Tag: Vinnie Chulk

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"

Indianapolis Indians �9, �Charlotte Knights �7 (box)

3B Pedro Alvarez tallied 4 hits and an RBI, while LF Kevin Melillo and SS Argenis Diaz each contributed 2 hits and 2 RBI, as the Tribe bullpen bailed out starter Hayden Penn for a victory over the Knights in the suburbs of Charlotte, NC.

Penn (photo) got into trouble early, surrendering runs to the Knights in each of the first four innings of the game. �He walked 6 batters and gave up 8 hits for 6 runs over 3.2 innings of work. �Penn began the bottom of the 1st by giving up a triple to Knights' LF Buck Coats and an RBI single by former Pirate farmhand SS Brent Lilibridge. �C Luke Carlin threw out Lillibridge trying to steal second base, which probably saved another run from scoring -- a single by 1B Dayan Viciedo might have scored Lillibridge from second base. �After a walk by DH Josh Kroeger, a strikeout and a pop out ended the inning. �A walk, and singles by Coats and Lillibridge added another run in the 2nd inning.

Penn had needed 20 pitches to get through the first inning, and 22 for the second inning. �He continued to struggle in the 3rd inning, using another 22 pitches. �The 3rd began with a walk to Kroeger, then a strikeout. �RF Stefan Gartrell's 2-run homer to right-center field gave the Knights a total of 4 runs. �Two more batters reached, on a walk and a throwing error by 2B Brian Friday, but 2B CJ Retherford flied out and 3B Luis Rodriguez was doubled up when he tried to tag up and advance on the throw in from center field.

Penn quickly got into more trouble when he came back out to begin the 4th inning. �A walk by Coats and a single by Lillibridge started the inning, and a sacrifice bunt by Viciedo moved the runners up to second and third bases. �Kroeger struck out, but a walk to C Tyler Flowers loaded the bases for Gartrell. �Gartrell licked his chops and drove in two more runs with a line drive double into right field. �That was all for Penn, who finished with 84 pitches (only 42 strikes). �Justin Thomas relieved Penn, and ended the inning without letting in any more runs.

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Gwinnett Braves �6, �Indianapolis Indians �5 (box)

A 9th-inning rally, sparked by a pair of Gwinnett errors, put the Indians within one run of tying the game. �The rally fell short, though, and the Braves held on to take the win at Victory Field on Monday night.

The Indians were trailing 6-3 going into the bottom of the 9th. �With Braves' reliever Michael Dunn on the mound to begin his second inning, pinch-hitter Luke Carlin grounded to short, but SS Brandon Hick's throw to first was low and short, and Carlin was safe at first on the error. �Dunn was removed, and reliever Stephen Marek came in from the bullpen to take care of the Indians. �CF Jose Tabata greeted Marek with a line drive into center field, moving Carlin to second base. �2B Neil Walker was next, and he had the crowd holding its breath for a moment with a long fly ball to left-center, but it turned out to be only a long out. �1B Brian Myrow did what he does best -- get on base, somehow, some way. �This time it was by working the count full, fouling off another pitch, and taking a walk to load the bases.

That brought up 3B Pedro Alvarez (photo).�Alvarez bounced the 1-0 pitch to first base, for what should have been an easy out at first. �But Braves' 1B Freddie Freeman charged the slow roller and missed. �It looked like he was already thinking about how he was going to throw to the plate before he actually had the ball in his glove. �The ball went under his glove and skipped down the line about 12 - 15 feet behind first base. �Carlin scored easily from third, and Tabata also scored as Freeman had to reverse and chase down the ball. �Both runs were unearned, and Alvarez was credited with one RBI.

Now the Indians were with in one run, 6-5, and C Erik Kratz came to the plate. �Kratz already had a single in the game, and he'd walked twice. �But this time, he grounded a 0-2 pitch to short, and SS Brandon Hicks began a 6-4-3 double play that ended the rally and the game.

