Tag: Andy Marte
Things Get Ugly Early In Buffalo
Buffalo Bison 15, Indianapolis Indians 2
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It was getting ugly by the third inning at Coca-Cola Park in Buffalo, NY this morning, and unfortunately for the Indians, things never got better. The Bison scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning and 6 runs in the 8th, as they stomped on the Tribe. The Indians and the Bison each posted 11 hits, but the Bison were handed 9 walks and took advantage of an error as they got some revenge for being shut out yesterday.
Starter Sean Gallagher (photo) retired the Bison in order in the bottom of the 1st, but Buffalo got going in the 2nd. Singles by RF Fernando Martinez and CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis put runners on first and second, then 2B Luis Hernandez bounced a ground-rule double over the center field wall. That scored Martinez. A ground out by former Indy Indian C Raul Chavez brought in Nieuwenhuis from third base, for a 2-0 lead.
Things started getting ugly in the bottom of the 3rd. Another former Indy Indian, SS Luis Figueroa, led off with a walk. 3B Michael Fisher singled and LF Lucas Duda walked, loading the bases. Martinez grounded to first, but when 1B John Bowker tossed to Gallagher, who was covering the bag, Gallagher could not make the catch. The error was charged to Bowker, and it allowed Figueroa and Fisher to score. With runners on the corners, 1B Valentino Pascucci homered over the left field wall, to lift the lead to 7-0.
2B Brian Friday and CF Alex Presley had both singled for the Tribe in the 1st inning, but Friday was caught stealing and Presley was left on base. The Indians loaded the bases in the 3rd. Gallagher started by looping a single into left field. SS Chase d'Arnaud grounded to deep short, where his counterpart Luis Figueroa made a dive, but missed (and broke his belt in the process). A walk to Friday loaded the bases with just one out. But Raul Chavez made a perfect throw to second base to pick off d'Arnaud, and that broke the Indians' rhythm. A ground out ended the inning, without the Tribe scoring a run. The Tribe did get onto the scoreboard in the 4th. Bowker led off with a double into right field. He advanced to third base on a tag-up when 1B Matt Hague flied out, then RF Miles Durham brought in Bowker with a sacrifice fly. Bison still way ahead, 7-1.
Presley’s Pinch-Hit Triple Sparks 7th Inning Rally
"With the first pick in the 2011 draft, the Pirates take UCLA's RHP Gerrit Cole"
Indianapolis Indians 6, Syracuse Chiefs 4
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A 7th-inning rally featuring a pinch-hit triple by Alex Presley gave the Indians the win over the Syracuse Chiefs at Victory Field tonight. Reliever Justin Thomas earned his 4th win, and closer Tim Wood earned his lucky 13th Save. 2B Brian Friday went 3-for-4 and all three hits were doubles, while SS Chase d'Arnaud and C Eric Fryer had 2 hits each. 
In three of the past four games, the Indians had surrendered at least one run in the top of the 1st inning. Tonight, starter Brian Burres (photo) broke that tradition, even though the Chiefs threatened in the top of the 1st. 2B Matt Antonelli opened the game with a double over the head of Tribe 1B Miles Durham and down the right field line into the corner. Antonelli had to stay at second while Burres struck out CF Corey Brown and got RF Jesus Valdez to bounce into a ground out at second. Burres walked 1B Chris Marrero, then C Jesus Flores ripped a line drive into right field. It looked like both runners were going to have plenty of time to come around to score, but RF Andrew Lambo had other thoughts. He raced toward the line and made a diving catch as the line drive sank, to end the inning for Burres and the Tribe.
Tom Milone made the start for Syracuse and before he could get himself settled in on the mound, d'Arnaud rifled Milone's first pitch into the right center gap, all the way to the wall, and raced around to third base as the Chiefs' outfielders chased it down. Brian Friday quickly followed the lead-off triple with a double down the left field line, ending up the Indians' bullpen bench. That drove in d'Arnaud for a 1-0 lead.
Grand Slam Gives Chiefs The Restart; Homers For Fryer And Durham In 2nd Game
The Indians lost the suspended game, but won the regularly scheduled game.
