Tag: Chase d'Arnaud

Indianapolis Indians  5,  Scranton /Wilkes-Barre Yankees  3
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The Indians' bullpen shut down the Yankees' bats in the second half of the game, as the Tribe took the first game of this 4-game series at PNC Field in Moosic, PA.  Starter Brian Burres earned his second win of the season, while RF John Bowker and C Jason Jaramillo contributed 2 RBI each.  

The Indians got right down to business in the top of the 1st, opening the game with back-to-back line drive singles into left field by SS Chase d'Arnaud and 2B Josh Harrison.  After a strikeout by LF Alex Presley, Bowker loaded the bases with a line drive single to right field.  1B Matt Hague (photo) made it four line drive singles (to left again), and his single drove in both d'Arnaud and Harrison to give the Indians a 2-0 lead.

The Yankees came right back with two runs off Tribe starter Brian Burres in the bottom of the 1st.  Burres got a ground out, then gave up a single to SS Romiro Pena, followed by a 2-run homer to C Jesus Montero.  LF Justin Maxwell struck out, then 1B Brandon Laird singled, and Burres walked 2B Kevin Russo.  A grounder to short by RF Dan Brewer forced Russo out at second base, to get Burres and the Indians out of the inning, with the score tied 2-2.
 
Burres settled in after that first inning.  Relying on his breaking ball and changeup, Burres retired the next 8 S/W-B batters in a row, before allowing a single in the 4th inning.  Brewer lifted a fly ball into right field, and advanced to second base on a fielding error by Bowker in right.  The error was made meaningless with a fly out to end the inning.  

Andy Marte (right) celebrates with Rudy Owens and Dusty Brown after his 2-run homer.  













Indianapolis Indians  3,  Buffalo Bison  2
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For the third year in a row, the Indianapolis Indians found that the pink breast cancer awareness jerseys brought them luck.  They beat the Buffalo Bison at Victory Field tonight, to win the 4-game series 3 games to 1.  Rudy Owens pitched 7 innings, allowing only one run on 7 hits for his third win of the season.  Former Pirate DJ Carrasco took the loss for the Bison.

This was Owens' (photo) first win in 5 weeks, and only the second game in which he pitched 7 innings (the other was on April 11th).  He did not walk any batters.  He had two strikeouts -- both on Carrasco, who also struck out Owens twice.  

Owens took advantage of three double plays in the first four innings.  His first two innings were twins.  The southpaw gave up a single (to 3B Luis Figueroa in the 1st and to 1B Valentino Pascucci in the 2nd), then got an out (pop up and fly out), then erased the base runner and ended the inning with a double play.  In the 1st, CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis bounced into a standard 4-6-3 (2B Josh Harrison to SS Chase d'Arnaud to 1B Matt Hague) double play.  In the 2nd, LF Jesus Feliciano grounded to first, where Hague stepped on first, then threw to second base where d'Arnaud tagged out Feliciano for the reverse force double play.  

Owens retired the Bison in order in the 3rd, but got into some trouble in the 4th.  Former Indy Indian Luis Figueroa zapped a grounder just inside the third base line and down into the left field corner, where LF John Bowker had to chase it down, as Figueroa raced to third base with a triple.  2B Michael Fisher lined a single up the middle, scoring Figueroa.  Then Owens returned to the first/second- inning form.  He got Nieuwenhuis to fly out, and got Pascucci to ground into an around the horn double play, started by 3B Andy Marte.

Trainer Brian Housand and Pitching Coach Tom Filer conference with pitcher Dan Meyer and catcher Dusty Brown, with plate umpire Mark Lollo listening in.





Buffalo Bison  5,  Indianapolis Indians  1
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After two days of being pounded by the Indians, the Buffalo Bison got their revenge this afternoon at Victory Field, as the Bison posted 12 hits in their win.  The Indians were held to just 5 scattered hits by the Buffalo pitching staff.  Buffalo starter Brian Sweeney earned his first win of the season and allowed the Indians only one run.

