Shortstop Chase d'Arnaud has to leave the second base bag to keep this throw from C Eric Fryer from going into center field, as Braves' Jose Constanza stole second base in the first inning.  





Indianapolis Indians 1,  Gwinnett Braves  0
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For the second time in less than a week, the Indians battled through a pitching duel to win by a score of 1-0.  On Wednesday in Buffalo, the Tribe scored one run in the top of the 8th to beat the Bison.  Today, the Indians won the opening game of a 4-game series with the Gwinnett Braves at Victory Field by the same score.  

Brian Burres (photo, getting a turn at the plate) made the start for the Indians, and again he could not get the win while pitching at Victory Field.  It was not through any fault of his own -- he pitched 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing only 3 hits, with 4 walks and 6 strikeouts.  But the Tribe batters could not come through with any runs for him in the early innings of the game.  

Burres had to work out of a jam in the top of the 1st.  Braves' CF Jose Constanza lined the first pitch of the game into right field for a single.  Burres struck out SS Julio Lugo, but Constanza stole second base on strike three.  The throw from C Eric Fryer was wide of the bag at second, and Constanza slid in easily.   Constanza also stole third base, sliding in just a split second ahead of the tag by 3B Matt Hague.  Burres walked RF Stefan Gartrell to put Braves on the corners.  1B Mauro Gomez lifted a fly ball to center field, and it looked like it was going to fall in for a single, so Constanza started down the third base line to the plate.  But at the last second, CF Gorkys Hernandez charged in to make the running catch at knee-level.  Constanza had to scramble back to third, and by then it was too late to tag up and try again to head for home.  That was a big break for Burres and the Indians.  The next batter, 2B Ed Lucas hit the first pitch into center field, an easier catch for Hernandez, to end the inning.  

Burres retired the Braves in order in the next two innings.  He began the 4th inning by giving up a single to Gartrell, on a line drive that looped over Hague's head and into left field.  After a strikeout by Gomez and another great running catch by Hernandez on a fly ball by Lucas, Burres got LF Wilkin Ramirez to ground to third base.  Hague's throw to 2B Brian Friday was wide to the outfield side of the bag, and Friday had to reach and fell to the ground, but still kept the ball in his glove and his toe on the bag, for the inning-ending force out.  

Saturday evening action for the Pirates' minor league affiliates:

Altoona Curve  11,  Reading Phillies  1  (Suspended)
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After rain delayed the start of this game, the Curve must have decided that they needed to score a lot and quickly, in case the rain cut the game short.  The rain did come again, but too early for a complete game.  Instead, it was suspended in the 3rd inning, with the Curve leading by 10 runs.  R-Phils starter Juan Ramirez could not get through the 1st inning.  The first four Curve batters reached base safely:  a lead-off triple by RF Anthony Norman, a double by CF Starling Marte (one run), a walk by SS Jordy Mercer, and a single by LF Quincy Latimore to load the bases.  After a fly out, 3B Jeremy Farrell drove in both Marte and Mercer with an RBI single (runs 2,3).  C Travis Scott singled, loading the bases again.  2B Greg Picart grounded to first, and the R-Phils' first baseman returned the ball to the plate, forcing out Latimore for the second out.  Pitcher Aaron Pribanic singled into right field, bringing in Farrell (run 4), and a walk by Norman forced in Scott with the 5th run of the inning.  That was the end for Ramirez, and the new reliever, Tyson Brummett, struck out Marte to end the inning.  

But the Curve came right back at Brummett in the 2nd.  With one out, Latimore singled, and 1B Matt Curry doubled him in.  A walk by Scott and a single by Picart brought in Curry, and the Curve extended their lead to 7-0.  

Pribanic retired the R-Phils in order in the bottom of the 1st.  He gave up one run in the 2nd, on two singles and two ground outs.  Then the Curve came roaring right back in the top of the 3rd.  Norman led off with a walk, and a fielding error put Marte on first and Norman on second.  Mercer singled, plating Norman.  After one out, Brummet threw two wild pitches, scoring Marte and leaving Mercer on third base.  Curry walked, then Farrell doubled, driving in Mercer.  Curry went to third base, and he scored on Scott's sacrifice fly.  A ground out ended the top of the inning, and at that point, the game was halted, with the Curve ahead 11-1.  The game will resume at 1:30 pm on Sunday, and the regularly scheduled game will follow, but that game will be only 7 innings long.  Hope the Curve didn't use up all their hits in those first three innings.