Tag: Jose Ascanio

Toledo Mud Hens  7,  Indianapolis Indians  1
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Former Indy Indians Argenis Diaz and Jeff Salazar gave the Mud Hens both offensive and defensive boosts to help defeat the Indians at Fifth-Third Field in Toledo, Ohio tonight.  

Brian Burres (photo) suffered his of the season, going 7 innings and allowing 3 runs on 7 hits, with no walks.  He began his evening with 4 scoreless innings, giving up just 2 hits -- a double to CF Salazar in the 2nd and a single to C Omir Santos in the 3rd.  

The Indians put runners on base in each of their first 5 at-bats, but could not get any of them around to score.  DH Corey Wimberly opened the game with a double into left field and stole third base.  LF John Bowker walked to put runners on the corners.  1B Matt Hague bounced into an around-the-horn double play, started by 3B Diaz, to end the inning without a run scoring.  SS Jordy Mercer reached base on Diaz's fielding error in the 2nd inning, but was immediately erased when 3B Andy Marte bounced into a double play, again started by Diaz.  RF Miles Durham also walked in that inning, and was left on base.  

2B Brian Friday doubled with two outs in the 3rd inning, then Mercer walked and Marte lined a single into left field in the 4th inning.  The first two Tribe batters reached base in the 5th, CF Gorkys Hernandez on a throwing error by Toledo SS Cale Iorg, and Wimberly on a fielder's choice by Toledo starter Fu-Te Ni.  Wimberly moved to second on the fielders' choice as Hernandez was out at third.  Wimberly stole third base and Friday walked, again giving the Tribe runners on the corners.  And again, a double play ended the inning without a run scoring.  

Syracuse Chiefs  5,  Indianapolis Indians  4
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The Indians were one out away from a win at Alliance Bank Park in Syracuse, NY tonight, but a two-out rally led to a walk-off for the Chiefs.  

The Tribe went into the bottom of the 9th with a 4-3 lead, and Justin Thomas (photo) in from the bullpen.  Thomas got two quick outs, with a ground out and a strikeout.  Then he gave up a soft looper into center field by Syracuse 2B Steve Lombardozzi.   3B Matt Antonelli singled on a grounder up the middle, moving Lombardozzi to second base.  Thomas was relieved by Jose Ascanio, so that the righty Ascanio could face the right-handed RF Jesus Valdez.  Valdez lifted a fly ball into the right-center gap.  Tribe RF Andrew Lambo gave chase, and after a long run he made a desperate dive -- but could not come up with the ball.  The ball got past him, and turned into a 2-RBI double, scoring Lombardozzi with the tying run and Antonelli with the winning run. 

Rudy Owens made the start for the Tribe.  He had missed his last turn for a start, due to a bruise on his hand, suffered when a come-backer hit him while on the mound.  Owens worked around a fielding error by SS Pedro Ciriaco and a walk to Jesus Valdez in the 1st inning, escaping the jam with the help of a timely around-the-horn double play, 3B Andy Marte to 2B Brian Friday to 1B Matt Hague.  With one out in the 2nd inning, LF Jeff Frazier and Indiana University product SS Seth Bynum hit back-to-back doubles.  Frazier scored to put the Chiefs onto the scoreboard.  After a fly out, Syracuse starter JD Martin singled through to left field, and Bynum raced around from second base.  But LF John Bowker's throw to C Kris Watts was on target, and Watts tagged out Bynum at the plate for the third out of the inning.  Syracuse manager Randy Knorr argued the call at the plate, but only got himself ejected by plate umpire Chad Whitson for his efforts.

Indianapolis Indians  7,  Syracuse Chiefs  3
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Brian Friday (photo) was not even in the Indians' starting line-up today, but he ended up being the big basher for the night as the Indians defeated the Chiefs at Alliance Bank Park in Syracuse, NY.  The Indians came from behind, scoring in three of the last four innings, and posting 14 hits.  CF Gorkys Hernandez went 4-for-4 with a double and three singles, and RF Miles Durham had a triple and two singles, plus 3 RBI.  

