Tag: Brian Bass

Indianapolis Indians �7, �Buffalo Bison �3 (box)

For the second day in a row, the Indianapolis Indians put up a nice crooked number in the top of an extra inning to break a tie, then won the game when they held off the Bison in their half of the inning. �Today it was 4 runs in the 12th inning that did the trick.

The 12th began with a walk to C Erik Kratz, and a sacrifice bunt by 2B Jim Negrych, to move Kreatz to second base. �Buffalo reliever Adam Pettyjohn intentionally walked the rehabbing RF�Steve Pearce. 1B Jeff Clement (photo) made the Bison regret the walks, as he took a long fly over the head of Bison's RF Valentino Pascucci. �The double drove in both Kratz and Pearce, and gave the Indians a 5-3 lead. �Brandon Jones came on to pinch hit for Tribe reliever Brian Bass, and Jones struck out, but CF Brandon Moss smacked his 16th double of the season to right-center, where it hopped the fence for a ground-rule double, scoring Clement. �SS Argenis Diaz kept things going with a walk. �3B Doug Bernier lined a single up the middle. �The throw to the plate was a few feet up the third base line, but Moss had rounded third and was bearing down on the plate. �Moss crashed C Jason Thole, sending him flying in one direction and the ball flying in another direction, and as he rolled after the collision, Moss's foot rolled over the plate. �Diaz moved to third base and Bernier advanced to second on the throw. �A pop out ended the inning, with the Indians ahead, 7-3.

Steven Jackson came on to pitch the bottom of the frame. �He gave up a one-out single off the glove of SS Argenis Diaz to Bisons' CF Jorge Padilla, but the first pitch Jackson threw to SS Justin Turner was bounced on an easy hop right to Diaz. �Diaz started the 6-4-3 (Diaz to Negrych to Clement) double play to end the game. �Brian Bass earned the win, his second of the season. �The Indians won 3 of the 4 games in this series with Buffalo, and 6 of the 8 games in the season series.

Buffalo Bison �6, �Indianapolis Indians �4 (box)

Three home runs by Buffalo RF Valentino Pascucci powered the Bison over the Indians at Coca-Cola Park in Buffalo tonight. �The Tribe tried for a late-inning come-back, but fell short, despite another strong effort by the bullpen. �Starter Brian Burres (photo)�took the loss, as he allowed two of Pascucci's homers.

Pascucci began his big night in the bottom of the 1st. �SS Andy Green led off the inning with a double into left field. �Brian Burres walked 2B Justin Turner, then gave up the 3-run bomb over the left field wall to Pascucci. �The Bison added another run in each of the next two innings. �In the 2nd, Burres walked the lead-off batter, C Josh Thole, and CF Jonathan Malo followed with a double, moving Thole to third base. �Green's sacrifice fly plated Thole, and the Bison had a 4-0 lead. �They made it 5-0 in the 3rd, on Pascucci's second home run of the game -- at least this was a solo homer, leading off the inning.

Buffalo starter John Maine, on a rehab assignment from the Mets, had the Indians' batters well in hand for the first four innings. �He gave up a walk to RF Brandon Moss in the top of the 1st. �Moss stole second base, then went to third on 2B Jim Negrych's ground out, but Moss got no further. �Maine retired the Tribe batters in order in the 2nd, then walked two more Indians, Brian Burres and LF Kevin Melillo in the 3rd. �They were also left stranded when Maine retired the next two batters to end the inning. �Three Indians sat down in order in the 4th too.

CF Jonathan Van Every (photo) began the top of the 5th with the Indians' first hit of the game, a double into right field. �After a strikeout by SS Argenis Diaz, Brandon Jones came on to pinch hit for Burres. �Jones reached base on a grounder to second base, when Maine, covering first base, dropped the ball on the toss from 2B Justin Turner. �That put runners on the corners for the Indians, and ended Maine's evening. �Reliever Mike O'Connor came on for Buffalo. �He first faced Kevin Melillo and got him to ground out to first, but that allowed Van Every to score from third base. �It was the only run the Indians would get in the inning, as another ground out by Brandon Moss ended the brief rally.