The Indians had scored first, back in the bottom of the 1st inning. �Jose Tabata led off by slipping a grounder through the right side of the infield for a single. �Neil Walker lined a double into right field, sending Tabata to third base. �1B Brian Myrow (photo) grounded to first base, and the Braves conceded the run to get the out, as Tabata scored from third. �Pedro Alvarez brought in Walker, who had advanced to third base on Myrow's play, with a sacrifice fly. �The throw from Gwinnett's CF Jordan Schafer came in high and up the third base line, and Walker scored easily. �The Indians had a 2-0 lead.

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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.

Toledo Mud Hens �3, �Indianapolis Indians �0 (box)

On any other day, six perfect innings and 10 strikeouts would have been more than enough for Brad Lincoln. On any other day, that one tough inning and a 3-run homer would have been shrugged off. �Not today, though. �Not when Toledo pitcher Enrique Gonzalez pitched a 2-hit complete game shutout, to win only his second game of the season, and send the Indians home from Toledo having lost the 4-game series 1 to 3.

Five days ago, Lincoln began his start against the Rochester Red Wings by retiring the first 13 batters he faced. �This morning, he retired the first 16 batters he faced, taking a perfect game into the 6th inning. �He had struck out 7 batters up to that point, including striking out the side in the 5th.

Then in the 6th, it fell apart. � Lincoln got a bit of a gift for the first out of the inning, when the wind held up RF Ben Guez's huge fly ball long enough for LF Kevin Melillo to make the catch on the warning track. �LF Deik Scram broke up the perfect bid with a single just past 2B Neil Walker's desperate dive and into right field. �C Max St. Pierre popped out, and for a moment, it looked like Lincoln would not be in too much trouble.

Back to the top of the Mud Hen's batting order, 3B Will Rhymes dropped down a perfect bunt to the left of the mound. �Lincoln scrambled over and picked up the ball with his bare hand, but he was rushing and his back foot slid as he made the throw to first base. �The throw went wide to the outfield side and up the foul line. �Rhymes was credited with a hit, and Lincoln charged with a throwing error. �With runners on second and third bases and two outs, Lincoln delivered up a 2-1 pitch that SS Brent Dlugach blasted into the wind and over the left field wall for a 3-run homer. �CF Ryan Raburn followed the homer with his fifth double of the series, bounding down the right field line. �Lincoln then walked 1B Jeff Larish, but left both Raburn and Larish on base when he ended the inning with a fly out.

Those four hits and three runs were all the Mud Hens would need. �Lincoln struck out the side again in the 7th, bringing his strikeout total to 10. �Lincoln had made 89 pitches (57 strikes). �Reliever Vinnie Chulk took the mound for the 8th inning. �He gave up an infield hit to St. Pierre, when Neil Walker made another dive for a grounder. �This time Walker was able to stop the ball from going into the outfield, but he did not have time to make a throw, and St. Pierre was on first. �Raburn singled with two outs, but Chulk ended the inning without allowing a run to score.

Enrique Gonzalez let four Indians batters reach base as he pitched 9 innings and threw 119 pitches (79 strikes). �1B Brian Myrow was hit on the jersey by a pitch in the top of the 1st inning. �Kevin Melillo drilled a double down the right field line in the 2nd inning. �CF Jose Tabata lined a single into right field in the 3rd, and he moved to second base on a wild pitch by Gonzalez. �The next 14 Indians' batters went down in order, until Melillo walked to lead off the 8th inning. �But Melillo was caught stealing in a strike-out-throw-out double play (RF Brandon Moss struck out). �The Tribe went down quietly in the 9th, as Gonzalez struck out Neil Walker and Brian Myrow to end the game.

The loss drops the Indians down to third place in the International League Western Division standings and moves the Mud Hens up to second place. �Toledo is now 2.5 games behind the first-place Columbus Clippers, and the Indians are 3 games behind. �The Louisville Bats are in fourth place, 8.5 games behind Columbus.

The Indians return to Victory Field on Tuesday, to begin an 8-game home stand: �4 games against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, and 4 against the Gwinnett Braves.