Sean Gallagher won his 3rd game of the season (3-8 record), going 5 innings and allowing 2 runs (one earned).  He gave up a double in each of the first three innings.  Chiefs' 2B Steve Lombardozzi doubled and was left stranded in the 1st, and C Jhonatan Solano doubled in the 2nd, and was left on base, along with LF Gregor Blanco, who was hit by a pitch.  The double in the 3rd inning brought Gallagher some trouble, though.  Rehabbing major leaguer Rick Ankiel doubled into right field, then was sacrifice bunted to third base by Lombardozzi.  SS Matt Antonelli drove in Ankiel with a sacrifice fly.  Ankiel also reached second base in the 5th due to a fielding error when RF Miles Durham dropped his fly ball.  Lombardozzi again put down a sacrifice bunt, moving Ankiel to third.  This time Antonelli brought Ankiel home with an RBI single lined into center field.  

The Indians had one batter reach base in each of the first five innings.  SS Jordy Mercer was hit by a pitch in the top of the 1st.  Hernandez hit his lined his first single into left field to lead off the top of the 3rd, and 1B Matt Hague doubled into right field in the 3rd.  Hernandez's second single came in the 5th inning.  None of them were able to come around to score.  And to possibly make it worse :  Mercer was able to return to the field after being hit by the pitch (?hand or arm?), but he was not going to be able to swing the bat, so Friday came in to pinch-hit for Mercer in the 3rd, then remained in the game at shortstop.  

Josh Harrison's throw to Brian Friday at second base was not in time to beat Pawtucket base runner Ryan Lavarnway.






Indianapolis Indians 6,  Pawtucket Red Sox  5
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The Indianapolis Indians took advantage of a wild Pawtucket pitcher to score the winning run in the bottom of the 9th for a walk-off win at Victory Field tonight.  The Indians were sporting camouflage jerseys tonight in honor of the Indianapolis National Guard.  The jerseys were auctioned off during the game with the proceeds going toward the National Guard's fund that assists families of soldiers serving overseas.  

The game began ominously for starter Garrett Olson (photo) and the Indians.  Since coming off the Disabled List earlier this month, Olson had made 3 other starts and had pitched brilliantly.  He had allowed one run on 3 hits over 14.1 innings, and on June 14th, he pitched 5 hitless and scoreless innings, allowing just one walk.  But tonight, the first 5 batters Olson faced reached base safely, and the PawSox scored 3 runs in the top of the 1st.  Lead-off batter 2B Yamaico Navarro slapped Olson's first pitch into left field for a line drive.  3B Brent Dlugach followed with an instant replay -- another line drive to the same place in left field.  Olson got a full count on LF Daniel Nava, then lost him to a walk, loading the bases with no outs.  1B Hector Luna slipped a grounder through the left side of the infield for an RBI single, bringing in Navarro from third.  C Ryan Lavarnway took a slow grounder to short, where Tribe SS Brian Friday made the scoop and threw to 2B Josh Harrison for the force out on Luna, but Harrison's relay throw to first was not in time to get the double play -- the grounder had been too slow.  That allowed Dlugach to score from third, an since it was not a double play, Lavarnway was credited with the RBI.  RF Nate Spears also picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Nava.  But the equally important part of Spears' at-bat was that Spears ran the count full, and continued to foul off more pitches.  It took Olson 10 pitches to retire Spears, and by this point in the inning, Olson's pitch count was climbing at an alarming rate.  Following Spears' sacrifice fly, Olson gave up another infield single to DH Luis Esposito.   Harrison raced to make the stop deep behind the second base bag and tried to flip it to Friday covering second, but was not in time (photo above).  SS Jose Iglesias also worked a full count and fouled off another four pitches before finally swinging at strike three to end the inning.  The PawSox had scored 3 runs before the Indians had even picked up a bat, and Olson had thrown 39 pitches in the first inning.  