Brian Burres also left the game after just 4 innings. �He had allowed 5 runs on a total of 5 hits -- two home runs plus the sacrifice fly. �Burres had thrown 78 pitches (46 for strikes). �Jeremy Powell took over for Burres, and struck out the side with 15 pitches. �Brian Bass took his turn in the 6th, and he also retired the side in order, on three straight ground outs. �Steven Jackson, recently reactivated from the disabled list, worked around a single for a scoreless 7th inning.

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �4, �Indianapolis Indians �1 (box)

A 3-run homer in the bottom of the 8th broke a 1-1 tie, handing starter Daniel McCutchen a hard-luck loss at PNC Field in Scranton, PA. �But there was a piece of good luck, at least for Pirates fans, after the game: �3B Pedro Alvarez (photo) was called up to Pittsburgh, to join the Pirates.

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In just his second season of professional baseball, Alvarez has played in 66 games with the Indians, hitting .280 with 15 doubles, 4 triples, 13 homers, and 53 RBI. �He leaves the International League with the league's third- highest RBI total, tied for second in triples, and tied for fourth in home runs. �Alvarez, like most of the Indians, has had trouble against the S/WB Yankees, going 1-for-15 in this 4-game series, with 2 RBI and 6 strikeouts. �The hit he had was a home run on Saturday. �Alvarez had started off the season with a slow month of April, hitting .224 though with 5 homers and 15 RBI. �He improved that average to .294 in May, with 6 more homers and 30 more RBI. �In half of June, he has hit .346 -- and that counts the 1-for-15 series -- with 2 home runs and 8 RBI. �The Pirates had challenged Alvarez to improve his average against left-handed pitchers, and he has done that. �His current splits have him hitting .266 against right-handed pitchers and .323 against southpaws.

Daniel McCutchen (photo) began tonight's game by retiring the first 6 batters he faced. �He gave up a run in the 3rd inning, which began with Yankees' 3B Matt Cusick lifting a fly ball over Tribe LF Kevin Melillo's head for a double. �2B Reegie Corona's ground out to second moved Cusick to third base. �McCutchen hit the next batter, RF Greg Golson, who then stole second base. �LF Reid Gorecki's fly ball to left field became a sacrifice fly, scoring Cusick with the first run of the game.

McCutchen gave up only one hit over the next three innings. �1B Jorge Vazquez lined a 2-out single into the right-center field alley in the 4th, and was left on base when C Jesus Montero popped out to end the inning. �The next 6 batters, over the 5th and 6th innings, all went down in order.

Yankees' starter Ivan Nova was letting Indians' batters get on base in the first half of the game, but he was getting help from his teammates, specifically in the form of double plays. �DH Brian Myrow reached base on a fielding error in the top of the 1st, when his grounder skipped off the glove of 2B Corona and into right field. �In the 2nd, 1B Jeff Clement and C Luke Carlin opened the inning with back-to-back singles, but RF Brandon Moss bounced into a double play. �That put Clement on third base and erased Carlin. �A fly out by CF Jonathan Van Every ended the inning.

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Brandon Moss is congratulated on his home run.

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Indianapolis Indians �10, �Pawtucket Red Sox �3 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians scored 9 runs in the first three innings tonight at Victory Field, pounding the Pawtucket Red Sox to earn a sweep of their 4-game series. �The two teams have now completed their 8-game season series, with the Indians nearly sweeping that too -- 7 wins for the Indians and only one for the PawSox. �The win, combined with a loss by the Columbus Clippers, moves the Indians up to 1.5 games behind the first-place Clippers in the International League Western Division.

The game began with a run for the PawSox in the top of the 1st. �Tribe starter Hayden Penn (photo) had a tough 1st inning, and it was not entirely his own doing. �Penn gave up a single to the Pawtucket lead-off hitter, 2B Niuman Romero. �He got SS Gil Vasquez to fly out and tricked DH Angel Sanchez into swinging at an outside pitch for strike three, but then hit 1B Lars Anderson with a pitch. �LF Aaron Bates grounded to third base, but 3B Pedro Alvarez, going to his right, has the ball pop into and out of his glove as he crossed into foul territory. �Alvarez recovered the ball quickly and turned to fire to first -- but airmailed the ball way over 1B Jeff Clement's head and into the stands. �That allowed Romero to score, and put Anderson on third and Bates on second base, as Alvarez was charged with both a fielding and a throwing error. �A ground out ended the inning, with Pawtucket up 1-0.

