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Mud Hens Take a See-Saw Game From Indians
Toledo Mud Hens 7,
�� � �Indianapolis Indians 6
The Indians and the Mud Hens battled back and forth as the rain came and went, but in the end, it was the Mud Hens who came out on top tonight at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio. � The teams combined for 22 hits, with the Indians posting 13 of them. �CF Jeff Salazar (photo) and SS Argenis Diaz had 3 hits and 2 RBI each, and DH Brian Myrow and 3B Neil Walker both continued their hot hitting with 2 hits apiece. �
The lead changed hands 4 times during the game. �Jeff Salazar opened the game by taking Toledo starter Jeff Bonine's first pitch on a line into right field. �He advanced to second base on 2B Pedro Lopez's ground ball, but had to hold there when RF Jose Tabata bounced back to the mound. �Brian Myrow, who is hitting over .500 against the Mud Hens, slipped a single into left field, and Salazar raced home with the first run of the game. �
The Mud Hens returned fire in the bottom of the inning. �Tribe starter Eric Hacker (photo),�who often struggles in the early innings, did just that tonight, as the first four batters he faced reached base safely. �3B Will Rhymes singled through the hole into left field, as did 2B Scott Sizemore. �Former Indy Indian (2007) Don Kelly was walked to load the bases. �1B Mike Hessman lifted a fly ball into short center field. �Jeff Salazar came charging in, but was not quite able to get there in time. �Instead he trapped it, and all the base runners were safe, with a run scoring to tie the game. �Then Hacker settled down and struck out both SS Brent Dlugach and RF Brent Clevlen (on three pitches), and then ended the inning by getting LF Wilkin Ramirez to ground out. �
Argenis Diaz gave the Tribe a run in the top of the 3rd to take the lead again. �He singled into right field to open the inning, and promptly stole second base -- his first stolen base since �joining the Indians. �Jeff Salazar dropped a single into short center field, just out of CF Don Kelly's reach, and Diaz was able to come around and score from second base, ahead of Kelly's throw that came in a bit in front of the plate. �A double play erased Salazar, and a strikeout to Jose Tabata ended that inning. �
Eric Hacker held his own in the 2nd and 3rd innings, allowing only a double to Will Rhymes and a walk to Mike Hessman. �Then the Mud Hens took the lead back in the 4th. �Wilkin Ramirez grounded up the middle, deflected by Hacker and into center field, and then Ramirez stole second base. �A walk to C Dusty Ryan put two runners on. �DH Max Leon tapped a bunt back to Hacker, who whirled and threw to third base, but his throw was short and bounced in front of�Neil Walker and away from him, and Ramirez scrambled home to tie the score. �Will Rhymes walked next, but ball four was a wild pitch, and that let Ryan score, to give the Mud Hens a 3-0 lead. �Rhymes stole second base as 2B Scott Sizemore struck out, and Hacker intentionally walked Don Kelly to load the bases. �That was the end of Hacker's night, and he left the game having thrown 88 pitches (47 strikes), with 5 hits and 5 walks, and 6 strikeouts. �
Jeff Sues (photo) took over for Hacker, with the bases loaded, one out, and the dangerous Mike Hessman at the plate. �Sues cooly got Hessman to pop up to the right side of the infield, where 1B Larry Broadway took it on the infield fly rule. �Then Sues struck out the equally dangerous SS Brent Dlugach looking to get out of the jam without allowing an inherited run to score. �
The Tribe got busy in the 5th and 6th innings. �With one out in the top of the 5th, C Robinzon Diaz singled up the middle, and Argenis Diaz doubled into left field, scoring Robinzon Diaz from first base. �Jeff Salazar slipped a single just past 2B Scott Sizemore and into center field, and Argenis Diaz also came around to score. �The Indians had the lead again, 4-3. �
They made it 6-3 in the 6th, when Brian Myrow led off with a single, and LF Tagg Bozied walked. �Neil Walker dropped down a bunt, with Hens' 3B Will Rhymes charging in. �Rhymes slid to make the catch, but with the grass wet from the steady rain, he slid more than he'd expected to. �He made the throw to first from a seated position, but the throw was to the infield side of the bag, and Walker was safe at first. �Myrow rounded third and scored, Bozied went to third, and Walker advanced to second base on the throwing error. �After two outs, Argenis Diaz rapped the ball back to the mound, where it ricocheted off pitcher Eddie Bonine's legs and headed over to shorstop. �That allowed Bozied to score, and it chased Bonine to the showers. �The Indians had a little insurance, 6-3.