Sean Gallagher (photo) made the start for the Indians.  The plan had been to move Gallagher from the starting rotation to the bullpen, and he did make a relief appearance last week, coming in to take over for Garrett Olson, who had been injured.  But now, with Olson going onto the Disabled List, Gallagher has been moved back to the starting rotation.  The Bison jumped right on Gallagher in the top of the 1st inning.  After getting the first batter, former Indy Indian SS Luis Figueroa to pop up for the first out, Gallagher gave up a single to 2B Michael Fisher and a bunt single to C Kirk Nieuwenhuis.  1B Valentino Pascucci followed with a hard liner along the left field line for a double, driving in both Fisher and Nieuwenhuis for a 2-0 lead.  Gallagher left Pascucci on second base, ending the inning with a pop out and a ground out.  

Gallagher set the Bison down in order in the 2nd inning, but the Bison scored again in the 3rd.  Figueroa led off with another double down the left field line, similar to Pascucci's.  Fisher singled up the middle, and the speedy Figueroa scored from second base.  C Dusty Brown threw out Fisher as he tried to steal second base.  The next three Bison batters all reached base safely --  a grounder through the hole into left field by Nieuwenhuis, a 4-pitch walk to Pascucci, and C Mike Nickeas hit on the left wrist or forearm by a pitch.  Nickeas took his time moving down to first base, but was not able to stay in the game.  He was replaced by pinch-runner/catcher (another former Indy Indian) Raul Chavez.  That loaded the bases with one out for the Bison.  Gallagher got out of the jam by getting LF Jesus Feliciano to bounced into a double play, 2B Chase d'Arnaud to SS Pedro Ciriaco, to 1B John Bowker.

Chase d'Arnaud (19) is congratulated after his 2-run homer.











Indianapolis Indians  6,  Buffalo Bisons  1
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Brad Lincoln (photo) won his fourth game in a row with his best performance of the season, pitching 7 scoreless innings to lead the Indians over the Buffalo Bison at Victory Field this afternoon.  This was Lincoln's 8th start overall for the Indians, and the only scoreless start so far.  He went 7 innings for the second time in a row, and struck out 7 batters for the third time this season.  Lincoln allowed only 4 hits, which was the fewest he's allowed since his first start -- and that start lasted only 4.2 innings.  

Lincoln scattered those 4 hits, plus one walk, so that the Bison had only one inning in which two runners reached base.  He retired the first 7 Bison in order, including 3 strikeouts in the first two innings.  Former Indy Indian (2008) C Raul Chavez had the first hit for Buffalo, with a grounder up the middle in the 3rd inning.  The next batter, Buffalo starter Casey Fossum tried to drop down a sacrifice bunt, but the bunt went up instead of down, and 3B Josh Harrison was able to charge in and catch the tiny pop.  Harrison then fired over to first base, where a temporarily confused Chavez had frozen in his tracks several feet away from the bag.  Chavez was easily doubled off the bag for the inning- ending double play.

Lincoln allowed a single to lead-off batter LF Jesus Feliciano in the 4th, then struck out the next two batters and ended the inning with a ground out.  He worked around an infield hits by 3B Michael Fisher in the 5th and by 1B Valentino Pascucci in the 7th.  The 6th was the only inning that Lincoln allowed two Bison hitters to reach base.  With one out, he walked Feliciano.  SS Luis Hernandez grounded to 2B Chase d'Arnaud for what could have been a double play.  D'Arnaud's flip to SS Pedro Ciriaco erased Feliciano at second, but Feliciano's slide made Ciriaco jump out of the way to avoid being taken down, and Ciriaco could not make the throw to first.  That didn't seem to bother Lincoln, though, as he got CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis to tap back to the mound and tagged Nieuwenhuis out himself to end the inning.  

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Alex Presley (7) had three hits and scored three times for the Indians tonight.  












Indianapolis Indians  10,  Buffalo Bison  1
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The Indianapolis Indians posted 16 hits and 10 runs as they stampeded the Buffalo Bison at Victory Field tonight.  Each position player in the Indians' lineup had at least one hit, and three players had 3 hits each:  CF Alex Presley, LF John Bowker, and C Dusty Brown.  Bowker contributed 4 RBI, while Brown and RF Andrew Lambo had 2 RBI each.  Justin Wilson earned the win with another very strong start, and rehabbing reliever Evan Meek pitched a scoreless 8th inning.  