That didn't last long. �The Indians exploded for 6 runs in the bottom of the inning, as they sent 10 batters to the plate in the bottom of the 1st. �LF Kevin Melillo led off with a line drive into right field for a single. �RF Brandon Moss took the lead back for the Indians with a 2-run blast over the wall in the deepest part of left-center field (photo). �Brian Myrow, who had DH duties tonight with the arrival of Jeff Clement, continued the fun with a grounder that handcuffed the PawSox 2B Romero, ruled a single. �Myrow moved to second base when Pawtucket pitcher Randor Bierd, and moments later, took third base the same way. �Neither of those wild pitches got all that far away from home plate, but Myrow was being alert and took the Red Sox by surprise.

Pedro Alvarez struck out for the first out of the inning, and Clement followed with a walk. �With runners on the corners, CF Jonathan Van Every hit a long fly ball that turned into a sacrifice fly, scoring Myrow. �C Erik Kratz grounded up the middle for another single, and Clement advanced to second base. �2B Doug Bernier continued with a grounder through the hole into left field, scoring Clement from second base. �Kratz and Bernier both came across the plate on a grounder that slipped past third base and continued along the left field line by SS Argenis Diaz. At this point, Randor Bierd was looking hopefully down toward his bullpen, where he saw -- no one moving, no rescue in sight. �But Bierd got Kevin Melillo to fly out, finally ending the inning. �The Tribe had a resounding 6-1 lead.

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Indianapolis Indians �6, �Pawtucket Red Sox �5 �(11 innings) (box)

It took 11 innings and a throw into the dugout, but the Tribe opened a 4-game series against the Pawtucket Red Sox with a win at Victory Field tonight.

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And the best part, at least for Pirates' fans, is the news that came down after the game: �pitcher Brad Lincoln will be traveling to Washington, D.C. to make his major league debut with a start against the Nationals on Wednesday. �In addition, Lincoln will be going with a buddy -- outfielder Jose Tabata has also earned a promotion to the Pirates.

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Charlie Morton (photo here and above) was making his first rehab start with the Indians, and in fact his second start ever for the Tribe. �He had made one start in 2009, shortly after being traded from the Atlanta Braves to the Pirates' organization, but has been with the Pirates' club ever since.

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This start was not exactly all he could have hoped it would be. �Morton pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 1st, sandwiching a ground out between two strikeouts. �He went deep into counts, though, and it took him 16 pitches to get through the inning.

The Indians scored the first run of the game in the bottom of the 1st. �LF Jose Tabata worked a walk, and stole second (his 24th steal of the season) (photo). �After two fly outs, 3B Pedro Alvarez drove a double into the right-center gap, which rolled all the way to the wall and easily scored Tabata from second base.

Morton took the mound with a 1-0 lead to begin the second inning. � PawSox' 1B Lars Anderson dribbled a slow roller toward third base, then beat out 3B Pedro Alvarez's throw to first base. �DH Aaron Bates singled into right field, sending Anderson to third base. �RF Kevin Melillo's throw in from right field was off-target, and Bates was able to advance to second base on the error. �A strikeout and a fly out to short right field had the runners holding, but 3B Jorge Jimenez drove both of them in with a line drive into right field. �This time, Melillo's throw back in was on-target, and Jimenez was out as he tried to make it to second base, but the PawSox had taken a 2-1 lead.

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Help is on the way!

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Indianapolis Indians �7, �Columbus Clippers �2 (box)

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Solid pitching and enthusiastic offense was just what the Indians needed, as they defeated the Columbus Clippers for the second straight night. �The win assures the Tribe of at least an even split of this critical 4-game series, which means that they can not slip further down in the standings than where they were when the series began -- 6.5 games behind the Clippers. �Currently, the Indians have climbed to 4.5 games behind the first-place Clippers, and one game behind the second-place Toledo Mud Hens (who lost to the Rochester Red Wings tonight, 8-4).

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After a quiet first inning for both teams,the Indians got going in the bottom of the 2nd. �3B Pedro Alvarez led off with a line drive into right field, which landed just in front of Clippers' RF Chris Gimenez. �CF Jonathan Van Every slipped a single through the right side of the infield, keeping Gimenez busy in right field. �C Erik Kratz bounced to third base, and it looked like it was going to be a double play, but Van Every slid hard (but clean) into second base, where he threw former Indy Indian 2B Brian Bixler off balance enough so that Bixler could not make the throw to first base. �With Alvarez on third and Kratz on first, DH Brandon Jones blasted a 3-run homer over the fence in right-center, which landed on the grass in front of the scoreboard (photo). �Indians up, 3-0.

