Tag: Neil Walker

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Brrrrr!

The heater in the dugout was not helping a lot.

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Buffalo Bison �4, �Indianapolis Indians �3 (box)

Last night the Indians came from behind after the Bison had scored 4 early runs. �They tried the same trick tonight, but fell one run short, losing to the Bison on a cold and windy night at Victory Field.

Starter Mike Crotta made his longest start of the season, and the longest start for any Tribe pitcher this year, going 8 innings. �He threw 90 pitches (58 strikes), and gave up all 4 of the Buffalo runs and all 8 of their hits, while walking one and striking out two. �Crotta began the game by making 2B Neil Walker do all the work -- three straight ground balls to Walker. �The first two were pretty routine, but the third one required a dive to Walker's left, a roll, and a throw from a nearly seated position. �(see photo sequence -- you can see the ball in his glove in the photo on the left)

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It took Crotta (photo) only 9 pitches to get through that 1st inning, but the 2nd was another story.

Buffalo 3B Mike Hessman led off with a sky-high pop up that got caught in the wind. �1B Brian Myrow thought he had it, but at the last second, the wind moved the ball again, and it fell in just behind Myrow in back of first base. �It was ruled a hit. �LF Chris Carter followed with another hit, a single slipped through the hole into right field. �2B Russ Adams helped Crotta out by bouncing to Walker, who turned and fired to SS Doug Bernier to begin a 4-6-3 double play. �That erased Carter, but allowed Hessman to move to third base. �C Josh Thole brought Hessman in with a long double to left field that went over the head of LF Brandon Moss, who was playing in. �SS Ruben Tejada singled to left next, scoring Thole from second base, but when the throw in from Moss was clearly not going to be in time for a play at the plate, cut-off man 3B Pedro Alvarez alertly threw to second base, where Neil Walker easily tagged out Tejada as he tried for a double. �That inning took Crotta 22 pitches, and the Bison were ahead, 2-0.

Another double play helped Crotta zip through the 3rd inning. �After an easy ground out by Buffalo starter Tobi Stoner, CF Jason Pridie lined a single into center field. �RF Jesus Feliciano followed with a liner straight at Doug Bernier at short. �Bernier didn't even need to take a step, just put up his glove to catch it. �He quickly fired over to first base, easily catching Pridie off the base for a double play. �(8 pitches for Crotta.)

Indianapolis Indians �8, �Buffalo Bison �5 � ��(box)

The Indians had to wait out the rain, but it was worth the wait, as they came from behind to beat the Bison at Victory Field on Friday night. �C Luke Carlin's home run, along with 4 RBI from 3B Pedro Alvarez, and 3 hits by RF Brandon Jones gave the Tribe the boost they needed. �Starter Donnie Veal got the win, and Jean Machi earned his third save of the season.

Donnie Veal (photo) was anxious to get going after the 1 hour 28 minute rain delay. �He pitched 5 innings but struggled to get through most of them. �In the top of the 1st, Veal struck out the first batter he faced, but then gave up back-to-back singles to 2B Russ Adams and 1B Mike Jacobs. �Veal's wild pitch got past C Luke Carlin, and the runners moved to second and third bases. �3B Mike Hessman, a long-time foe of the Indians, lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Adams. �LF Chris Carter followed with a double to bring in Jacobs, and the Bison had a 2-0 lead. �A strikeout ended the inning, but it took Veal 34 pitches to get through the inning.

Veal did better in the 2nd inning, allowing only a walk to SS Ruben Tejada. �He was aided by what might have been a gift from the umpires. �With Tejada on second after a sacrifice bunt, CF Jason Pridie hit a sinking line drive into center field. �CF Jose Tabata came running in to make the catch... or did he? �It was not clear by just looking whether Tabata had actually made the catch, and the replays did not offer much more information. �The umpires were also unsure, because not one of the four of them signaled either a catch or a no-catch. �Manager Frank Kremblas came out to ask what was going on, and the four umps conferenced. �They finally decided that it was a catch, which also meant that when Tejada came racing around from second base, his run did not count.