Syracuse Chiefs 6, Indianapolis Indians 4 (completion of suspended game)
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When we last left our heroes, trying to escape the pouring rain....
The Indians/Chiefs game was suspended after a 1 hour 44 minute wait last night. Tribe starter Sean Gallagher had given up a run in the top of the 1st, then the Indians took the lead in the 3rd on a single by CF Gorkys Hernandez, a triple by SS Chase d'Arnaud, and an error by the Syracuse 2B Tug Hulett. Syracuse tied the score in the top of the 6th on a solo homer by Hulett of reliever Chris Leroux. The top of the 7th began with Leroux still on the mound. He gave up a single and a sacrifice bunt, then was relieved by Justin Thomas. With the rain pouring down and the ball wet and slippery, Thomas hit both LF Gregor Blanco and CF Corey Brown with pitches to load the bases. Play was halted ...
The game restarted this afternoon at Victory Field, under overcast skies, with sprinkling rain that did not last long. Cesar Valdez (photo) took the mound for the Indians, with two outs and the bases loaded. 1B Chris Marrero stepped to the plate, and rocketed a grand slam over the left field wall, to give Syracuse a 6-2 lead.
The Tribe got two of the runs back in the bottom of the frame. Andrew Lambo, who had entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Gallagher and remained in the game in right field, opened the inning with a double into right field. After d'Arnaud struck out, 2B Brian Friday hit another double, just inside the first base bag and down the right field line, scoring Lambo. John Bowker, who had taken over left field at the restart, flied out. 3B Andy Marte blooped an RBI single into left field, bringing Friday around from second base to score. 1B Matt Hague also singled, and pinch-hitter Shelby Ford walked on four pitches to load the bases, but C Eric Fryer struck out on a checked swing, to end the rally.
Dan Meyer pitched the last two innings for the Indians. He struck out the first two batters in the 8th, then gve up a single to SS Matt Antonelli, then retired the next 4 Chiefs in order.
The Indians managed only one base runner over the last two innings -- Hernandez led off the bottom of the 8th with a double to the center field wall. The remaining 6 Tribe batters went down in order, and the Chiefs had the win.
Lincoln Leads The Tribe With His Arm And His Bat
Ready to cheer for the Tribe
Indianapolis Indians 3, Syracuse Chiefs 1
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Indians starter Brad Lincoln (photo) earned his 5th win tonight, beating the Chiefs with both his pitching and his bat at Victory Field tonight. He allowed just one run in his 7 innings of work on 6 hits, with 2 strikeouts.
The game began with both Lincoln and Syracuse starter JD Martin zipping right along on the mound. Lincoln retired the first 9 batters he faced. Seven of those outs were ground balls, and only one ball got out of the infield. Martin retired the first 8 batters he faced -- and before we knew it, the game was already in the bottom of the 3rd.
The Indians' first hit of the game came in the bottom of the 3rd with two outs -- a triple by Lincoln. The ball shot down the right field line and bounced around in the bullpen, and by the time the Chiefs' RF Jesus Valdez got to the ball, Lincoln was cruising into third base. He didn't slide, despite manager Dean Treanor's motioning down, down.
2B Shelby Ford followed Lincoln's triple with a long blast over the right field wall at the 362' sign, landing on the sidewalk behind the grass berm, for a 2-run home run. It was Ford's second homer in four games with the Tribe this season.
3B Andy Marte (photo, being congratulated by manager Dean Treanor) made it a 3-0 lead in the next inning, when he also homered. Marte's bomb out-blasted Ford's -- this one went past the left field berm, past the side walk, and over the grass behind the sidewalk, landing just inside the fence at the edge of Maryland Street.
Lincoln came to the plate again in the bottom of the 5th, and again with two outs. He hit his second extra-base hit of the game, a double off the left field wall. Lincoln sailed into second base easily as the Syracuse outfielders scrambled after the ball. That time, though, he was left stranded.