The Indians doubled their lead with another 3 runs in the 3rd inning. �The first four batters of the inning pounded Columbus starter Jeanmar Gomez with four straight hits. �LF Brandon Moss began with a double that put a visible pock-mark in the padding on the center field wall. �1B Brian Myrow blooped a single into right field, moving Moss to third. �Pedro Alvarez's hit was a single that squeaked through the right side of the infield just out Bixler's reach, and that brought Moss across the plate. �Jonathan Van Every (photo) lined another single into right field, to load the bases for Erik Kratz. �Kratz could only manage a weak tap towards third base, which was easily turned into a 5-4-3 double play, also erasing Van Every at second base. �Myrow scored from third on the play, though Kratz does not get credit for an RBI. �Brandon Jones drove in Alvarez with a double lined into right-center field, for his 4th RBI of the game.

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Indianapolis Indians �5, �Columbus Clippers �0 (box)

The Indians shut out the Columbus Clippers, who currently reside in first place in the International League Western Division, at Victory Field tonight, to begin an 8-game home stand. �Four Indians' pitchers, starter Mike Crotta (photo above), Vinnie Chulk, Justin Thomas, and Brian Bass, combined to hold the Clippers to 4 hits and 4 walks, while the Tribe batters piled up 10 hits for 5 runs.

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Mike Crotta pitched 5.1 scoreless innings to earn his 3rd win with the Indians, needing 87 pitches (46 strikes) to get the job done. �He was responsible for 3 of the hits and 3 of the walks. �He kept his infielders busy, as all of the outs he recorded were either ground outs, except for two strikeouts and one runner thrown out at second base.

Crotta gave up a 2-out double to Columbus catcher Carlos Santana in the 1st inning, but ended the inning with a bouncing grounder to SS Argenis Diaz (photo above). �Crotta retired the Clippers in order in the 2nd and 3rd innings, then gave up a walk to former Indy Indian 2B Brian Bixler (photo) to begin the 4th. �Santana followed with a grounder to third base, and as 3B Pedro Alvarez made the scoop and throw to first, the speedy Bixler got a good jump and broke for third base, where he slid in safely before 1B Brian Myrow could return the throw across the diamond. �Bixler was left standing there, though, as Crotta struck out 1B Wes Hodges and got DH Jordan Brown to ground out to second.

Crotta had to have a little help from his friends to get out of the 5th inning. �LF Nick Weglarz worked a walk to open the inning, then 3B Brian Buscher hit a high hop right to Brian Myrow at first base. �Myrow turned and fired to second base, forcing out Weglarz, then scrambled back to cover the first base bag and take the return throw from Argenis Diaz for the double play. �SS Anderson Hernandez followed with a line drive into center field for a single, but when he tried to steal second base, C Luke Carlin's throw was right on target, and the inning was over.

Crotta and Carlin did not have the same luck in the 6th. �With one out, CF Michael Brantley slipped a single through the hole and into left field. �He stole second base, and as he slid in, Carlin's throw might have hit the ground near second base, or maybe even hit Brantley, but either way, the ball ricocheted into center field, and Brantley took off for third base. �Argenis Diaz chased down the ball and threw to third as Brantley was reaching the base there, but Diaz's throw went way wide of third, and very nearly sailed into the Indians' dugout. �Brian Bixler worked his second walk of the game, and that was all for Crotta.

Vinnie Chulk came on in relief, and the speedy Bixler stole second base without drawing a throw from Carlin, putting two runners in scoring position. �But Chulk made it not matter -- he struck out both Carlos Santana and Wes Hodges to end the inning without the Clippers scoring.

First, the Indians had to finish up yesterdays' game -- suspended due to rain. �Then they had to play a 7-inning game for today.

Gwinnett Braves �4, �Indianapolis Indians �3 � (suspended, now finished) (box)

Home runs were the key in the first part of this game, which was started on Monday night -- read more about it here. Gwinnett's Barbaro Canizares started the scoring with a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 1st. �Indians' LF Brandon Moss knocked a solo homer in the top of the 2nd, and Braves' Alex Romero answered with a solo blast to lead off the bottom of the inning.