The Bison came back at Veal in the third. �Once again, Veal struck out the first batter of the inning, but then walked Jacobs, bringing up the dangerous Hessman. �Sure enough, Hessman blasted a 2-run homer over the left field wall, to give Buffalo a 4-0 lead.

Veal had to work out of a jam in the 4th. �SS Ruben Tejada led off with a single, and went to second base on a balk. �After a strikeout, CF Jason Pridie singled, moving Tejada to third base. �But Luke Carlin threw out Pridie trying to steal second base, and a fly out got Veal out of trouble. �Then in the 5th, Veal retired the Bison in order. �He exited after 5, having thrown 95 pitches (53 strikes), and allowed the 4 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 7 batters. �

Indianapolis Indians 9,

Buffalo Bison 2

(box)

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3B Pedro Alvarez smashed a 3-run homer (photo) to cap off a 7-run inning as the Indians stampeded the Bison in the first game of an 8-game homestand at Victory Field. �The Indians recorded 15 hits in the game, with each position player in the starting line-up picking up at least one hit except for 2B Brian Friday, and Friday contributed a sacrifice bunt in the big inning. �Both C Erik Kratz and LF Brandon Moss had 3 hits in the game, while CF Jose Tabata, 1B Neil Walker, and SS Argenis Diaz each had 2 hits.

The Indians went into the bottom of the 6th with a slim 2-1 lead. �Buffalo starter, Bobby Livingston, who had pitched briefly for the Indians in 2009, had completed 5 innings and reliever Kiko Calero was beginning his work on the mound. �Brandon Moss began the fun with an easy liner into center field, his second hit of the game. �Moss took off for second base, and though he did not get there before the ball did, Bison shortstop Ruben Tejada dropped the ball on the throw, and Moss was safe with a stolen base. �Erik Kratz took a fly ball to the left-center field alley, for his second double of the game, and Moss cruised home with an insurance run (1). �Brian Friday dropped down a neat sacrifice bunt, moving Kratz to third base. �Argenis Diaz lifted a little fly to short right field, which fell in between three Bison chasing after it. �Kratz had been waiting to tag up, so when the ball fell in, he headed for the plate. �The throw came in to Buffalo catcher Josh Thole on the first-base side of the plate and a little in front, as Kratz slid on the outside of the third base side, his right hand skimming the plate as he went by, scoring the second run (2). �Diaz advanced to second base on the throw. �Brian Myrow came on to pinch-hit for starter Brad Lincoln, and he took the first pitch he saw up the middle for another single, scoring Diaz (3). �Jose Tabata (photo) was next, and he was hit on the left hand by a pitch, putting runners on first and second bases. �That brought up Neil Walker, who'd already had a single and an RBI in the previous inning. �Walker smacked a liner into right-center field, which hit the ground just about a foot in front of the glove of the diving outfielder. �The ball got past him and kept rolling, and Walker had an RBI double as Myrow crossed the plate (4). �That was enough to send Calero to the showers.

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Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 3, �Indianapolis Indians 1 (box)

Daniel McCutchen (photo) made his second appearance since returning to the Indianapolis Indians, but the early morning start did not agree with the Tribe. �In a game that started at 10:35 am to accommodate the school-aged crowd at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA, McCutchen did not pitch all that badly, but he did not get much run support, so he did not get the win.

The Indians were held to just 4 hits in the game -- two each by CF Jose Tabata and 3B Pedro Alvarez. The first two hits, one each, came right away in the top of the 1st. �Tabata opened the game with a single into left field. �Two outs later, after Tabata had advanced to second base on a ground out, Alvarez drove him home with an RBI double lined into center field.

And that was all the scoring the Indians would do. �They went down in order in the next two innings. �In the 4th, 1B Brian Myrow walked, but was caught stealing when he started to make a break a little to early in the pitcher's motion. �In the 5th, C Luke Carlin walked, but was erased in an double play. �Tabata was also caught stealing after his single in the 6th, though 2B Neil Walker was left stranded after he walked. �Three more Tribe batters (RF Brandon Jones, pinch-hitter Doug Bernier, and Tabata)�walked during the 7th and 8th innings, but all three were left on base. �The final Indians' hit of the game, a single by Alvarez, led off the 9th inning, but Alvarez was out in a force at second base, and the next two batters went down in order.