Indianapolis Indians  5,  Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs  3 
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A sudden storm drove the Indians and the Iron Pigs from the field with one out and two runners on base in the bottom of the 9th at Coca Cola Park in Allentown, PA tonight.  The tarp was pulled as the rain came down harder and harder, and after the game was in a delay, the storm continued to increase in intensity.

RF Alex Presley (photo) continued his hitting dominance with 4 hits in the game, and 1B Matt Hague gave the Indians a big boost with two home runs.  The first homer, a high fly over the left field wall, got the game started in the top of the 1st.  With one out in the top of the 3rd, Presley and SS Brian Friday hit back-to-back infield singles right back to Iron Pigs' starting pitcher Ryan Feierabend.  Hague followed with his second homer, a 3-run shot into the bullpen behind left field, to give the Indians a 4-0 lead.  

Tribe starter Brian Burres pitched into the 6th inning.  He gave up a 2-out single to CF John Mayberry in the 1st, a 2-out walk to 1B Cody Overbeck in the 2nd, and a 2-out double to 2B Josh Barfield in the 3rd, but each time kept the Iron Pigs scoreless.  Barfield's double hit the top of the left field wall and bounced in, but away from Tribe LF Miles Durham.  The Pigs cut the Indians lead in half in the 4th.  Former Indian LF Brandon Moss led off with a single, then after two outs, Overbeck lifted a rising line drive over the left field wall, well over Durham's desperate leap.  Indians ahead, 4-2.  

Indianapolis Indians  2,  Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs  0
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Five Indians' pitchers combined to shut-out the Iron Pigs at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA this evening.  The Pigs were held to just 4 hits, while the Indians posted 6 hits.  

Starter Sean Gallagher (photo) earned his 2nd win of the season, pitching 5 scoreless innings and allowing 2 hits and 4 walks, with 5 strikeouts.  Gallagher retired the Pigs in order in the 1st inning, then had to battle with runners on base in each of the next four innings.   With two outs in the 2nd inning, Gallagher walked former Indy Indian C Erik Kratz and hit former Indy Indiana 1B Tagg Bozied with a pitch.  He walked SS Brian Bocock to load the bases, then struck out Pigs' starter (and another former Indy Indian) Brian Bass to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.  

The 3rd inning looked like an instant replay.  With two outs, Gallagher again loaded the bases.  He gave up a single by CF John Mayberry, who also stole second, and a walk to former Indian LF Brandon Moss.  He struck out RF Delwyn Young, but strike three was a wild pitch, and Young made it safely to first base.  This time it was Kratz who struck out to end the inning and leave the bases full.  

Three of the Indians' six hits came off the bat of 1B Matt Hague.  CF Gorkys Hernandez had 2 hits, and 2B Brian Friday had the last Tribe hit.   Hernandez's first hit was a line drive single into left field to begin the 3rd inning.  Gallagher dropped down a sacrifice bunt, moving Hernandez to second base, and when he saw that none of the Pigs were covering third base, Hernandez took off and reached third safely.  "Gallagher put down a pretty good bunt, and when I got to second, I saw the third baseman was off the base.  I said if I can take another base, I help my team," said Hernandez after the game.  It was a help, because after SS Chase d'Arnaud walked, Friday singled, and Hernandez scored from third.  LF Alex Presley grounded to first, moving the runners to second and third bases.  RF John Bowker walked, loading the bases.  This time it was the Indians who left the bases loaded, though, as a fly out ended the inning, but with the Indians ahead 1-0.  

Indianapolis Indians  8,  Rochester Red Wings  3
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Brad Lincoln earned his 6th win of the season, pitching into the 8th inning at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY this afternoon.  The win meant that the two teams split the 4-game series.   Lincoln gave up 3 runs (one earned) to the Red Wings, and struck out 7 batters.  The Indians posted 16 hits, with each member of the lineup picking up at least one hit.  2B Brian Friday led the offense with 4 hits (4-for-5), and DH John Bowker drove in 3 runs.