The Braves were leading 3-1 going into the bottom of the 4th. �Starter Daniel McCutchen (photo) got into trouble quickly, when LF Matt Young bounced a weird hop off 2B Argenis Diaz's shoulder for an error. �Alex Romero walked, putting runners on first and second, as the rain got serious. �A double steal moved the runners to second and third. �SS Brandon Hicks came to the plate and had a 1-2 count on him when the game was halted.

McCutchen finished with 3 innings of work, allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks. �Two of those hits and runs came on homers. �McCutchen threw 58 pitches, 30 for strikes.

When the game resumed on Tuesday, Anthony Claggett took over for McCutchen, inheriting two runners on base and a 1-2 count on Hicks at the plate. �Claggett threw two balls, but then got Hicks to ground out easily to Pedro Alvarez at third, with the runners forced to hold their positions. �C Clint Sammons bounced to first base, where 1B Brian Myrow scooped and fired back home, where C Erik Kratz tagged out the lead runner Young at the plate. �Claggett ended the inning with a strikeout, escaping the jam without letting a run score.

The Braves scored again in the 5th inning. �CF Jordan Schafer lined a single into center field, and when Claggett tried to pick him off first base, the throw hit Schafer. �After taking a few minutes to make sure he was ok, Schafer popped up and stole second base on the next pitch. �A sacrifice bunt by 3B Wes Timmons moved Schafer to third base, and a single lined into left field brought him home. �Braves up, 4-1.

The Indians rallied in the top of the 6th. �CF Jon Van Every led off with a walk. �He moved to second base, then on to third, on ground outs by Argenis Diaz and Brian Myrow. �Pedro Alvarez smacked a double to deep center field, to plate Van Every. �Erik Kratz (photo) followed with a single slipped through the hole and into left field, and Alvarez raced around third to score. �That put the Tribe within one run of the Braves, at 4-3. �The rally ended when RF Brandon Jones grounded out.

Anthony Claggett also pitched the 6th inning, allowing only a walk. �He came out to begin the 7th inning, and got a strikeout, before turning the ball over to Justin Thomas. Claggett�finished with 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run on 2 hits and a walk, with 4 strikeouts. �Thomas finished the 7th inning with two quick outs, a strikeout and a fly out. �Brian Bass came on to pitch the 8th, working around a lead-off single to keep the Braves scoreless again.

After their two runs in the 6th, the Indians managed only one base runner for the rest of the game. �Manager Frank Kremblas decide not to use a pinch-hitter for Anthony Claggett. �Batting for himself, Claggett worked the count full then took a walk. �He moved to second base on a wild pitch, but was left there at the end of the inning. �The Indians went down in order in the 8th and 9th innings, including three strikeouts.

Argenis Diaz was the only Tribe batter to have 2 hits in the game (both singles). �Daniel McCutchen was charged with the loss, his second of the season with the Tribe.

Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Brandon Moss's (photo) solo home run, which put the Indians on the scoreboard in the 2nd inning.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �In the bottom of the 3rd inning, with one out and Joe Thurston on first base, Barbaro Canizares bounced a slow roller to Pedro Alvarez at third. �Alvarez grabbed it on the second hop, then fired to second base, where 2B Brian Friday made the pivot and threw on to first base for the inning-ending double play, which cut short the Braves' rally.

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Sunday afternoon action for the Indians -- completing last night's suspended game (third one in 10 days) and then the regularly scheduled game.

Charlotte Knights �8, �Indianapolis Indians �4 (box)

When we left our heros (read more about the beginning of the game here), the Knights had just taken a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the 5th inning. �1B Brian Myrow gave the Indians their first 2 runs in the top of the 1st with a 2-run homer. �A single by 3B Pedro Alvarez and an RBI double by RF Brandon Moss added another run in the top of the 4th.

Jeremy Powell (photo) made the start for the Tribe, and had pitched 4.1 innings, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and a walk, with 2 strikeouts when the game was suspended due to power outages. �Powell had allowed only one hit in the first 3 innings, but that one hit was a solo homer by Knights' DH Stefan Gartrell in the 2nd inning. �Powell got into trouble in the 4th inning, when he gave up a walk, a single, and a 2-RBI double to LF Jordan Danks, all coming with 2 outs in the inning.