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Indians' Hitting Gem of the Game: �There were only two hits to choose from, and Kevin Melillo's was a double.

Indians' Defensive Gem of the Game: �A career-high 10 strikeouts for Brad Lincoln, and 6 + 1 perfect innings of work.

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NOTES:

Enrique Gonzalez struck out 9 Tribe batters, including striking out Brandon Moss 3 times.

3B Pedro Alvarez went 0-for-3 with a strikeout. �Neil Walker was 0-for-4 with a strikeout.

UPDATE: �The Indians have placed starter Daniel McCutchen on the Disabled List due to arm fatigue. �He might miss one or two starts. �Sounds like Jeremy Powell is back into the starting rotation.

Go Tribe!

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(photo by Nancy)

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Luke Carlin congratulates Erik Kratz after his 2-run homer.

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Indianapolis Indians 8, �Rochester Red Wings 3 (box)

The Indianapolis Indians came from behind again on Thursday afternoon at Victory Field, scoring 7 unanswered runs to beat the Red Wings. �The Indians piled on 14 hits, led by 2B Neil Walker's 4 hits, DH Erik Kratz's 3 hits, and CF Kevin Melillo's 3 hits. �Both Kratz and LF Brandon Moss homered in the late inning rallies.

The Indians had at least one runner on base in every inning but the 8th. �They began with two hits in the 1st, when�Kevin Melillo singled, and Walker doubled down the right field line and into the Red Wings' bullpen. �Melillo tried to suprise the Red Wings and steal second base, but Rochester's starter Deolis Guerra, making his AAA debut, didn't blink. �He didn't balk either, but easily threw out Melillo at second base (photo).

RF Brandon Jones led off the 2nd inning with another double down the right field line and into the Wings' bullpen. � C Luke Carlin worked a walk. �This time, the Indians did get Guerra to balk. �That put Jones on third base (and Carlin on second) and in position to score when Erik Kratz lifted a sacrifice fly into center field.

Starter Donnie Veal (photo) looked good in the early innings. �He walked the first batter he faced, RF Jason Repko, then retired the next six batters he faced, including two strikeouts in the 2nd inning. �He began to struggle in the 3rd, beginning when his third pitch glanced off DH Erik Lis' helmet. �With the new thicker helmets, Lis seemed to barely feel it -- didn't even go down. �Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez was not even sure that the pitch had hit Lis, but after some jawing by Lis and a conference between the umpires, Lis was awarded first base. �Veal got the next two batters out, and then threw a ball into the dirt, which bounced up and hit SS Trevor Plouffe in the knee. �With runners on first and third, Veal gave up a single to LF Brian Dinkelman, and Lis came around from second to tie the score at 1-1.

The Red Wings took the lead in the 3rd. �With one out, CF Dustin Martin dropped a perfectly placed bunt to the left of the mound, and raced to first before Veal's throw could get there. �3B Danny Valencia crushed a double to the center field wall, and Martin came around from first base to score.

Veal again hit Erik Lis with a pitch in the 4th inning, this time just grazing his jersey. �It was the third hit batter for Veal in the game, but unlike in his last start, it did not get him a warning from the umpires.

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Rochester Red Wings 7, �Indianapolis Indians �5 (box)

Three runs in the top of the 10th inning broke a 4-4 tie and gave the extra-inning win to the Red Wings at Victory Field on Tuesday night. �With the usually reliable Jean Machi on the mound for the Tribe, the inning began in a promising way: �Machi threw one pitch and got one ground out. �Then things went downhill. �Rochester's RF Brian Dinkelman bounced a double down the left field line, and he moved to third base on a wild pitch. �2B Luke Hughes was hit by the next pitch to put runners on the corners. �Machi got DH Dustin Martin to tap one back to the mound,a and the Indians were nearly out of the jam. �But the ball was rolling slowly, and even though Machi fielded it cleanly, whirled, and fired to second base to force out Hughes, �SS Brian Friday's (photo) relay throw to first base was not in time to beat Martin to the bag. �Dinkelman scored from third base, and the Red Wings had the go-ahead run. �Martin stole second base, then advanced to third on another wild pitch by Machi. �3B Danny Valencia followed with another slow roller to the right side of the infield between the mound and the third base line, for an infield hit, scoring Martin. �LF Jacque Jones doubled, driving in Valencia, and the Red Wings had a 7-4 lead. �Machi walked 1B Brock Peterson, before striking out C Allan de San Miguel to end the inning.