McCutchen needed 80 pitches (53 strikes) to go 6 innings in the game. �He gave up 7 hits, no walks, and worked around at least one runner on base in each inning but the 5th. �Two Iron Pigs' runners reached base in the 1st inning, and one in the 2nd, and both times, McCutchen left them stranded. �The third inning began with former Indy Indian CF Rich Thompson grounding sharply to second base. �Neil Walker made a diving stop of the ball, to keep it from getting into the outfield, but Thompson is too fast, and Walker had no chance of getting the ball to first base in time. �2B Luis Maza followed with a single into center field. �McCutchen got two outs, but then he made his big mistake of the game -- to RF Cody Ransom, who blasted a 3-run home run into the Indians' bullpen behind the left field wall. �Iron Pigs 3, Indians 1.

Indianapolis Indians �4, �Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs �1 (box)

At what point is a "spot starter" no longer a "spot starter"? �Indians' pitcher Jeremy Powell (photo) made his 4th start for the Tribe this evening at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. �That's 4 starts and only one relief appearance for Powell this year. �This start was Powell's longest, by two innings: �he pitched 7 shutout innings, earning his second win.

Powell scattered 5 hits and 3 walks over his 7 innings of work, and he struck out 4 Iron Pig batters. �He gave up a two-out triple to RF Cody Ransom in the 2nd inning, and a walk to C Paul Hoover put runners on the corners, but a pop out ended the inning. �Powell gave up a single in the 3rd and left that runner stranded, and he gave up a lead-off single in the 4th, but got out of that inning with a double play. �Another double play erased a walk to CF John Mayberry in the 6th. �Powell also had to work around two runners in the 5th inning, when Hoover doubled and former Indy Indian (2005 - 06) LF Rich Thompson walked with two outs. � RF Brandon Jones got Powell out of that jam when he made a shoetop catch of a sinking line drive into right field off the bat of 2B Luis Maza. �Powell gave up a double with two outs in his last inning, but finished his night with a fly out to end the inning.

Meanwhile, the�Indians also put runners on base in each of the first four innings, but a combination of poor luck and poor baserunning kept them from scoring. �CF Brandon Moss, in a rare spot as the lead-off batter, began the game with a single up the middle, then moved to second base on a balk. �LF Neil Walker hit a sharp line drive -- but right at LF Rich Thompson. �A walk to 3B Pedro Alvarez put another runner on base, but both were left stranded. �C Erik Kratz led off the 2nd inning with a double into center field, but three straight grounders kept him from scoring.

The Tribe had a good chance of scoring in the 3rd inning, when Alvarez singled with two outs, and 1B Steve Pearce lined a double to left field. �Alvarez rounded third and headed for the plate, waved on by manager Frank Kremblas, as the throw came in from Thompson in left field. �The relay throw was on-target, and Alvarez was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. �Brandon Jones led off the 4th inning with a single, and a fielding error by Iron Pigs' RF Cody Ransom put Jones on second base. �But he was throw out trying to steal third base, and two more ground outs ended the inning.

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Indianapolis Indians 5, � Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs 4 (box)

Starter Mike Crotta made his AAA debut with the Indianapolis Indians today in an afternoon game at Coca-Cola park in Allentown, PA, and with some help from his new teammates, it was a successful afternoon. �CF Jose Tabata supported Crotta with 4 hits and 3 stolen bases, and 1B Neil Walker contributed a triple and a home run, accounting for 3 RBI.

Tabata (photo) began the game with a single to second base. �The Iron Pigs' 2B Luis Maza was able to make the stop, but when he popped up to make the throw, Tabata beat the throw to first, then promptly stole second base. �Neil Walker, on first base today as Steve Pearce got a day off, swatted a long fly ball to straight out center field, which flew over the head of former Indy Indian (2005-06) CF Rich Thompson and bounced off the center field wall. �Tabata scored and Walker slid into third easily with a triple. �LF Brian Myrow followed with a grounder to the right side of the infield, bringing Walker home and giving the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Two innings later, things looked rather familiar: �Tabata led off that inning, too, with a single that ended up just behind third base. �Again Tabata stole second base, and again, Neil Walker drove him home. �This time, Walker did it with a long smash that hit a railing just behind the yellow line over the right field wall. �Myrow singled this time, but was left on base again. � Indians up, 4-0.

