased with a double play, started by SS Argenis Diaz, and relaying through 2B Brian Friday and 1B Jeff Clement.� Crotta came out to begin the 8th, and got the first two outs, a strikeout and a fly out.� Then he gave up a triple into the alley in right-center.� That was all for Crotta.� He had thrown 102 pitches (63 strikes), and 4 runs (3 earned) on 6 hits and a walk in 7.1 innings.� He also struck out 6 Chiefs’ batters.
(photo:� Alex Presley)
Derek Hankins began his AAA career in a less-than-auspicious manner.� He came on to relieve Crotta in the bottom of the 8th, with two outs and Pete Orr standing on third base.� On Hankin’s 3-1 pitch, Chase Lambin blasted a 2-run homer over the right field wall, and the Chiefs had tied the score at 5-5.
But Hankins’ new teammates were not going to let him down in his debut.� Luke Carlin led off the top of the 9th with a walk, and Argenis Diaz dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Carlin to second base.� Brian Friday was intentionally walked, then Doug Bernier was unintentionally walked to load the bases with one out.� Alex Presley was the hero when he smacked a grounder up the middle and into center field for a 2-RBI single, scoring both Carlin and Friday.
Jean Machi took the mound for the bottom of the 9th.� He gave up a walk to SS Seth Bynum, then struck out both Kevin Mench and pinch-hitter (another former Indy Indian) Luis Ordaz.� Carlos Maldonado grounded out to short to end the game.
Hankins was charged with a Blown Save, but he also earned his first win with the Indians.� It took him 3 pitches to do all that.� Jean Machi earned his 14th save.� Jeff Clement went 3-for-4; Alex Presley and Brandon Moss each had 2 hits, with 2 RBI for Presley and 4 RBI for Moss.� Aki Iwamura was the only other Indian to get a hit besides the Presley-Moss-Clement trio.� Brian Friday, Doug Bernier, and Luke Carlin all walked twice.
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Indians’ Hitting Gems of the Game:� A grand slam by Brandon Moss (photo) to get the juices flowing in the 1st inning, and a 2-run game-winning single by Alex Presley in the 9th inning.
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Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game:� In the bottom of the 8th, Boomer Whiting lifted a fly ball to left field.� LF Jim Negrych, who is really an infielder, raced back from his shallow starting position, then made a gracefull slide (on the wet grass) to make the catch.
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NOTES:
Derek Hankins was promoted from Altoona, and to make space on the Indians’ roster, reliever Brian Bass was sent to the Curve — though on paper only.� Apparently Bass was right there in the clubhouse with the rest of the Indians tonight.� The Pirates are expected to do more pitcher shuffling in the next few days, so that situation will shake out.
Go Tribe!
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(photos by Nancy)