The Tribe jumped right out to an early lead with 4 runs in the top of the 1st.  SS Chase d'Arnaud began the game with a single into left field, and a wild pitch moved him to second base.  Friday lined a single into left field, and d'Arnaud scored from second base.  LF Alex Presley grounded to short, and a force at second removed Friday, but Presley was safe at first base.  Presley came in on Bowker's 2-run homer for a 3-0 lead.  Three singles -- by 3B Andy Marte, RF Miles Durham, and C Wyatt Toregas -- brought in Marte for the 4th run of the inning.  The Indians added 2 more runs in the 3rd.  1B Matt Hague doubled with one out, and he scored on Toregas' liner into left field.  CF Gorkys Hernandez walked, then d'Arnaud singled into left field.  Toregas scored easily on d'Arnaud's hit, but Hernandez was thrown out at the plate when he tried to come around and score from first.  Indians up, 6-0.

Lincoln took the mound in the bottom of the 1st with a 4-run lead in his pocket.  He gave up a single to SS Trevor Plouffe, the first of three for him in the game, but erased him with a double play.  Three singles, including one by Plouffe, and a fielding error by Hernandez brought in two runs for the Red Wings in the bottom of the 3rd.  Lincoln retired the side in order of the 4th, and he worked around two singles in the 5th.  He gave up another unearned run in the 6th, on a single and a fielding error by Presley.  The Red Wings went down in order in the 7th also, then began the 8th with two singles and a strikeout.  That was all for Lincoln, who allowed 9 hits and a walk on the way to the 3 runs.  He did not hit any batters (sometimes a problem for Lincoln, who likes to pitch inside).  He threw exactly 100 pitches, with 66 strikes.  Justin Thomas came on in relief, and got two quick outs to end the inning without a run scoring.  

The Indians threatened again in the 4th, when Friday led off with a double.  He moved to third base on a ground out.  Bowker grounded to short, where Plouffe made the scoop and fired back to the plate, where Friday was tagged out.  Presley singled in the 7th, went to second base on a ground out, and on to third on a wild pitch, but was left there when the inning ended.  

Another rally brought in 2 more runs for the Tribe in the top of the 9th.  Friday also opened this inning with a double (ground-rule).  He scored from second on Bowker's line drive single into deep right field, and Bowker moved to second base on the throw in from the outfield.  Bowker advanced to third base on Marte's ground out, and scored on Hague's RBI single.  

Jose Ascanio pitched the bottom of the 9th for the Tribe.  He pitched a perfect inning, with a ground out and two strikeouts, in his second appearance since returning to the Indians from Pittsburgh.  

The Indians will be traveling to Lehigh Valley, where they will have 4 games against the Iron Pigs.


Go Tribe!
 

We're on the road, so just brief recaps for a few days....

Rochester Red Wings  7,  Indianapolis Indians  4
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Indians' errors contributed to the Red Wings' big inning, and the Indians' own big inning was not big enough, as the Tribe lost to the Red Wings at Frontier Field in Rochester, NY.  

The Wings jumped all over Tribe starter Rudy Owens in the bottom of the 1st, beginning with a ground-rule double on the first pitch Owens threw.  A walk and a grounder force out gave Rochester runners on the corners.  Both of those runners scored on 1B Aaron Bates' double down the right field line, for a 2-0 lead.  

The Indians got one run back in the top of the 2nd.  1B John Bowker led off with a single, then stole second base.  C Eric Fryer lined a single to short, and Bowker scored from second base.  