Iron Pigs' starter Nate Bump had trouble again in the 5th inning. �For the third time in the game, Tabata led off the inning with a single, this one bounced over the mound and into center field. �Walker did not have a hit this time, but he walked. �Tabata and Walker executed a double steal, which caught the Iron Pigs flatfooted. �It was Tabata's 3rd steal of the game, and his 12th of the season, and Walker's 8th stolen base of the season. �A grounder to first base by 3B Pedro Alvarez let Tabata score from third base, and the Indians had a 5-0 lead.

Crotta himself got off to a little bit of a shaky start. �The speedy Rich Thompson opened the bottom of the 1st by beating out an infield hit to third base, and Crotta walked Maza. �Then he struck out LF John Mayberry. �1B Andy Tracy bounced sharply to SS Doug Bernier, who started a 6-4-3 (Bernier to 2B Brian Friday to 1B Walker) to get Crotta out of the inning without a run scoring. �After that, Crotta relaxed and settled in. �He retired the next 7 batters in order, until Mayberry singled with one out in the 4th. �RF Brandon Moss could not get to Mayberry's bloop hit before it hit the ground, but when Moss did scoop it up and fire into second base, Bernier applied the tag and they had Mayberry out trying to stretch the hit into a double. �Crotta finished that inning with a line out, then threw a 1-2-3 5th inning.

Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs �10, �Indianapolis Indians �6 (box)

Five runs by the Iron Pigs in the 6th inning put the game out of reach for the Indians in Saturday's game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, PA. �With starter Donnie Veal on the mound for the Tribe, the Iron Pigs batted around, beginning with a lead-off double by RF Cody Ransom. �Tribe CF Jose Tabata had to make a long run, but couldn't quite get to the ball, as it glanced off the end of his glove. �3B Neil Sellers walked, and after a fly out, C Dane Sardinha smacked a long fly that bounced on the warning track in left-center, then bounded over the wall. �Ransom scored, but Sellers had to be stopped at third base because it was a ground-rule double. �Pinch-hitter Paul Hoover was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and former Indy Indian CF Rich Thompson lifted a long fly ball to left field. �LF Neil Walker got to the ball for the out, but Sellers tagged up and scored on the sacrifice, as the throw in to the infield was cut off. �2B Luis Maza followed with a double, bringing in two more runs, and that was the end of Veal's night.

Vinnie Chulk relieved Veal, but he gave up a single, which moved Maza to third base. �A pitch in the dirt got past C Erik Kratz, and Maza scrambled home from third base. �A strike out ended the inning. �Those 5 runs (one was unearned) were charged to Veal, who allowed a total of 7 runs (6 earned) on 7 hits and 4 walks, over 5.2 innings, with one strikeout.

The Indians scored first in the game, with two runs in the top of the 1st. �Jose Tabata (photo) opened the game with a walk, on three pitches which appeared to be very close -- close enough to get Lehigh Valley's starter (and former Indy Indian) Ryan Voglesong and catcher Dane Sardinha upset. �With the dangerous Tabata on base, the Iron Pigs' 2B Luis Maza had to stay a few steps closer to the second base bag. �That gave Neil Walker the space he needed to slip a ball through the right side of the infield for a single, moving Tabata to second base. �3B Pedro Alvarez also singled through the hole into right field. �This time RF Cody Ransom bobbled the ball, so manager Frank Kremblas changed his "stop at third" sign to a "keep going" sign, and Tabata raced home. �Walker moved up to third base, and when 1B Steve Pearce flied out, Walker scored on the sacrifice. �Then came a poor base running move: �Alvarez stepped a little too far off first base, and was picked off by Vogelsong. �It was the 8th time this season that the Indians had a runner picked off first.

Pawtucket Red Sox 7, � Indianapolis Indians 6 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians came from behind twice, but could not answer a 7th-inning home run, as the Pawtucket Red Sox halted the Indians' winning streak at 6 games tonight in Rhode Island. �The Indians were hoping for a sweep of the 4-game series, but had to settle for a 3 games to 1 series win.

