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Indians Lose a Hit-O-Rama to Bats

Louisville Bats 13, Indianapolis Indians 12

Photo: Ronny Paulino bats for the Pirates in 2006

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C Ronny Paulino was sent to Indianapolis by the Pirates in part so that he can work on his offense. He made that move look a little silly tonight, as Paulino went 5-for-5 with two singles, a double, two home runs, and three RBI. He led the Indians’ offensive attack, as they put up 15 hits, tying for the season high (they did it on May 3rd), and 12 runs, which is a season high. Unfortunately, the Louisville Bats joined in the hit-o-rama, with 13 hits of their own for 13 runs, to edge out the Tribe 13-12 at Slugger Field in Louisville, KY.

Steve Pearce (photo), who started the game in right field, but moved to first base with a double switch late in the game, led off the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the first inning. The Tribe’s 1-0 lead did not last long. In the bottom of the inning, starter John Van Benschoten had trouble with his control. He walked lead-off batter CF Chris Dickerson, gave up a single to SS Adam Rosales, got a pop out, then walked 1B Kevin Barker to load the bases. When C Ryan Hannigan was hit by a pitch, it forced in a run to tie the game. Drew T. Anderson hit a bases-clearing double, for 3 more runs, and the Bats took the 4-1 lead.

The Indians came right back in the top of the 2nd inning. In his first at-bat for the Tribe, Ronny Paulino lined a double to the left field wall. 3B Neil Walker followed with a liner into center field for another double. Paulino was not sure if the ball was going to be caught or not, so he did not take off right away, and he was able to advance only to third base on Walker’s double. It didn’t matter, though, because two batters later, 2B Josh Wilson (photo) blasted a home run to left center, bringing in both Paulino and Walker. Tie score, 4-4.

The tie was short-lived, as the Bats’ starter Daryl Thompson led off the bottom of the second inning with a double, and came around to score on 3B Jolbert Cabrera’s single. The Bats went up 5-4, and that score stayed for a whole inning, as both starters put the opposing side down in order in the 3rd inning, all but one of those outs by strikeouts.

The Tribe retook the lead in the 4th inning. Ronny Paulino led off with a single for his second hit of the game. Neil Walker (photo) smashed the first pitch he saw over the center field wall for a 2-run homer. It was Walker’s 7th homer of the season and the Indians’ third homer of the game, and gave them a 6-5 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Bats tied it up again. Daryl Thompson singled for his second hit of the game. He came all the way around from first base, losing his batting helmet somewhere around third base, to score on an RBI double by Adam Rosales. Tie score again, 6-6.

After two more 3-up-3-down half innings in the 5th, the Indians batted around in the 6th inning, adding 4 more runs. 1B Craig Wilson (photo) led off with a double, and Ronny Paulino followed with his first home run as an Indian this season — a no-doubt shot over the center field wall. That sent Daryl Thompson to the showers, and Todd Coffey came on in relief. Neil Walker greeted Coffey with a single, and then Coffey seemed to settle down, as he struck out the next two Tribe batters, SS Brian Bixler and Josh Wilson. Carlos Maldonado came in to pinch hit for John Van Benschoten, and he singled, moving Walker to second base. LF Andrew McCutchen grounded to shortstop, but SS Rosales couldn’t handle the ball, and it went bouncing off into the outfield. Walker scored on the error, and Maldonado and McCutchen were safe at second and first bases. CF Nyjer Morgan lined an RBI single into center field, and Maldonado came around to score, as the throw in from the outfield bounced off the mound, and the Tribe had a 10-6 lead.

John Van Benschoten pitched 5 innings, throwing 84 pitches (57 strikes). He allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks, and he struck out 7 Bats’ hitters. Franklyn German (photo), the newest addition to the Tribe bullpen, took over for Van Benschoten to begin the bottom of the 6th inning. German got one quick out, but then gave up back-to-back singles, and a walk to load the bases. Rosales’ ground out knocked in one run, cutting the Indians’ lead to 10-7. The Bats added two more in the 7th inning of reliever Marino Salas. Again with one out, Salas walked Ryan Hanigan, and pinch-hitter Luis Bolivar smacked a triple that flew over Steve Pearce’s head in right field, scoring Hanigan. A ground out by RF Jerry Gil brought Hanigan home, and the Bats were within one run of the Tribe: 10-9.

The Indians, looking for some insurance, came back with a couple more runs in the 8th inning. Pinch-hitter Matt Kata (photo) singled with one out, and Andrew McCutchen walked. Nyjer Morgan loaded the bases by beating out an infield single. Steve Pearce grounded deep to shortstop, and the Bats went for the double play to end the inning. Morgan was forced out at second base, but Pearce made it to first base before the relay throw, and Kata scored. The Indians had one more: 11-9.

Disaster struck for the Tribe in the bottom of the 8th inning. With reliever Matt Miller on the mound, BJ Syzmanski lined a single into right field. After a strikeout, Rosales walked, and Cabrera also singled to load the bases. A double by Kevin Barker brought in Syzmanski and Rosales to tie the score. TJ Beam relieved Miller, but he fared no better, as Hanigan also doubled, bringing in Cabrera and Barker, and giving the Bats a 13-11 lead.

The Tribe had one more chance in the 9th, and Ronny Paulino did his best — he led off with his second home run of the game (and 5th hit of the game), to bring the score to 13-12. But the Indians could do no more, as Walker, Bixler, and Josh Wilson all grounded out to end the game.

Neither John Van Benschoten or Daryl Thompson, the starting pitchers, figured in the decision. Reliever Matt Belisle took the win, and Indians’ Matt Miller was charged with a Blown Save and the loss.

Indians’ Hitting Gems of the Game: Five home runs, the most homers the Indians have had in one game all season:
Steve Pearce — solo homer in the 1st inning
Josh Wilson — three run homer in the 2nd inning
Neil Walker — two run homer in the 4th inning
Ronny Paulino — two run homer in the 6th inning, and a solo homer in the 9th inning

Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: In the bottom of the first inning, with four runs already across the plate, two outs, and a base runner on second, Michael Griffin grounded back up the middle. The ball bounced off John Van Benschoten’s glove, then bounced on the second base bag. SS Brian Bixler (photo) was running behind the bag, and he had to reach back behind to make a bare-handed catch, then fire to first base in time to get Griffin out and end the inning. If that ball got by him, that would potentially have let another run score, and the inning would have continued.

NOTES:
Adam Boeve was placed on the temporary inactive list. He will be away for the weekend to attend his sister’s wedding. His vacated (temporarily) roster spot makes room for Ronny Paulino.

As reported by Dejan Kovacevic in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pirates’ Director of Player Development Kyle Stark had this to say about RHP Brian Rogers, who was released by the Pirates this week: “Ultimately, we did not see him as major league depth and wanted to give some other guys those innings.”

Former Indy Indian (2006) 2B Craig Stansberry was promoted to the San Diego Padres from AAA.

Go Tribe!

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 at 1:31 am and is filed under Brian Bixler, Steve Pearce, Adam Boeve, Matt Kata, TJ Beam, Marino Salas, Nyjer Morgan, John Van Benschoten, AAA - Indianapolis Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates Minor-League Affiliates, Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects, Andrew McCutchen, Carlos Maldonado, Neil Walker, Ronny Paulino. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.