Lincoln returned to the mound after racing around the bases in the bottom of the 3rd. He gave up a single to 2B Matt Antonelli to lead off the 4th inning. The next batter, Valdez lined softly right to 1B Matt Hague, who was standing just a few feet from first base to hold Antonelli on. With the count full on Valdez, Antonelli took off for second base with the pitch. It was not hard for Hague to turn and tag Valdez on the chest as he tried to return to the bag, for an unassisted double play. A fly out ended that inning.
Two Bombs By Presley Lead Tribe Explosion
Alex Presley is congratulated after one of his two home runs.
Indianapolis Indians 13, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 2
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The Indianapolis Indians exploded for 13 runs on 15 hits to defeat the Yankees at Victory Field tonight, earning a split of both the 4-game series and the 8-game season series with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. LF Alex Presley blasted a pair of 3-run home runs to lead the offense, as each member of the line-up collected at least one hit, and all but one scored at least one run. 
Both starting pitchers began their evening with struggles in the first inning. For Tribe starter Justin Wilson (photo), the game started with a triple off the bat of Yankees' 2B Kevin Russo. Russo's lined into right field, where RF Miles Durham raced in and made a feet-first slide, but missed the ball. By the time, Durham got up and chased the ball down, Russo was gliding into third base. SS Ramiro Pena dropped down a safety squeeze bunt, with Wilson scrambling off the mound to make the scoop and throw right back to C Eric Fryer as Russo came from third. Fryer blocked the plate, but he dropped the ball, and Russo was safe. It was first ruled a sacrifice bunt and a fielders' choice -- but then the ruling was changed to a missed catch error on Fryer, with no RBI for Pena.
With a runner still on first base, Wilson got C Jesus Montero to fly out and struck out 3B Jorge Vazquez. A wild pitch moved Pena to second base, then he scored on 1B Brandon Laird's single, lined over SS Chase d'Arnaud's head and into left field. Both runs were unearned, but the Yankees had a 2-0 lead.
But Yankees' starter Andrew Brackman was having his own troubles. His pitches were going everywhere, with no apparent control on his part. He walked lead-off batter d'Arnaud, with d'Arnaud ducking out of the way as one pitch came in a little too close to his head, and ball four going crazy wild all the way to the backstop. Another crazy wild pitch to 2B Brian Friday let d'Arnaud advance to second base. Brackman settled down enough to get Friday to fly out, then retired Presley on a high bouncer back to the mound, and struck out 1B John Bowker. When Brackman came out for the second inning, his command was even worse -- reminiscent of the "Wild Thing" character in the movie "Major League". Brackman walked both 3B Andy Marte and DH Matt Hague, with pitches going everywhere. After three more balls for a 3-1 count on Fryer, Brackman threw another wild one that hit Fryer on his helmet, then bounced off the helmet and into the stands behind the visitors' dugout. That was the last pitch for Brackman, who was quickly yanked.
Reliever Ryan Pope came on for the Yankees, with the bases full and no outs. RF Miles Durham cleared the bases on Pope's first pitch, with a ringing double to the base of the wall in right-center field, and the Indians took a 3-2 lead as Marte, Hague, and Fryer all scored (photo). Pope also gave up a single to CF Gorkys Hernandez and walked Friday before ending the inning on two fly outs.
Wilson was able to relax after that first inning. He gave up a two-out single to CF Austin Krum in the 2nd inning, but struck out Russo to end the inning. He loaded the bases in the 3rd inning with singles by Montero and RF Jordan Parraz and a walk to Vazquez. But with two outs and the bases loaded, Wilson reached deep, and fired two pitches at 92-93 mph to strike out LF Dan Brewer and end the inning. Wilson went on to pitch 3 more innings, without allowing another hit. He walked two batters in the 5th, but erased one base runner with an around-the-horn double play (Marte to Friday to Bowker, 5-4-3). Alex Presley made the final out of the inning with a spectacular leaping catch of Laird's fly ball to deep left field, snatching the ball at the top of the left field scoreboard.