Brad Lincoln (photo) made the start for the Tribe, and he struggled through 6 innings, allowing 6 runs on 7 hits and 4 walks. �The Indians gave him an unearned run to work with in the top of the 1st. �CF Jose Tabata opened the game with a ringing double into left field, and then he stole 3rd base. �The stolen base was his 9th of the season -- third in the International League. �With DH Brian Myrow at the plate, the Pawtucket 3B Jorge Jimenez dropped a foul pop for what should have been the second out of the inning. �Given the second chance, Myrow responded with a single through the hole into right field, and Tabata scored.

When Lincoln took the mound in the bottom of the 1st, that slim lead was immediately erased: �the first batter, DH Josh Reddick, lifted a long, high, no-doubt-about-it home run over the right field wall. �Lincoln worked around a single to keep the PawSox from scoring again in that inning.

1B Steve Pearce broke the 1-1 tie in the top of the 2nd inning. �He led off with a double into left, then advanced to third on a ground out by RF Brandon Moss, and scored on another grounder, this one by C Luke Carlin. The PawSox came right back in the bottom of the inning, though. �Lincoln walked the first two batters of the inning -- something that is sure to come back to haunt you. �It did just that -- a single by CF Bubba Bell loaded the bases with one out, and Josh Reddick doubled into left field. �The first two runners scored easily, and Bell rounded third and aimed for the plate as Tribe LF Neil Walker's throw came in to the infield. �The relay to the plate arrived in Carlin's glove before Bell got there. �Bell tried to bowl over Carlin, but Carlin held onto the ball, and Bell was out. �The PawSox took a 3-2 lead.

Indianapolis Indians �4, �Pawtucket Red Sox �1 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians held the PawSox to 5 hits as they earned their 6th straight win tonight. �The win moves them above the .500 mark, with an 11-10 record. �It was warmer in Pawtucket tonight than in the past couple of days, which could only help matters as far as the Indians were concerned.

Both C Luke Carlin and CF Jose Tabata recorded 2 hits each for the Indians, and four Indians contributed RBI: �Tabata, LF Neil Walker, DH Brian Myrow, and SS Brian Friday. Every member of the lineup had at least one hit, except for 3B Pedro Alvarez.

Daniel McCutchen (photo), who was recently reassigned to the Indians,� made his first AAA start of the season, and he was impressive. �McCutchen threw 103 pitches (62 strikes), and scattered 5 hits over 7 innings of work. �Pawtucket DH Josh Reddick had the most success against McCutchen, when he singled with two outs in the 3rd inning (but was thrown out trying to steal second), and homered to lead off the 6th inning. �SS Angel Sanchez doubled off McCutchen in the 4th and singled in the 6th, but both times was left stranded at the end of the inning. �McCutchen also walked two batters and hit one, but left all of them on base too.

The Indians' batters got started with their scoring in the top of the 1st. �Jose Tabata began the game with a single into center field, and when Pawtucket CF Bubba Bell threw wildly back into the infield, Tabata advanced to second base. �Brian Myrow brought him in from second base with a double ripped into right field. �The Tribe added a second run in the 2nd inning. �With one out, Luke Carlin crushed a 3-1 pitch into the right field corner, and raced all the way to third base when RF Matt Sheely had trouble coming up with the ball. �Brian Friday followed with a sacrifice fly, and Carlin scored easily, to give the Indians a 2-0 lead.

Three weeks into the minor league season... knowing that it's a small sample, who's hot -- or not-- at the plate:

INDIANAPOLIS INDIANS

Team batting average: .274 (4th in International League) , �20 Home runs (3rd in IL), 166 strikeouts (2nd in IL), 30 stolen bases (2nd in IL)

Who's HOT: � (* is the team high)

Steve Pearce - .371 average*, 9 doubles*, 2 homers, 7 RBI, 16 walks ; .488 OBP*, .643 SLG*, and 1.131 OPS*; �Pearce has been spending most of his time at first base, with just 3 games in right field. �This is the Pearce we saw in 2007, when he rocketed through the Pirates' minor league system. �His average has been above .400 this week, and even when he's not hitting, he's still walking and scoring runs. �He and Neil Walker should be the next position players called up.