The Indians got right down to business in the bottom of the 1st inning, when five of their first six batters singled.  2B Chase d'Arnaud started with a bouncer right back to the mound. The ball hit the leaping Buffalo starter Josh Stinson's glove and ricocheted 90 degrees to the left, landing over near the third base line.  That was all the time the speedy d'Arnaud needed to reach first base safely.  D'Arnaud promptly stole second base, and after SS Pedro Ciriaco popped out, d'Arnaud moved up to third base on Presley's (photo) first hit of the night, a single lined into right field.  A wild pitch by Stinson got away from his catcher Mike Nickeas and skittered over towards the visitor's dugout, far enough away that d'Arnaud was able to score from third, while Presley advanced to second.  Presley scored on Bowker's line drive into center field.  1B Matt Hague and 3B Josh Harrison both singled, loading the bases for Lambo.  Lambo grounded sharply to short, for what should have been a double play to end the inning.  Buffalo SS Luis Hernandez made the scoop and the toss to former Indy Indian 2B Luis Figueroa, forcing out Harrison at second, but Figueroa's relay to first pulled 1B Valentino Pascucci off the bag.  Lambo was safe, so Bowker scored from third.  Then, Hague, who had been on second base, rounded third and dashed for the plate, taking advantage of the Bison infielders having to regroup after the poor throw, and also taking advantage of the fact that they were not really paying attention to him.  Hague scored easily, giving Lambo 2 RBI on his fielder's choice.  Another grounder for a force out at second base ended the inning, with the Indians ahead, 4-0.  

Chase d'Arnaud slid in safely at third with a stolen base.
















Columbus Clippers  5,  Indianapolis Indians  2 
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The Indians and Clippers finally got some sunshine to play under, but the change in weather also brought a change in fortune.  The Indians' 4-game winning streak and the Clippers 4-game losing streak both came to an end, as the Clippers avoided being swept in this 4-game series at Victory Field.  


The Indians were held to just 4 hits, and half of them came off the bat of SS Chase d'Arnaud.  The Tribe batters were not able to take advantage of 3 walks either.  D'Arnaud opened the bottom of the 1st with his first hit, a cracked-bat bloop that fell in behind second base where none of the Clippers' fielders could get to it.  D'Arnaud stole second, coming in easily under a very high throw from former Indy Indian, C Luke Carlin (photo).  2B Brian Friday popped up to second base, then LF Alex Presley walked.  With RF John Bowker at the plate, d'Arnaud and Presley pulled off a double steal, to put both runners into scoring position.  Bowker hit a dribbly little "oops" ball to the left and in front of the mound, but with d'Arnaud off and running on the pitch, by the time Columbus starter Corey Kluber got to the ball, he had no play on d'Arnaud at the plate.  Bowker was out at first, but with an RBI, and the Indians had a 1-0 lead.  1B Matt Hague walked, and the Indians again had runners on the corners, but 3B Josh Harrison struck out to end the inning.  





Tribe starter Brian Burres (photo) retired the Clippers in order in the top of the 1st, but got into a little jam in the 2nd.  With one out, Burres gave up a single to DH Jason Kipnis.  Kipnis's grounder glanced off the end of d'Arnaud's glove as he stretched to make the play, and the ball ended up in center field.  Burres struck out LF Jerad Head next.  Kipnis stole second base, then 1B Wes Hodges worked a walk, to put runners on first and second base.  C Jason Jaramillo ended the inning for Burres with a throw down to first base.  Hodges was so far off the base, that the throw from Jaramillo beat him by a mile (ok, by 6 feet), and Hodges didn't even bother to slide.  

The Clippers tied the score in the top of the 3rd.  Burres got one out, then worked the count full on SS Luis Valbuena before walking him.  CF Ezequiel Carrera grounded slowly to first base, where Hague was able to make the scoop and step on the bag, but Valbuena was already sliding in to second base.  Valbuena came around to score from second base on 2B Cord Phelps' grounder down the first base line, just out of reach of Hague, who tried a dive to his left but could only tick the ball as it zipped past.  

The throw from first bounced off the runner Ezequiel Carrera and skipped past 2B Pedro Ciriaco.













