Photo: �Neil Walker is all smiles in the dugout after his 3-RBI double

The Syracuse Chiefs held the Indianapolis Indians scoreless for 7 innings this afternoon at Victory Field, but 4 unearned runs in the 8th inning gave the Indians the win, and a 3-game winning streak.

The Chiefs had scored one run in the 5th, and carried that 1-0 lead into the 8th inning. �The bottom of the 8th started out with Syracuse reliever striking out LF Jeff Salazar. 1B Steve Pearce worked a walk, then RF Garrett Jones also struck out. �C Erik Kratz (photo) bounced to third base, and it should have been a straight-forward third-to-first ground out. �But Chiefs' 3B Kory Casto had the ball bounce out of his glove. �It landed just at his feet, and he might have still had a chance to get Kratz, who doesn't run particularly fast, at first base. �Casto got excited, though, and rushed his throw. �The ball would have ended up in the stands if it weren't for the fact that Chief's 1B Brad Eldred is 6' 5" tall and leaps up well. �Eldred caught the ball, but was off the bag with his leap into the air when Kratz crossed the bag. �Still, there were two outs, even with runners on first and second bases, and the Indians had been leaving runners there on base all afternoon. �

Luckily for the Tribe, this time was different. �Luis Cruz, who was playing third base today, took his first pitch into center field, scoring Pearce from second base to tie the game at 1-1. �Kratz moved to third base on the play. �

Cruz (photo) stole second base, with no one covering the base to take a throw from C Gustavo Molina. �SS Brian Bixler worked the count full and fouled off one more pitch, then took a walk. �That brought up Neil Walker, pinch-hitting for the pitchers' spot in the line-up. �Walker lined a double down the right field line, all the way into the corner, clearing the bases to bring in three runs and give the Indians the lead. �

The Indians had put at least one base runner on in every inning except the third, due to 7 hits and 5 walks. �Two of them were picked off second base -- Jeff Salazar in the 1st inning after a walk, and Steve Pearce in the 4th inning after a single -- and neither play was close. �The Tribe left three runners on base in the 6th, after back-to-back singles by Salazar and Pearce, and a walk by Erik Kratz. �Pearce was left on base in the 1st after a walk, and Luis Cruz, Garrett Jones, and CF Andrew McCutchen were all left on base after singling. �Brian Bixler doubled in the 5th, and he too was left on base. �

The Tribe also benefited from some clutch pitching. �Tom Gorzelanny was originally scheduled to make the start today, but he was summoned to Pittsburgh to help their bullpen situation. �Sean Smith, who was just activated off the Disabled List (sent to State College on paper) yesterday, was called upon to make the spot start. �Smith pitched 4 scoreless innings, throwing 61 pitches (37 strikes) and giving up only 2 hits and 2 walks. �The game began with CF Corey Patterson lining a double down the right field line. �SS Alberto Gonzalez sacrificed Patterson to third base, and LF Jorge Padilla walked. �With former Indy Indian Brad Eldred at the plate, Smith fired to Steve Pearce at first and caught Padilla off the bag. �As Padilla headed for second base,�

Pearce relayed to 2B Shelby Ford, who kept the run-down going, all the while keeping an eye on Patterson, who was dancing off third base. �Ford relayed back to Smith, who then sent it to SS Brian Bixler, who suddenly made the snap throw over to Luis Cruz at third base, who in turn tagged out Patterson as he tried to get back to the bag. �

Score that: 1-3-4-1-6-5. �That was a big second out, and it left Padilla safe back at first base with two outs, and Eldred still at the plate. �Two pitches later, Padilla again tried for second base, and he was promptly gunned down at second on a beautiful throw by Erik Kratz, to end the inning.

[Photo: �Brian Bixler and Steve Pearce have Jorge Pad illa in the middle of the run-down.]