Neil Walker - .333 average, 8 doubles, 3 homers, 15 RBI*, 10 walks, 7 stolen bases, .407 OBP, .560 SLG, .967 OPS; Walker is right behind his buddy Pearce in most of those numbers. �Pearce is doing it while back at his comfortable position, and Walker is doing it in all his uncomfortable positions. �He's learning to play outfield and second base on the fly, and is looking good. �If you didn't know this was his first month at second base, you probably couldn't tell just by watching. �He made a jump-turn-throw this week that looked like he's been there all his life. �He's also taking more walks than he has before, and has fewer strikeouts. �And, he's stealing bases -- second most steals on the team. �He's had at least one hit in 10 of his past 12 games, and went 4-for-4 last night. �Not so great splits: �he's hitting .434 against right-handed pitching, but only .091 against lefties. �Also in line to go home to Pittsburgh.

Luke Carlin - .342 average, 3 doubles, 4 RBI in 11 games. �Carlin has had more playing time than originally expected, due to some minor injuries to Erik Kratz.

Jose Tabata - .296 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 8 stolen bases*; �Tabata started the season with an 11-game hitting streak, then went 0-for-4 in one game, and has hit in each if his next 6 games -- he's had at least one hit in 17 of the 18 game's he's played. �Looking good in the outfield, mostly center plus a few games in left.

Argenis Diaz - .296 average, 8 RBI; �That taste of The Show last week was good for Diaz. �He's been 7-for-15 since his return, and boosted his batting average 60 points.

Not So Hot:

Brandon Moss - .233 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; Doing better in the past week, going 6-for-22 in his last 5 games.

Erik Kratz - .200 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; �Invaluable behind the plate, though, and also on the mound.

Brian Myrow - .200 average, 2 doubles, 2 homers, 7 RBI; (yes, that's right, these three all have the same numbers of doubles, homers, and RBI); Got off to a slow start, but he's starting to pick it up.

In the Middle:

Pedro Alvarez - .237 average, 2 doubles, 4 homers*, 12 RBI, 22 strikeouts*, 8 walks; �Those homers all came in the first 8 games of the season -- in fact, three came in the first two games. �But, this is also how Alvarez started off last season with A+ Lynchburg, and he got better. �He had a modest 7-game hitting streak in the past 10 days. �Also worrisome is that he leads the team in errors (4). �Three of those were fielding errors, and the one yesterday was throwing, but he also probably leads the team in the number of times Steve Pearce has saved him at first base. �By my observations, about half of Alvarez's throws to first base make Pearce stretch out as far as he can go to make the catch -- to his left, to his right, in the dirt. �Pearce is a very good first baseman... what's going to happen if Alvarez is throwing to a less experienced first baseman, like Jeff Clement?

Continuing on with the rest of the affiliates... (click on "read more")

Indianapolis Indians 10, �Pawtucket Red Sox 9 (box)

It was a dreary, rainy, frigid afternoon in Rhode Island this afternoon, but it probably looked quite sunny to Tribe LF Neil Walker (photo). He began the day with a solo home run in his first at-bat in the top of the first inning, and he ended the day with a line drive single into center field, which drove in the game-winning run, giving the Tribe their fifth win in a row. �It also moved the Indians back to .500 (10-10), where they hadn't been since April 12th, just 4 games into the season.

Kevin Hart made the start for the Indians. �After retiring Pawtucket in order in the bottom of the 1st, including two strikeouts, Hart struggled mightily. �The second inning began with a double by 2B Tug Hulett, on a ball that fooled Tribe RF Brandon Moss, going over his head and to the wall. �A quick out, then a walk to C Dusty Brown and a single to 3B Jorge Jimenez loaded the bases. �Moss got the ball back to the infield quickly on Jimenez's hit, so the lead runner Hulett was held at third base. �It didn't matter, though, as RF Bubba Bell lined a single in to center field, scoring both Hulett and Brown to take the lead. �Bell stole second base, and SS Ryan Khoury singled next, driving in Jimenez, and moving Bell to third base. �CF Josh Reddick dropped down a bunt, meant to get Bell in from third, but the ball dropped foul, rolled into fair territory, rolled away from the grass, then stopped right on the chalk line, which is where C Erik Kratz picked it up. �Bell did not take off from third, though Khoury did advance to second base, and again the bases were loaded. �Hart struck out LF Daniel Nava, then walked DH Angel Sanchez forced in the fourth run of the inning. �Finally, a ground out by Hulett ended the inning -- 10 batters to the plate, 4 runs in, and 39 pitches from Hart.