Indianapolis Indians  7,  Columbus Clippers  3
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Another rainy day, an another win for the Indians.

The Tribe waited out a 95 minute delay before the game even started, then hung on through a drizzly rainy game, to win their fourth game in a row -- their longest winning streak of the season.  They also handed the first-place Columbus Clippers their fourth loss in a row.  Justin Thomas earned his second win of the season, and 2B Pedro Ciriaco blasted a huge 3-run homer, while 3B Brian Friday went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Rudy Owens (photo) made the start for the Tribe, but ended up not being involved in the decision.  Owens pitched 6 innings and allowed only 2 runs, which came in the top of the 1st and involved a strange play.  Clippers' CF Ezequiel Carrera led off with a bunt single, which Owens could not get into his glove.   Owens made a pick-off throw to first as Carrera took off for second.  1B Matt Hague relayed the throw to second, but the ball bounced off the sliding Carrera and eluded 2B Ciriaco.  The ball skipped into left field, and Carrera advanced to third base, as Ciriaco was charged with a missed catch error.  RF Jerad Head tapped back to the mound.  Owens scooped up the ball, glared Carrera into staying put on third base, then threw to first for the out.  3B Lonnie Chisenhall was hit on the hip by a pitch to give the Clippers runners on the corners.  DH Chad Huffman slipped a grounder past a diving Hague, and Carrera scored from third base.  2B Jason Kipnis followed with a long fly ball to center field for a sacrifice fly, which scored Chisenhall for a 2-0 lead.  

The Indians came right back to score one run in the bottom of the 1st off Columbus starter Zach McAllister.  With one out, Ciriaco reached base when 3B Chisenhall made the scoop but dropped the ball on the transfer.  CF Alex Presley blooped a single into short left field, which fell in between two Columbus fielders.  Ciriaco rounded second base and got partway to third, then got hung up as the Columbus LF Josh Rodriguez had the ball and was about to throw it in.  Ciriaco got out of his poor base-running when he made a dash for third, and Rodriguez made a poor throw to third base, as Ciriaco slid in safely.  Presley moved up to second base on the throw to third.  LF John Bowker grounded to short, collecting an RBI as Ciriaco scored from third to cut the Clippers' lead to 2-1.

Two critters on the field appreciated the weather tonight  (look above the umpire's head).







Indianapolis Indians  4,  Columbus Clippers  2
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The Indianapolis Indians won their third game in a row for the first time in the 2011 season as they beat the Clippers at Victory Field tonight.  Tonight's win was also the second in a row at home and the second in a row over the Clippers (the first win in the string was against the Durham Bulls in Durham).  It was also the third night in a row that the Indians allowed their losing opponent to rally and score in the last inning of the game, making things a little more excited than they ought to be.   

The weather was fit only for ducks (!), raining on and off the whole game, with the heaviest rain in the middle innings.  The game was not delayed or halted at any point, though.  

Garrett Olson (photo) made the start for the Indians.  He has been pitching in relief so far this season, and though he made a start in a "bullpen" game for the second game of a double header on April 25th, this was his first start since being officially moved to the starting rotation.  The Indians had stated that Olson would be on a pitch count of about 60, but he had thrown only 26 pitches (14 strikes) when he was lifted after 2 innings.  No word from the clubhouse as to why he left at that point.  Olson struck out the first two batters of the game, then ended the first inning with a fly out (14 pitches).  After a pop out to begin the top of the 2nd, Olson walked Columbus RF Jerad Head, but got 2B Jason Kipnis to bounce to first base, where 1B Matt Hague took one step to touch the first base bag for the out on Kipnis, then fired to second base, where SS Chase d'Arnaud tagged out Head for the reverse-force double play.  

D'Arnaud got the Indians going with a double down to the left field corner and off the wall to open the bottom of the 1st.  2B Pedro Ciriaco grounded through the hole and into left field for a single, moving d'Arnaud to third base.  CF Alex Presley grounded to second base, where Kipnis got the force out on Ciriaco and then threw to first for the double play.  D'Arnaud still scored from third on the play, but Presley did not get credit for an RBI.  The Indians didn't care about that, though -- they had a 1-0 lead.