The score was tied at 3-3 when the lights went out the first time. �That delay lasted only a short time, and the Indians threatened in the top of the 5th when play resumed. �A missed catch error by the Charlotte first baseman put CF Jose Tabata on second base, and Tabata stole third. �But he remained there as a strikeout, a walk, and another strikeout ended the inning. �Jeremy Powell was able to come back out and begin the bottom of the 5th, but the first batter, 2B Luis Rodriguez, homered to give Charlotte a 4-3 lead. �Powell got one out and had 2 strikes on the next batter, CF Buck Coats, when the power went out again.

Of course, neither starting pitcher returned when the game resumed this afternoon. �Brian Bass (photo) took the mound for the Indians, inheriting a 1-2 count on Buck Coats. �Bass needed just one pitch to get Coats to swing at strike three (strikeout credited to Bass). �Then he needed just one more pitch to get former Pirate farmhand SS Brent Lillibridge to pop out, ending the inning.

The Knights got the best of Bass in the 6th inning, though. �1B Dayan Viciedo led off with a line drive into center field on the first pitch he saw from Bass. �RF Josh Kroeger walked, and Gartrell moved both runners up a base with a sacrifice bunt. �Danks singled into right field, scoring Viciedo. �Bass got a strikeout, but a sacrifice fly by Rodriguez scored Kroeger from third base. �3B Javier Colina singled also, driving in Gartrell, and the Knights had increased their lead to 7-3.

Corey Hamman took over for Bass for the last two innings. �He allowed only one hit, but that hit was a solo home run by Brent Lillibridge in the 7th, to give Charlotte an 8-3 lead. �Hamman worked around a hit batter in the 8th inning, striking out a total of 3 batters over the two innings.

Charlotte replaced their starting pitcher with Noblesville, Indiana native (and 2001 Indiana "Mr. Baseball") Wes Whisler. �Whisler had been struggling in some recent appearances, particularly during the month of May, but he did not have much trouble with the Indians. �He retired the first 10 Tribe batters he faced in order, taking him into the top of the 9th. �With one out in the 9th, the Indians started a rally against Whisler, putting four batters in a row on base. �C Luke Carlin started with an infield hit to deep short, then Brandon Moss and SS Doug Bernier followed with two more singles. �Bernier's single scored Carlin. �2B Argenis Diaz worked a walk to load the bases. �The Knights took that opportunity to relieve Whisler and bring in reliever Greg Aquino. �Aquino faced only Jose Tabata, and on a 2-2 pitch, got Tabata to bounce to short, where Lillibridge started a 6-4-3 double play, cutting short the Tribe rally and ending the game.

Jeremy Powell was charged with the loss, his 5th of the season. �Doug Bernier and Brandon Moss each had two hits, a single and a double, and one RBI in the game.

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Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �Brian Myrow's home run in the top of the 1st, his 4th blast of the season.

Regularly scheduled game -- click "read more"

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Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �10, �Indianapolis Indians �7 (box)

This was the completion of the suspended game from last night. �(Take a look here to read more about the first 3.5 innings.)

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The start of the restart was delayed about 40 minutes because of the threat of rain. �The tarp was put down, but when the rain never happened, it was pulled, and play began. �Despite worrisome weather forcasts, it didn't rain for the rest of the evening, and there was even a bit of sunshine.

The Yankees took the field for the restart, holding an 8-5 lead. �Starter Jeremy Powell had made a shaky start, allowing all 8 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks. �The Yankees had batted around in the top of the 4th, as Powell struggled on a wet and slippery mound and his teammates behind him battled soggy grass. �Steven Jackson came on in relief of Powell, but 5 runs came in �to give the Yankees the lead.

On the restart, Anthony Claggett (photo) took the mound for the Indians. �Claggett just didn't have it tonight. �He walked 6 batters in 1.1 innings, though miraculously did not give up any runs. �He walked the first two batters in the top of the 5th, then got a double play, which eliminated one runner but put the lead runner (LF Chad Huffman) on third base. �Two more walks loaded the bases, but a grounder to SS Argenis Diaz gave Claggett a force out at second base, and he had escaped his self-made jam.