Steve Smith retired the next 7 batters in order, taking him into the 4th inning. �He gave up a hit to Gonzalez and a walk to Eldred, but got a line out to end the inning and leave the two runners on base. �

Denny Bautista (photo) pitched the next three innings. �The 5th was the most trouble for him, taking 30 pitches to get through. �Former Indiana University player 2B Seth Bynum led off with a line drive into right field. �Garrett Jones had to make a dive, and while he initially caught the ball, it popped out of his glove when he landed on the ground. �Bynum was credited with a double. Bautista struck out the next two batters. �Then Chiefs' starter Collin Balester blooped a single just over SS Brian Bixler's head, and Bynum came around to score the first run of the game. �Bautista walked the next two batters, loading the bases, before getting Jorge Padilla to bounce an easy grounder to Luis Cruz, who took three steps over and stepped on third base for the force out to end the inning. �

Even though Bautista threw a lot of pitches to get through the 5th, he returned to pitch the next two innings. �He gave up a lead-off single to Brad Eldred in the 6th, but struck out the next two batters and erased Eldred in a strike-out-throw-out double play with the second strike out. �Another strikeout and two pop-flies to shortstop took care of the 7th inning. �

Juan Mateo also gave up a lead-off single when he came on to begin the 8th inning. �He also took care of that base runner by inducing a double play, this one a classic 6-4-3 (Bixler to Cruz to Pearce). �Another single and a fly out ended that inning. �Mateo was the pitcher of record when the Tribe scored their runs in the bottom of the 8th, so Mateo was credited with his second win. �

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Clearly, Neil Walker (photo) with his clutch 3-run double to break the tie in the 8th inning. �

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �That wild run-down play in the top of the first inning. �The best part about it was that the Indians' infielders never lost sight of what Corey Patterson was doing over at third base, and did not let him slip around to score while they were focused on Jorge Padilla between first and second base. �

Rare turns at the plate for some Tribe pitchers: �Denny Bautista and Sean Smith

Bautista inspects the lumber; � Luis Cruz and Tribe Mascot Rowdie

Former Indiana University player Seth Bynum:

NOTES:

Roster move: �The Pirates have placed reliever Tyler Yates on the Disabled List, and have recalled Tom Gorzelanny from the Indians. �Gorze lanny was supposed to have made today's start for the Indians. �He is expected to be used in a relief role, probably long relief, in Pittsburgh. �It is also expected to be just a short-term promotion.

The Pirates have made two trades, in exchange for players to be named later or cash.

OF Jeff Corsaletti is a 26-year old from Florida, who was drafted in the 6th round by the Red Sox in 2005. �He has moved up steadily through their system, splitting the 2008 season between AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket. �In 78 games for Portland, he hit .312, with 20 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, and 50 RBI. �He played in 44 games at Pawtucket, where he hit .232, with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers, and had 13 RBI. �Corsaletti has played in 13 games for Pawtucket this season, has has gone 5-for-39 at the plate, with one RBI. �He will be assigned to AA Altoona.

Randy Newsom is a 27-year old righty relief pitcher from Cincinnati. �He was also signed by the Red Sox, but as a non-drafted free agent, in 2004. �Newsom moved from the Red Sox to Cleveland in 2006, and he continued upwards in that organization. �He pitched mostly for AA Akron in both 2007 and 2008, making 47 appearances there in each of those seasons. �In 2008, over 45 innings, he earned a 3.00 ERA, a 5-1 record, and 29 saves. �He gave up 43 hits, 17 runs (15 earned), with 29 walks and 28 hits. �He also made 9 relief appearances with Buffalo last season, with one loss and one save, for a total of 9.2 innings. �That earned him a 1.86 ERA, with 2 earned runs on 9 hits, 6 walks, and 6 strikeouts. �Newsom has made 7 relief appearances for Akron (1.74 ERA) and 2 relief appearances for Columbus, the new Cleveland affiliate, (5.40 ERA) this season, for a total of 12 innings pitched. �He has allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, with 7 walks and 2 strikeouts. �Newsom will also be assigned to AA Altoona.

Go Tribe!

[Photos by Nancy Zinni -- MVN]