Not for long. �Jeff Sues had kept the Mud Hens from scoring, despite two walks and a wild pitch, in the 5th inning. �In the bottom of the 6th, Toledo took advantage of more walks and an error, scoring 3 runs to tie the score. �Will Rhymes led off with a walk, and quickly stole second base. �He scored on Scott Sizemore's single into center field. �Don Kelly walked for the third time in the game. �That brought manager Frank Kremblas out to the mound for a pitching change -- Jon Meloan took over
for Sues, facing Mike Hessman. �Hessman popped up into foul territory near the Mud Hens' dugout and Robinzon Diaz gave chase, but the ball glanced off his glove, and Diaz was charged with an error. �With new life, Hessman doubled down the left field line and into the corner, scoring Sizemore. �A sacrifice fly by Brent Dlugach brought in Kelly, and the score was tied at 6-6. �
The Tribe came close to taking the lead again in the 7th inning. �With two outs, Brian Myrow walked, and Tagg Bozied followed with a double into right field, over the head of Brent Clevlen and off the wall. �Myrow was running hard all the way from first base, but an alert throw in from Clevlen, and an on-target relay from the cut-off man Sizemore got the ball to C Dusty Ryan in time, and all he had to do was reach across and swipe Myrow, tagging him out at the plate. �
Jean Machi came on to pitch the bottom of the 7th inning for the Tribe. �Dusty Ryan greeted Machi with a triple that sailed way over Jeff Salazar's head and rolled all the way to the center field wall before Salazar could track it down. �Maxwell Leon walked, and Will Rhymes brought Ryan in with a sacrifice fly. �The inning ended on a strike out/throw out double play, with Scott Sizemore providing the strikeout part, and Leon thrown out trying to steal second base. But the Mud Hens had taken a 7-6 lead.
Both teams threatened with doubles in the 8th inning. �Neil Walker (photo) started the inning with a double off the right field wall, missing a home run by just a few feet. �He tried to steal third base, but was called out, despite video that made it look like Walker's foot had slid onto the bag before the tag was applied to his leg. �Robinzon Diaz singled, but was left on base when Argenis Diaz struck out. �In the Mud Hens' half of the frame, Mike Hessman doubled into the left field corner with one out, but Jean Machi struck out the Brents (Dlugach and Clevlen) for the second time in the game to end the inning. �
The top of the 9th brought the Tribe's last chance. �Jeff Salazar went down swinging, and Pedro Lopez and Jose Tabata both flied out to end the game. �
The loss dropped the Indians to one game below .500 again, and ended their 4-game winning streak. �They have not won 5 games in a row this season. �Jean Machi, who gave up the run in the 7th, was tagged with the loss (his first with the Indians), and Jon Meloan was charged with a Blown Save. �The Tribe pitchers combined for 10 walks
Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Argenis Diaz's (photo) three hits, a double and two singles. �His double in the 5th inning brought in a tying run, and a single in the 6th brought in the Indians' 6th run. �He also singled in the 3rd inning and came around to score. �
Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �The strike-em-out/throw-em-out double play to end the 7th inning. �Robinzon Diaz caught strike three on Scott Sizemore, then fired down to second base for Pedro Lopez to tag out Maxwell Leon as he slid into the bag.
NOTES:
Getting the scoop:
During last night's game, manager Frank Kremblas received a message from the Pirates asking him to limit Virgil Vasquez to 45-50 pitches in his start. �That's why Vasquez was lifted early from the game, which worked out ok since he was not having his best outing anyway. �No further word from the Pirates, but Vasquez might be needed this weekend.�
Go Tribe!