The Indians had come from behind three times already during the game, and in the bottom of the 10th, they made one more effort. �RF Brandon Moss led off with a line drive single into center field. �After C Erik Kratz lined out to center field, LF Kevin Melillo (photo), in his first start with the Indians, ripped a double into the right field corner, which moved Moss over to third base. �Brian Friday grounded to first base, allowing Moss to score. �This time the Indians' catch-up bid fell short, as the rally and the game ended with a strikeout by CF Jose Tabata, and the Red Wings had the win.

Righty pitcher Hayden Penn (photo at the top), who had been designated for assignment by the Pirates, then sent to Florida for extended spring training, joined the Indianapolis Indians today and was immediately inserted into the starting rotation. �Penn was limited to 80 pitches, and he stretched those pitches out so that he could pitch 6 innings -- he actually threw only 78 pitches, with 55 strikes. �He gave up 3 hits on 8 hits, no walks, with 6 strikeouts. �Penn pitched well against most of the Red Wings' batting order, but he had trouble with the very top of the order: �CF Jason Repko and SS Trevor Plouffe.

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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 �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.

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.

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.

(photo: �Jonathan Van Every slides across the plate with the Indians' only run)

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Toledo Mud Hens 10, �Indianapolis Indians 1 (box)

Indians' starting pitcher Brad Lincoln (photo) pitched 6 innings and gave the Indians a solid start, leaving the game behind, but only by two runs -- a game still within reach. �But the two relievers who came in from the bullpen, Vinnie Chulk and Anthony Claggett, completely fell apart in the last two innings of the game, as the Mud Hens overwhelmed the Indians at Victory Field on Monday night.

Lincoln began the game with two scoreless innings, though his command was a little off. �He hit one batter, and threw first-pitch walks to three of the four batters in the 1st inning. �The second inning was a little better -- he hit another batter, but struck out two. �The first Toledo run scored in the 3rd inning, when Lincoln gave up a one-out single to Mud Hens' 2B Will Rhymes. �The single was followed by a walk to SS Brent Dlugach, a single off either the side of the bound or the tip of Lincoln's glove by RF Brennan Boesch, which scored Rhymes, and another walk to 1B Jeff Larish. �That left the bases still loaded, with one out.

C Luke Carlin came to Lincoln's rescue. �He caught Larish napping a bit at first base �while Lincoln was pitching to CF Casper Wells, and Carlin's snap throw down to first base picked Larish off. �That turned out to be a big out. �Wells grounded to short for an easy out to end the inning, leaving two runners in scoring position.

The Indians had scored one run in the 2nd inning off Toledo starter and former Indian and Pirate, Phil Dumatrait. �3B Pedro Alvarez led off with a line drive into right field, and 1B Steve Pearce followed with another line drive, this one into center field. �Alvarez was off and running with the pitch, and easily reached third, sliding in before the throw (photo).

The runners-on-the-corners situation turned into just a runner on third, when Pearce tried to steal second base on a ball that Dumatrait threw into the dirt. �Toledo catcher Mike Rabelo recovered the ball quickly, though, and his throw down to second easily beat Pearce, who slid wide to the outfield side of the bag. �Alvarez was the next runner to be thrown out. �LF Jonathan Van Every tapped back to the mound, and Dumatrait quickly scooped up the ball and threw back to the plate, where Rabelo tagged out Alvarez as he tried to score from third.

That left Van Every on first base. �DH Brandon Moss worked a walk, and C Luke Carlin lined a single into right field, allowing Van Every to race around from second base and score.