The Indians got two of the runs back in the top of the 3rd. �SS Brian Friday led off with a walk, and CF Jose Tabata brought him in with a triple off the top of the wall in center field. �Neil Walker collected his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to plate Tabata, and the Indians were within one run, 4-3.

But when Hart (photo) went back out to begin the bottom of the 3rd, he got into trouble again when the first four batters reached base. �A single by 1B Aaron Bates bounced just base the outstretched glove of SS Argenis Diaz and into left field. �Hart then threw 8 straight balls, walking both Dusty Brown and Jorge Jimenez. �Bubba Bell slipped a single through the hole and into right field, bringing in Bates and leaving the bases still loaded. �That was all for Hart, who exited having thrown 68 pitches, half for strikes. Steven Jackson, who had finished serving his suspension for hitting a batter last Thursday night, came on to relieve Hart. �The first batter Jackson faced was Khoury, who grounded to third base. �It was tailor-made for a 5-2 play back to the plate to force out the lead runner, and maybe even a double play if Kratz could throw on to first. �But, 3B Pedro Alvarez got excited and had trouble picking the ball out of his glove, then threw it over Kratz's head. �Brown scored from third, and while Kratz was tracking down the ball behind him, Jimenez rounded third and scored too, just before Kratz could throw to Jackson, covering the plate. �The error was Alvarez's fourth of the season, but the first throwing error.

Indianapolis Indians 7, �Pawtucket Red Sox 2 (box)

On a damp and shivery night in Pawtucket, a sleepy set of Indians took advantage of good pitching and some strong defense to win their fourth game in a row. �They must have brought the rain with them on the early morning (following a very late night) flight from Louisville; �the start of tonight's game was delayed by nearly an hour while the McCoy Stadium grounds crew got the field ready.

Jeremy Powell made the start for the Tribe, despite limping around on a swollen ankle, where he got hit by a pitch while pinch-hitting last night. �The ankle was taped up, and the veteran Powell just kept going. �He pitched 5 innings, using 77 pitches (53 strikes). �Powell zipped through the first 5 batters, then gave up a double and a single, but got out of that jam with a pop out. �He walked the lead-off batter in the 3rd, but got a double play to end that inning. �A double in the 4th was also no problem. �Powell was getting a little tired in the 5th, when a lead-off single by PawSox 2B Kevin Frandsen and back-to-back doubles by LF Daniel Nava and CF Josh Reddick brought in two runs.

But by then, the Indians had already scored three times, as the lower end of their batting order was hot tonight -- SS Argenis Diaz singled twice and drove in 4 runs, while 2B Brian Friday went 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. �1B Steve Pearce got the rally started in the 2nd inning with a walk. �RF Brandon Moss was hit by a pitch, and Friday also walked to load the bases for Diaz. �Diaz, who has had 7 hits in his last 4 games with the Indians, ripped a single into right field, tipping off the glove of Pawtucket 1B Aaron Bates and down the line. �Both Pearce and Moss scored, and the throw in from right field to the plate was not even close. �

The Indians threatened in the 4th inning, when C Luke Carlin and Friday opened the frame with back-to-back singles. �Diaz bunted them up a base, but CF Jose Tabata's grounder to third was fired back to the plate, and Carlin was out at the plate, without even a slide. �Neil Walker, in left field again tonight, walked to load the bases, but a ground out ended the inning without a run scoring.

Walks to Steve Pearce and Luke Carlin put two runners on for the Tribe with two out in the top of the 5th. � The two went for a double steal, with Carlin getting off about a step behind Pearce. �Pawtucket's C Mark Wagner saw Carlin's slightly late start, and tried to throw him out at second base, but the throw sailed into center field, and Pearce charged home with the unearned run.