[Photo by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]
Kratz Hits a Homer and Tabata Steals a Homer for Tribe Win
Indianapolis Indians 5,�
�� �Toledo Mud Hens 3
A dramatic 9th inning gave the Indianapolis Indians a win over the Mud Hens at Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio tonight. �With the score tied going into the top of the inning and one out, 3B Neil Walker lined a single over the head of the Mud Hens' SS Brent Dlugach. �C Erik Kratz (photo) worked the count full and fouled off a couple more pitches. � Then he lifted a long blast over the left field wall for a 2-run homer to give the Indians the lead for the first time in the game. �In the post-game interview, Kratz admitted that he "was able to fight off a few good pitches that maybe were balls or maybe were strikes.. I didn't really get my barrel on any of them except for a little dribbler down the line [foul ball]. �And then he [Toledo reliever Freddy Dolsi] came with something a little bit slower. �I don't know if it was a sinker or a splitter, but he left it out over the plate, and I was able to hit it."
That left reliever Juan Mateo to hold the Mud Hens in the bottom of the inning. �Mateo walked the first batter, 2B Scott Sizemore, on 5 pitches. �1B Don Kelly grounded to third base, where the ball bounced off Neil Walker's chest. �Walker was able to recover quickly and still had time to throw to first base to get his brother-in-law out. �
Mateo walked the dangerous 3B Mike Hessman on 4 pitches, and the Mud Hens had runners on first and second with one out. �CF Wilkin Ramirez, who has 17 homers and 50 RBI this season was up next. �Ramirez fouled off the first pitch from Mateo, and then lifted a long fly ball to right field, and all the fans in Fifth Third Field held their breaths �-- but RF Jose Tabata (photo) made an outstanding catch at the wall, then fired the ball back to the infield. �Sizemore and Hessman, like most in the stadium, though the ball was gone, so they were off and running. �Hessman was already past second base and had to re-trace his steps to touch second, but before he could scramble back to first base, Tabata's throw, relayed by 2B Jose Tabata, reached the bag first. �Hessman was doubled off, to end the game. �
The Indians were one step behind the Mud Hens for the first 8 innings. �Each time Toledo scored, the Indians also scored to catch up, but could not take the lead. �And, each time the Indians caught up, the Mud Hens quickly took another step forward again. �Neil Walker led the Indians at the plate with 3 hits. �DH Brian Myrow, who has been on a tear this week, had 2 hits and 2 RBI, as did Erik Kratz. �
Virgil Vasquez (photo) got the start for the Indians against his former teammates. �He made it �through two-plus innings, and though he only gave up one run on 5 hits, no walks, Vasquez threw 49 pitches (35 strikes). �He began the bottom of the 1st by giving up three consecutive hard line drives. �Luckily for Vasquez and the Tribe, the first of those liners, by DH Will Rhymes, was quickly recovered in the right field corner by Jose Tabata, and Tabata whirled and fired in to second base in time to beat Rhymes to the bag. �Scott Sizemore doubled into left field on the next line drive, and former Indy Indian (2007) Don Kelly singled into right field on the third liner, moving Sizemore to third base. �Vasquez got out of the jam by striking out Mike Hessman and getting Wilkin Ramirez to pop out. �That inning took Vasquez 26 pitches.
He had a little easier time in the second inning, needing only 14 pitches to retire the side. �He gave up a single to Brent Dlugach, but left him on base. �Vasquez began the bottom of the 3rd inning by giving up a single to Will Rhymes, using another 9 pitches. �That was all for Vasquez, as manager Frank Kremblas came out to the mound and took the ball from him. �While it was a higher-than-usual pitch count, it was still not horrible, and it had not yet reached the Pirates' organizational regulation limits (30 pitches in one inning and you're out). �Vasquez did not appear to be injured, and in fact he was visible in the dugout later in the game, so his early exit is still a bit puzzling.�
Jeremy Powell came on to relieve Vasquez, with no outs and a runner on first base. �The runner, Rhymes, moved to second base on a ground out, and he came around to score when Don Kelly tripled into right field (the run was charged to Vasquez). �Mud Hens 1, Indians 0.