Chase d'Arnaud makes the play at shortstop









Indianapolis Indians  9,  Columbus Clippers  5
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It took 8 games, but the Indians finally got their first win of the season against the Columbus Clippers tonight at Victory Field.  Brad Lincoln made a solid start, going 7 innings to earn his 3rd win.  It was the second game in a row that the Tribe scored 9 runs, but also the second in a row when they allowed the opposition to rally in the late innings.  The Indians posted 16 hits (two more than last night), with 1B Matt Hague and SS Chase d'Arnaud each contributing 3 hits and 3 RBI.  Each member of the starting line up had at least one hit.

Lincoln (photo) allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, with 4 strikeouts in his 7 innings.  He had only one inning in which he retired the Clippers in order, but left 8 runners on base.  The righty got through the first inning with only one runner reaching base, when he hit Columbus' DH Lonnie Chisenhall with a pitch.  The two runs scored in the 2nd inning.  RF Travis Buck led off the inning with a single into right center field.  A fly out and a pop out followed, and it looked like Lincoln might get out of the inning unscathed.  Then former Indy Indian C Luke Carlin ran the count full and took a walk.  That brought up 3B Luis Valbuena, who ripped a grounder into right field so hard that it travelled all the way to the right field wall.  He drove in both Buck and Carlin, and by the time the ball got to the infield, Valbuena was on second base.  A spectacular catch by CF Alex Presley on a long fly ball off the bat of CF Ezequiel Carrera ended the inning.  

Lincoln went on to give up a single to Chisenhall in the 3rd inning, and also struck out 2 in the 3rd.  1B Chad Huffman singled and stole second base in the 5th.  That inning ended with a grounder toward second base.  2B Pedro Ciriaco charged in, made the scoop on the run, then threw across his body and a little behind him to first base, where Matt Hague had to pick the ball out of the dirt, but did it in time for the out.  Chisenhall doubled in the 7th inning, but was again left stranded.

After scoring in the 2nd inning, the biggest threat the Clippers made against Lincoln came in the 4th.  With one out, LF Jerad Head slipped a grounder past the diving d'Arnaud and into left field.  Carlin again worked a full count and took a walk.  Valbuena flied out to short left field for the second out.  Carrera grounded to third for what should have been the final out, but the ball skipped off 3B Josh Harrison's glove and over his shoulder.  D'Arnaud was in the perfect position to back up Harrison, and made the catch behind him, but by then Carrera had reached first base safely, loading the bases.  D'Arnaud's back-up kept a run from scoring, though, and Lincoln got another grounder to Harrison, this one fielded cleanly, to end the inning and leave the bases full.  It took Lincoln 97 pitches (62 strikes) to get through his 7 innings.

Indianapolis Indians  9,  Durham Bulls  6
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Starter Justin Wilson (photo) pitched 7 innings of one-hit, shutout ball, to earn his third win of the season for the Indians at Durham Bulls' Athletic Park in Durham, North Carolina.  Wilson did not allow a hit until the 7th inning, when former Indy Indian 2B JJ Furmaniak singled on a line drive off the glove of Tribe 2B Pedro Ciriaco.  While Wilson held the Bulls to just one hit, he put 5 Bulls on base with walks, and had to work around a fielding error by Ciriaco.

Wilson walked LF Justin Ruggiano in the 1st inning, but erased him with a double play.  He walked Furmaniak in the 2nd inning and RF Desmond Jennings in the 3rd, but left both on base.  The southpaw did retire the side in order in the 4th and 6th innings.  He walked both 1B Russ Canzler and C Robinson Chirinos in the 5th, but an unsual play helped him out -- SS Ray Olmedo grounded to short, where SS Chase d'Arnaud made the pickup and flipped the ball to 2B Ciriaco covering the bag.  But the ball hit Ciriaco's glove and bounced off, going all the way back to d'Arnaud, who still had time to step on the bag and force out Chirinos for the second out of the inning.  That left runners on the corners, but Wilson got a strikeout to end the inning.