Burres Shines But Tribe Shut Out
Starter Brian Burres threw 7 shutout innings, but got a no-decision.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 1, Indianapolis Indians 0
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A pitching duel did not end up in the Indians favor today, as the S/W-B Yankees took a one-game lead in this 4-game series at Victory Field. Tribe starter Brian Burres pitched an outstanding game, going 7 shutout innings, but left the game without any runs on the scoreboard, so he was not involved in the decision. Yankees' starter DJ Mitchell also pitched 7 scoreless innings, but earned the win. The game was scoreless until the starters were relieved in the 8th inning. 
Burres scattered 3 hits and 2 walks over his 7 innings, while striking out 5 Yankees. He began his afternoon's work by retiring the first 6 batters he faced. He gave up doubles to 2B Kevin Russo to lead off the 3rd, and to SS Ramiro Pena in the 6th, but left both of them on base. Pena also singled in the 4th, dropping a liner into right-center field just out of the reach of CF Gorkys Hernandez. Burres picked Pena off first, then 1B Matt Hague threw to SS Brian Friday, who tagged out Pena as he tried to steal second base (photo). Burres walked 1B Jorge Vazquez in the 4th, but after Pena had been erased, and he walked LF Dan Brewer in the 5th. Both of those runners were left on base, too. Burres needed 98 pitches, with 58 hits, to get through his 7 innings.
Owens Can’t Overcome Shaky First Inning
Shelby Ford's lead-off home run was a bright spot for the Indians.
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 10, Indianapolis Indians 3
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A shaky first inning from Tribe starter Rudy Owens gave the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees a lead they would never give up, as the Indians lost at Victory Field tonight. Owens suffered his 4th loss of the season, and with the Tribe bullpen getting thin, outfielder Corey Wimberly made his professional pitching debut. The Yankees posted 17 hits and scored in every other inning. 
It was a tough night for Owens (photo). He lasted 5 innings and allowed 7 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks. The first inning began with three consecutive hits: a double by CF Austin Krum, a single by SS Ramiro Pena, and a 2-RBI triple by C Jesus Montero. The triple hit near the top of the right field wall, over the leaping RF Miles Durham, who then crashed into the wall and fell to the ground, as CF Alex Presley chased down the ricochet. Montero held at third when 1B Jorge Vazquez grounded to third for the first out of the inning, then Owens walked LF Justin Maxwell.
Maxwell was leaning off first, and Owens' throw to first picked him off. Maxwell took off for second base. 1B Matt Hague took a quick look over at Montero on third to make sure he was not thinking of going home on the steal attempt. But that extra second it took Hague to look to third was enough so that the throw to SS Brian Friday, covering second, was a second too late. Montero made an awkward slide into second base and Friday's tag was late, and Montero was called safe (photos below). As Friday looked at the umpire in protest, Montero, still off balance, rolled off the base -- if Friday had held the tag, Montero would have been out.
After a strikeout by 3B Brandon Laird, DH Jordan Parraz lined a 2-RBI single into center field, driving in both Montero and Maxwell. 2B Kevin Russo also walked, then RF Dan Brewer's RBI single plated Parraz. Brewer tried to advance to second base on the throw in from Durham in right, but a quick throw by 3B Andy Marte to Friday this time let Friday tag out Brewer. The Yankees had a 5-0 lead.
Ford, Bowker, and Watson Lead Come-From-Behind Win
Shelby Ford gets the force out at second base, as Brian Friday backs him up.
Indianapolis Indians 8, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees 5
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The Indianapolis Indians engineered another come-from-behind win tonight, to defeat the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at Victory Field. 2B Shelby Ford (photo), who last played for the Indians in 2009, celebrated his return to AAA with 3 hits and started two big Tribe rallies. LF John Bowker also contributed 3 hits and 3 RBI. Reliever Tony Watson celebrated his 26th birthday with two scoreless innings of work, including 5 strikeouts.
When starters Sean Gallager and Adam Warren squared off last week, Warren dominated the Indians and held the Tribe batters to just 3 hits in 8 innings. Today, Gallagher and the Tribe turned the tables on Warren.