The Indians caught right up. �They had gone down in order in the first two innings. �Neil Walker led off the top of the 3rd inning with his first single of the game, but was quickly erased when Erik Kratz bounced into a double play. �In the top of the 4th, CF Jeff Salazar led off with a walk, and he was bunted to second base by Pedro Lopez. �Brian Myrow (photo) singled through the hole and into right field, and Salazar was able to come around to score from second base, with the throw in from right field to the plate coming in too far up the third base line. �Score tied, 1-1. �LF Tagg Bozied grounded to SS Brent Dlugach deep behind second base, and he was credited with a hit, as Dlugach saw that Myrow had reached third base and was heading toward the plate. �Dlugach threw to C Dane Sardinha, who caught Myrow in a run-down and tagged him out on the base-paths.
�
The Mud Hens took the lead again in the bottom of the 4th, taking advantage of two Indians' fielding problems. �WIth one out, Brent Dlugach walked. �RF Brent Clevlen singled through the hole and into left field. �When Tagg Bozied went to scoop up the ball with his bare hand, he missed it entirely. �Jeff Salazar was there to back up Bozied, but he also had to make two swipes before he could pick up the ball. �Clevlen went to second base and Dlugach was on third. �Dane Sardinha grounded sharply to third base, where Neil Walker fumbled the ball and had to pick it up again. �That extra second was enough so that Walker was too late to make the throw to the plate to tag out Dlugach. �He did make the throw across the diamond to get Sardinha, who is not particularly fast, and so was not charged with an error. �A strikeout ended the inning, but the Mud Hens were ahead again, 2-1. �
Jeremy Powell pitched 2 more innings for the Indians, allowing only one base runner, when he hit Mike Hessman with a pitch. �But the Indians were not able to score either, as the only base runner they managed in the 5th and 6th was a double by Erik Kratz. �
[Photo: �Neil Walker and Jeff Clement]
The Tribe tied the score again in the top of the 7th inning. �Brian Myrow led off with a walk, and he advanced to second base on a ground out by Jeff Clement. �Neil Walker grounded to deep at short, and Brent Dlugach was able to make the stop, but his throw to first base was rushed. �It sailed high and past 1B Don Kelly, and Walker reached safely, ruled a hit and a throwing error. �Myrow scored the unearned run (no RBI for Walker) on the error, and the score was tied at 2-2.
Once again, the Mud Hens wasted no time in retaking the lead. �In the bottom of the frame, Dane Sardinha lined into center field, and the ball got past Jeff Salazar's diving attempt. �Tagg Bozied was backing up Salazar, and he recovered the ball in time to keep Sardinha to a double. �Will Rhymes dropped down a bunt about half way to the mound, which Jeremy Powell was able to reach easily. �Powell whirled and fired to third base, but he was off-balance and the throw went way to Neil Walker's left and into left field, despite Walker's desperate dive. �That allowed Sardinha to score another unearned run, and the Mud Hens were up 3-2. �Another double, by Scott Sizemore, chased Powell from the game, and Jon Meloan took over on the mound. �Meloan walked Don Kelly to load the bases with no outs. �Meloan settled down and got Mike Hessman to pop up sky high to deep short, and all of the runners had to hold. �Then Meloan struck out Wilkin Ramirez and LF Jeff Frazier to end the inning and strand the three Mud Hens on base. �
Still the Indians refused to give up. �SS Argenis Diaz and Jeff Salazar opened the 8th inning with back-to-back singles. �Jose Tabata's grounder to short let the Mud Hens force out Salazar at second, but there was not time to complete a double play. �It moved Diaz to third base, and Tabata was on first. �Brian Myrow singled into right field, scoring Tabata to tie the score again. �
�
Juan Mateo took the mound to begin the 8th inning. �He gave up only a single to Brent Clevlen, keeping the tie intact. �That set up Neil Walker and Erik Kratz for the top of the 9th. �
The win moves the Indians back to .500 (66 -- 66), and gives them a 4-game hitting streak. �
Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Erik Kratz's game winning home run in the top of the 9th inning. �It was his 11th homer of the season, and his second in two games.
Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Jose Tabata's catch of Wilkin Ramirez's long fly ball in the bottom of the 9th, and then being alert enough to fire back to the infield quickly for the game-ending double play. �
NOTES:
Neil Walker's 3-for-4 night raises his batting average to .262, and gives him a .344 average for the month of August, continuing his bid to convince the Pirates to give him a September call-up.�
Don't forget that tomorrow night's game from Toledo is scheduled to be broadcast in the Indianapolis area on WHMB- TV 40 at 7 pm. �
Go Tribe!
[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]
Myrow Homers Twice to Lift the Indians
Indianapolis Indians 4,�� � Columbus Clippers 1
RF Brian Myrow is on a tear. �For the second time in a week, he collected 4 hits in this afternoon's game at Victory Field, including two home runs, and batted in another run. �Myrow has raised his batting average with the Indians to .317, (.299 for the whole season). �He has reached base safely in 9 of his last 10 games, going 19-for-41 in that period (.463) with 3 homers and 9 RBI. �For the month of August, he's hit .330 with 5 homers and 17 RBI.
CF Jeff Salazar (photo) also had 4 hits in today's game, and LF Tagg Bozied and SS Argenis Diaz contributed 2 hits each, giving starter Ty Taubenheim all the run support he'd need to earn his 6th win of the season. �
Myrow got the scoring started with his first home run in the bottom of the 1st inning. �With two outs, Myrow blasted a 1-2 pitch from Clippers' starter Ken Ray over the right field fence and to the sidewalk above the grass berm (380 feet). �Two innings later, Myrow contributed to the next Indians' rally as well. �
Argenis Diaz led off the bottom of the 3rd by driving a single into center field. �Jeff Salazar followed by dribbling a grounder down the third base line, slowly enough so that by the time Clippers' 3B Wes Hodges could get to it, Salazar was able to beat out the throw. �2B Pedro Lopez was next, and he grounded to first base, where 1B Stephen Head tried to make a back-handed play. �Instead of staying in his glove, though, the ball squirted away further into the infield grass, and further out of reach of both Head and the pitcher Ray. �
That loaded the bases�with no outs for Brian Myrow. �Myrow lined a single into left field, scoring Argenis Diaz from third. �Salazar advanced to third, but manager Frank Kremblas held him there. �Lopez stopped at second, but Myrow was a little excited and swung way around the first base bag and was about half way to second base before he realized that Lopez was already on second. �Myrow might have been able to get back to first base in time, but he slipped and fell on the basepath. �The extra seconds that it took him to hop back up was enough to give the Clippers time to throw to first and second and tag Myrow out. �That was the first out of the inning. �1B Jeff Clement bounced slowly to second base, allowing Salazar to score from third base, and the Tribe had a 3-1 lead. �The Tribe loaded the bases again with 2 outs, with Lopez on third base, Tagg Bozied hit by a pitch, and 3B Neil Walker taking a 4-pitch walk. �But the inning ended with a pop out by DH Larry Broadway, (photo, with 1B Stephen Head) leaving all three on base. �
Starter Ty Taubenheim (photo) alternated 1-2-3 innings with tougher innings. �He retired the Clippers in order in the 1st, 3rd, and 5th innings, striking out two in the 5th. �He worked around two singles in the 2nd -- a low liner into center field by Wes Hodges to open the inning, and a liner into right field by Stephen Head. �A fly out and a ground out ended that inning without a run scoring. �Taubenheim also gave up two singles in the 4th inning, but got a break on what appeared to be a mistake by the Clippers. �With one out, Wes Hodges hit his second single of the afternoon, and C Lou Marson followed with a line drive into right-center field. �With a count of 1-0, Stephen Head took a big swing and miss, as Hodges and Marson both took off running. �It was probably a hit-and-run play that was missing the "hit" part. �Since Head is a left-handed batter, Tribe C Robinzon Diaz had a perfectly clear lane down to third base, and he was easily able to throw to Neil Walker, who tagged out Hodges for a caught stealing. �Marson advanced to second base, but was not credited with a stolen base. �Taubenheim finished the inning by getting Head to fly out.