After the game, Wilson admitted that he felt "a little shaky" in the first inning, but then settled in and "felt comfortable later as I was able to get in the strike zone more and attack guys.... My plan for the whole night was to get in the strike zone early and make them swing at my pitch, and get ground balls."  Wilson credited his catcher Dusty Brown for calling a great game, and also had props for his defense behind him.  1B Matt Hague made an unassisted double play in the 1st inning on a line drive by CF Brandon Guyer, doubling Ruggiano off the bag.  In the 3rd, Ruggiano chopped a ball down the first base line and bounced it off the edge of the first base bag.  Luckily for Wilson and the Indians, the ball ricocheted into the infield, back down along the first base line, where Hague could pick it up and make the easy tag out.  D'Arnaud made a leaping stab on a line drive by Furmaniak in the 5th inning, saving a hit.  

Durham Bulls  1,  Indianapolis Indians   0
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Brian Burres (photo) gave up just one run and scattered 4 hits in a morning-into-afternoon game at Durham Bulls' Athletic Park today -- but he suffered his 5th loss of the season.  Burress had the Bulls under control for the entire game, but there was just one problem.  That problem was the only hit that counted -- a solo home run by Bulls' RF Justin Ruggiano in the bottom of the 1st.  Ruggiano, who was also the Bulls' game hero last night, scored the only run of the game with his homer.

Burres matched his season-high 7 innings in this start.  He struck out 5 batters and walked only one.  After the game, Burres said that he felt that his mistake was not the fast ball that Ruggiano took over the wall, but the two pitches before that, both outside the strike zone, which put Burres behind in the count.  Burres gave up a single to 3B Russ Canzler in the 2nd, but erased him when C Jose Laboton bounced into a 6-4-3 double play (SS Pedro Ciriaco to 2B Chase d'Arnaud to 1B John Bowker).   

The lefty Burres retired the Bulls in order in the 3rd and 4th innings, then gave up back-to-back singles to 1B Leslie Anderson and C Jose Lobaton in the 5th.  Another double play, off the bat of former Indy Indian SS JJ Furmaniak got Burres and the Indians out of that jam.  Another 1-2-3 inning took care of the Bulls in the 6th, then Burres walked LF Brandon Guyer to begin the 7th, but got three quick outs to end his afternoon.

Durham Bulls  2,  Indianapolis Indians  1
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The Indians and the Bulls took it into extra innings at Durham Bulls Athletic Park in Durham, but it was the Bulls who came out on top.  After taking advantage of an Indians' error, Bulls' LF Justin Ruggiano lined a bases-loaded single for the walk-off win.  

Rudy Owens (photo) made the start for the Indians, one day later than he would have been regularly scheduled, because he was serving out the end of his suspension from last week.  Owens gave up only a single over the first two innings, then found himself needing to work out of big jams in the 3rd and 4th.  With one out in the 3rd, Bulls' SS Ray Olmedo reached base when his Indians' counterpart, SS Pedro Ciriaco, dropped his grounder for an error.  CF Desmond Jennings walked, and Ruggiano beat out an infield hit on a swinging bunt down the third base line.  3B Josh Harrison was not expecting such a short hit, and by the time he charged in to get it, Ruggiano was already at first base.  RF Brandon Guyer stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, and bounced to third, where Harrison made the scoop and instead of trying for an around-the-horn double play, he fired to the plate, and C Dusty Brown made the force out on Olmedo.  Owens struck out 3B Felipe Lopez to end the inning without a run scoring.  

Owens had to work out of a jam again in the 4th.  He walked DH ChrisCarter, then C Robinson Chirinos smacked a grounder to third base, which hit Harrison on the leg and ricocheted all the way behind second base and into short right field.  By the time 2B Brian Friday could track it down, Carter had rounded second and alertly advanced to third base.  1B Leslie Anderson followed with a line drive into right field, scoring Carter from third base with the first run of the game.  There were still two runners on base and no outs.  2B Omar Luna dropped down a bunt that got too close to the mound -- Owens was able to snatch it up and throw to third base for the force out of the lead runner Chirinos.  A single into center field by Olmedo loaded the bases again, but Owens held tight.  He got a pop out (infield fly rule) and a fly out to end the inning without any more runs scoring.  Bulls 1, Indians 0.  

Owens retired the next 6 Bulls in order to finish his evening's work.  In 6 innings, Owens threw 90 pitches (55 strikes), and allowed that one run on 5 hits and 2 walks, with 3 strikeouts.