The next inning was more of the same, though. �The first batter flied out, with CF Jose Tabata first coming in, then having to reverse, and then make a running over-the-shoulder catch. �Claggett put the next three batters on base, with a walk to DH Jon Weber, a hit by C Jesus Montero, and a walk to Huffman. �That was enough for manager Frank Kremblas to see. �Claggett left having walked 6 of the 10 batters he faced.

Vinnie Chulk (photo) was next out of the bullpen. �He came into the game with one out and the bases loaded -- and proceeded to strike out RF Reid Gorecki and get 3B Matt Cusick to end the inning and leave those three runners right where he found them.

Chulk came back out for the 7th inning. �He gave up a single into right field to CF Greg Golson. �A grounder moved Golson to second base. �Chulk got a gift next. �He tried to pick Golson off second base, but his throw was wide and got into center field, and Golson raced to third base. �But the umpires pointed him back to second base -- home plate ump Mark Lollo had called time out just a split second before Chulk turned and made the throw to second, making the whole thing a "no play". �Then it turned out to be moot. �A single by 1B PJ Pilittere, who had taken over for David Winfree, singled down the right field line, and Golson scored anyway.

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Indianapolis Indians �3, �Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees �0 (box)

Donnie Veal (photo above) dominated Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at Victory Field on Tuesday night, holding the Yankees to just 2 hits and 3 walks over 7 innings of work. �Veal struck out a total of 7 batters, including 5 of the last 9 batters he faced. �Indians' CF Jose Tabata (photo) out-hit the Yankees all by himself, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while 1B Brian Myrow had 2 hits and 2 RBI.

Veal had more trouble in the early innings than he did later in the game. �With one out in the 1st, he gave up a walk to 2B Reegie Corona and a single to SS Eduardo Nunez, but got out of the inning with a grounder to SS Brian Friday for a double play. �He used 18 pitches to get through the 1st inning, and then needed another 19 in the 2nd inning, when he worked another walk but still kept the Yankees scoreless.

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Veal also had to work around a base runner in each of the 3rd and 4th innings. �C Chad Moeller began the 3rd inning with a double, but Veal left him standing right there, while he racked up his first two strikeouts of the game around a pop up. �The third walk Veal allowed came in the 4th inning to LF Jon Weber, but another double play started by Brian Friday ended that inning.

Meanwhile, Jose Tabata was leading the Indians' offensive attack. �He opened the bottom of the 1st with a line drive into left field for a double. �2B Neil Walker was hit on the foot by a pitch, then Brian Myrow (photo) lined a single into right field, and Tabata came around from second base to score. �After a pop out by 3B Pedro Alvarez, RF Brandon Jones walked to load the bases, but C Luke Carlin bounced into a double play, and the Indians could not take advantage of the bases-loaded situation.

Yankees' starter Jason Hirsch thought he had the Indians under control in the 2nd inning, when he began the frame with two fly outs. �But then Brian Friday ripped a double into left field, and surprised Hirsch by stealing third base. �Jose Tabata grounded to third base, but beat out the throw to first for a hit, allowing Friday to score. �Neil Walker lined a single into right field, moving Tabata to third base. �With runners on the corners, Brian Myrow again slapped an RBI single, this time into center field, and Tabata scored easily. �A ground out ended the inning, but the Indians had a 3-0 lead.

Both teams were pretty quiet for the remainder of the game. �Jose Tabata collected his third hit of the game in the 4th inning, again beating out a throw on an infield hit. �As Neil Walker stepped into the batters' box following Tabata's hit, some serious jawing erupted from the Yankees' dugout, possibly related to what had been a close play at first base. �1B Umpire Dan Bellino tossed someone in the dugout -- it wasn't clear whom until S/W-B manager Dave Miley came out of the dugout to continue the jawing �-- yup, it was Miley. �Once the dust had settled and the game resumed, Tabata promptly stole second base, then stole third. �Neil Walker walked, but the Indians left the runners stranded on the corners when Brian Myrow grounded out.

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Mike Crotta and Donnie Veal are charting in the stands.

McCutchen worked around a 2-out single by 1B Brock Peterson and a walk to C Jair Fernandez in the 2nd inning. �In the third, again with two outs, he gave up a single to Luke Hughes and an RBI double by CF Dustin Martin off the top of the wall in left-center to the right of Jackie Robinson's "42". �Martin was left stranded when RF Matt Macri struck out, but the Red Wings had increased their lead to 2-0.