Taubenheim came back out to begin the 6th inning. �The inning began with a single into right field by CF Michael Brantley, and a fly out by LF Josh Barfield, and that was all for Taubenheim. �He had thrown 79 pitches (52 strikes) and given up 5 hits, no walks, and struck out 3 Clippers. �Reliever Jeff Sues (photo) came in for Taubenheim. �On Sues' first two pitches, Brantley stole both second and third bases. �Sues struck out DH Jordan Brown with his next three pitches, but then Wes Hodges doubled for his third hit of the game, and Brantley was easily able to score. �Sues struck out Lou Marson to end the inning. �He also struck out 2 batters in the 7th inning, while giving up just one loopy single to RF Mickey Hall. �
The Indians continued to put at least one runner on base in each inning, as they posted a total of 14 hits. �With two outs in the 4th inning, Jeff Salazar, Pedro Lopez, and Brian Myrow posted three consecutive singles. �Sal
azar was out at the plate, though, as he headed for home on Myrow's single into right field, and Mickey Hall's throw in to Lou Marson was on target (photo sequence below). �Salazar picked up his third hit in the 6th inning, when LF Josh Barfield made a diving catch of Salazar's sinking line drive -- but the ball popped out of Barfield's glove when his arm hit the ground. �
Brian Myrow (photo) gave the Tribe a 3-run lead with his second home run of the game, another solo blast to right field in the 7th inning. �It landed 375 feet away,�
on the grass in front of the jumbotron. �Tagg Bozied and Argenis Diaz added their second hits of the game in the last two innings. �Jeff Salazar beat out another infield hit in the 9th, on a high hopper to short that just took too long to fall into SS Niuman Romero's glove.
Corey Hamman took the mound for the Indians in the 8th, to face the lefties in the top of the Clippers' batting order. �Hamman struck out Michael Brantley on three pitches, but then got into trouble by throwing 8 straight balls, walking both Josh Barfield and Jordan Brown. �Hamman exited quickly, and Jean Machi came in. �Machi needed only two pitches to get Wes Hodges to ground to Pedro Lopez at second, who started a 4-6-3 double play (Lopez to Argenis Diaz to Jeff Clement) to end the inning. � Machi earned his 4th save in 8 appearances with the Indians, allowing only a lone hit in the 9th. �
The win gives the Indians a win of the season series against the Clippers. �The Tribe will head out tomorrow for Toledo, where they will play four games, before returning to Victory Field on Monday to begin the last homestand of the season.
Indians' Hitting Gems of the Game: �Two solo home runs by Brian Myrow, his 13th and 14th of the season, and 6th and 7th with the Indians. �Photo: �Myrow being congratulated by manager Frank Kremblas as he circles the bases.�
Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �This came in the top of the 1st, on the very first out of the game. �Michael Brantley lifted a sky-high pop foul to the third base side. �3B Neil Walker gave chase, and it looked like he was going to run out of room, but Walker kept going. �He made the catch, slamming his middle into the dugout railing and leaning way over. �The ball was below the level of the railing before he had it in his glove. �Luckily, Walker did not over-balance and tumble into the dugout, since the top of the railing is about 7 - 8 feet higher than the floor of the dugout at that point. �
Photo sequence: �Jeff Salazar is out at home in the 4th....
.... Lou Marson applies the tag....
.... and Salazar is out as Marson shows umpire Brian Reilly that he still has the ball.
Neil Walker on base after being walked..... conference on the mound
Jean Machi.................. �Infield conference: �Neil Walker, Argenis Diaz, Pedro Lopez, and Jeff Clement
NOTES:
Team USA is going to be in Europe for the Wo
rld Cup in September, and three Pirates' farmhands are going to be with them:
3B Pedro Alvarez
RHP Daniel McCutchen
RHP�Dustin Molleken �(who is actually Canadian -- not sure how that works)
For fans in the Indianapolis area who are lucky enough to get Channel 40 on your TV: �Friday's game from Toledo will be broadcast on WHMB- TV 40, beginning at 7 pm. �It is usually the Toledo feed and the Toledo broadcasters calling the game.
Ryan Lewis had some fun today too, until Robinzon Diaz was ready:
Go Tribe!
[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]