Owens worked around a walk and a single in the bottom of the 2nd inning, then allowed just one hit over the next three innings.  But things fell apart on him in the 6th.  Bates led off with a double into right field.  After a walk, 2B Toby Gardenhire dropped down a sacrifice bunt.  Owens fielded the bunt but threw wildly to first, and all three runners were safe on the error.  Owens walked the next batter, forcing in a run.  He was relieved by Justin Thomas, but Thomas hit the first batter he faced with a pitch, forcing in another run.  A single drove in two more runs.  A double play finally gave the Tribe two outs, and Thomas was relieved by Jose Ascanio, who had just been assigned to the Indians.  The first batter Ascanio faced grounded to third, but a throwing error by 3B Matt Hague allowed the batter to reach safely, while the runner from third base scored the 5th run of the inning.  Red Wings 7, Indians 1.

Jared Hughes and Sean Gallagher each pitched a scoreless inning of relief to finish the game for the Tribe.  Meanwhile, the Tribe batters were not having much success with the Red Wings' pitchers.  CF Gorkys Hernandez singled in the 3rd, but was caught trying to steal second base.  Bowker and Hague hit back-to-back singles in the 6th, but were left on base.  Hernandez also doubled down the right field line in the 7th, but was stranded.  

The Tribe rallied in the top of the 9th.  Three pinch-hitters started the inning: Andy Marte led off with a double into center field, Wyatt Toregas struck out, then Miles Durham singled, bringing Marte across the plate.  After a fly out, Hernandez hit his second double of the game, a ground-rule double, moving Durham to third base.  SS Chase d'Arnaud also doubled, which drove in Durham and Hernandez to bring the score to 7-4.  But Rochester ace reliever Anthony Slama was brought in from the bullpen, and Slama got DH Corey Wimberly to ground out, ending the game.  

The Indians and Red Wings play a split double header on Saturday -- one game at 1:05 pm, and the second game at 7:05 pm.  




 

The Indianapolis Indians have a scheduled day off today (Wednesday).  A few bits of news for an off-day:

P Jose Ascanio and C Wyatt Toregas have cleared waivers and both will be assigned to the Indians.   Anthony Claggett was returned to the Altoona Curve.

The Pirates have signed four of their recent draft picks:  
SS Brian Sharp (24th round) from California Baptist University
SS Kirk Singer (29th round) from Long Beach State
RHP Matt Benedict (30th round) from Western Carolina University
C Derek Trent (31st round) from East Tennessee State

Here's the list of all the draft picks, which will be updated with the signings as they occur.   

Sharp, Singer, and Trent are listed on the State College roster.  The State College Spikes begin their season on Friday.

The Pirates also signed LHP Robbie Kilcrease, an undrafted free agent from Texas Tech.  The redshirt junior made 12 starts this year for Texas Tech.  He had a total of 63.1 innings, with a 5.97 ERA. 


On to Wednesday evening's action:

West Virginia Power  3,  Greensboro Grasshoppers  0
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The Power did all the scoring they needed in their first at-bats, as three Power pitchers combined for a shutout.  With one out in the top of the 1st, 2B Andy Vasquez lined a single into center field, then stole second base.  He scored on RF Dan Grovatt's double lined into right field.  Grovatt stole third base, and he scored on 1B Justin Howard's RBI ground out.  CF Mel Rojas added one more insurance run for the Power in the 4th inning with a solo home run.  

After the homer, the Power lost some of their power.  They managed only 3 hits over the rest of the game -- a single by Rojas in the 6th, a double by DH Jairo Marquez in the 7th, and a single by 3B Eric Avila in the 9th.  

Brandon Cumpton worked around a walk and a single in the bottom of the 1st, then gave up two more singles in the 3rd, but got out of that jam too, partly due to a double play.  Cumpton also gave up lone singles in the 4th and 5th, but still did not let the runners come around to score.  He began the 6th with a walk and a double play, then loaded the bases with a single, a hit batter, and a walk.  Kevin Decker came on in relief of Cumpton, and Decker ended the inning with a fly out, still not letting a run score.  

Decker pitched 2 more scoreless innings, though he gave up a walk and two singles in the 7th, and another single in the 8th.  Jason Townsend pitched the 9th, also giving up a walk and erasing the runner with a double play.  Cumpton earned his 7th win of the season, and Townsend earned his 6th Save.  