The Yankees began the game by taking advantage of an error in the top of the 1st. With one out, Gallagher walked SS Ramiro Pena, then gave up a single up the middle to DH Jesus Montero. 1B Jorge Vazquez tapped a fast bouncer back to the mound, which Gallagher easily fielded. He whirled and fired to Ford covering second base (photo above), for the force out on Montero. Ford's relay on to first base, though, was airmailed and landed in the visitor's dugout. Vazquez was awarded second base, and Pena, who had reached third base, was sent on home, for the Yankees' first run of the game. The run would have been unearned, but while pitching to CF Justin Maxwell, Gallagher threw a wild pitch. If the throwing error had not been made, Pena would have been on third base, and would have scored on the wild pitch, which changed to run from "unearned" to "earned". Maxwell popped out to Ford to end the inning.
PawSox Pitching Shuts Down Tribe
Pawtucket Red Sox 9, Indianapolis Indians 2
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The Pawtucket Red Sox had enough of losing to the Indians, and enough of losing at home. They had lost 8 of their last 9 home games, including the last 3 games to the Tribe. So maybe it isn't so surprising that their frustration erupted into a 12-hit game, as they scored in all but two of their at-bats to beat the Indians 9-2 at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
The Indians started the game on the right foot. With two outs in the top of the 1st and rehabbing Bobby Jenks on the mound for Pawtucket, LF Alex Presley worked a walk, then stole second base. He came around to score from second on a single up the middle by 3B Andy Marte (photo), who also stole second base. That gave the Tribe a 1-0 lead.... and that was all the scoring they would do until the 9th inning.
Brad Lincoln had the start for the Indians. He began the bottom of the 1st by giving up a single to CF Che-Hsuan Lin, and he too stole second base. A ground out moved Lin to third and 3B Hector Luna plated Lin with a line drive single into center field, tying the score at 1-1. As seemed to be the trend, Luna stole second base too.
Unfortunately, the PawSox had their hitting shoes on. They took the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, after Lincoln struck out the first two batters. SS Brent Dlugach was hit by a pitch, and RF Ronald Bermudez doubled into right field. Dlugach raced around from first base to score ahead of the errant relay throw from the cut-off man 2B Josh Harrison. That gave the PawSox a 2-1 lead. Lincoln gave up a single in the 3rd, but did not allow a run to score in that inning. A double by 2B Tony Thomas and an RBI single by Bermudez added a run in the 4th. Lincoln was attacked again in the 5th, with a double by Lin, an RBI single by LF Daniel Nava, bringing in Lin. A fielding error by CF Gorkys Hernandez moved Nava to second, and he tagged up and advanced to third on a fly out. Nava scored on a wild pitch by Lincoln, increasing the PawSox lead to 5-1.
Harrison’s 5-For-5 Sparks Tribe’s Come-From-Behind Win
Indianapolis Indians 9, Pawtucket Red Sox 7
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3B Josh Harrison (photo) went 5-for-5 at the plate to lead the Indians in a come-from-behind win over the Red Sox at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island tonight. Harrison smacked two singles and three doubles, and contributed 2 RBI, as the the Indians scored 9 unanswered runs after trailing the PawSox 7-0.
Justin Wilson made the start for the Indians, but he lasted only two innings. He was responsible for all 7 of Pawtucket's runs (6 earned) on 5 hits and 3 walks, with no strikeouts. Home runs were the beginning of the end for Wilson, who gave up 3 in his briefest start of the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the 1st, Wilson gave up the first homer, a solo blast by DH Hector Luna. The trouble really got going in the 2nd, when the first four batters reached base safely. C Michael McKenry led off with another solo home run. 2B Tory Thomas singled, then 3B Brent Dlugach made the score 4-0 with a 2-run homer. SS Jose Iglesias singled, and moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by RF Matt Sheely. Then Wilson walked three consecutive batters -- CF Che-Hsuan Lin on four pitches, LF Daniel Nava on a 3-2 count, and Luna on a 3-1 count. Luna's walk forced in Iglesias. A grounder to 1B Matt Hague might have been an inning-ending double play, and Luna was forced out at second, but Harrison's throw back to first was wild, allowing 1B Lars Anderson to reach first safely, and allowing Nava to score from third base. The inning finally ended with a ground out by McKenry, but the PawSox had a 6-run inning, and led the Tribe 7-1.