Indianapolis Indians 13,  Buffalo Bison  4
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The Indianapolis Indians exploded for two big innings, as they stampeded the Buffalo Bison at Coca-Cola Park in Buffalo, NY tonight.  The Tribe took advantage of 3 physical errors, plus several mental errors by the Bison, and scored their 13 runs on only 10 hits, leaving only 2 runners on base.  

Buffalo starter Josh Stinson faced the Indians on May 17th here in Indianapolis, and he did not have a good outing.  He allowed 4 runs in the 1st inning, one in the 3rd, and 3 more in the 5th inning, as the Indians won the game 10-1, posting 16 hits.  In that game, Stinson lasted 4.2 innings before being relieved.  

Tonight, the Indians were even less kind to Stinson.  He got through the 1st inning unscathed, allowing a single up the middle by SS Chase d'Arnaud, then removed d'Arnaud from the bases with a double play.  It was in the 2nd inning that the wheels fell off for Stinson.  1B John Bowker began the fun with a double through into right field.  3B Matt Hague reached base safely when 1B Valentino Pascucci could not handle a low throw to first base, and Bowker moved to third base.  RF Andrew Lambo bounced to Pascucci, who wanted to throw to the plate, but Pascucci hesitated and got himself set before making the throw.  The hesitation was just enough to let Bowker slide into the plate ahead of the throw, for the Indians' first run.  That left Hague and Lambo on base, and brought up C Eric Fryer.  Fryer (photo) made it a 4-0 game when he took the first pitch he saw over the left field wall on a no-doubt-about-it 3-run homer.  

CF Gorkys Hernandez followed the homer with a smash off the wall in the right-center gap, and raced all the way to third base, credited with a triple, when the Bison CF Fernando Martinez had trouble hitting his cut-off man on the throw in.  Tribe starter Justin Wilson hit his second RBI double of the season into left field, scoring Hernandez easily.  A wild pitch put Wilson on third base, and a walk to d'Arnaud gave the Indians runners on the corners.  D'Arnaud stole second base on strike three when 2B Brian Friday struck out.  LF Alex Presley walked to load the bases.  That brought up Bowker again, and Bowker's second double of the inning, going into the left-center field gap, cleared the bases to give the Indians an 8-0 lead.  That sent Stinson to the showers.  Reliever Brian Sweeney got Hague to pop out, then former Indy Indian C Raul Chavez picked Bowker off second base to end the inning.  

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.

Indianapolis Indians  7,  Durham Bulls  5
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Home runs by RF John Bowker and DH Andrew Lambo and a triple by LF Corey Wimberly gave the Indians the offense they needed to power past the Bulls tonight.  The game was played at the old Durham Athletic Park, which is the original stadium in Durham -- the one where the old A-level team played, and where the movie "Bull Durham" was filmed.  Last season, the Bulls played one game at the old stadium, which sits about 5 blocks from their "new" stadium, Durham Bulls Athletic Park.  Everyone must have had fun, because they decided to do it again this year, and this time the Indians were the visitors who got to participate.  It was a bit awkward for the players -- they had to change clothes and do batting practice at the new stadium, then take a bus to the old stadium for the game.  After the game, they rode back to the new facility to shower up and change clothes again.  Lambo said that the players had fun at the old park, even though the dugout was a little cramped.  The teams wore "retro" uniforms for the game.

Jose Ascanio (photo) made a one-inning start for the Indians, throwing 31 pitches (20 strikes) and giving up 2 runs.  Ascanio began the inning by allowing a single to SS Ray Olmedo.  CF Justin Ruggiano reached base on a fielding error by 3B Josh Harrison.  A wild pitch by Ascanio let both runners move up a base, then a walk to LF Brandon Guyer loaded the bases with no outs.  Ascanio got a strikeout, but then RF Chris Carter lined a double into right field, bringing in both Olmedo and Ruggiano to score.  Another strikeout and a ground out got Ascanio out of the inning, though with the Indians trailing 2-0.