MVN - Most Valuable Network

Barthmaier Pitches Well But Tribe Falls

Columbus Clippers 4,
Indianapolis Indians 2

boxscore

Jimmy Barthmaier suffered his first loss at the AAA level this evening, as the Tribe lost to the Clippers at Cooper Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Barthmaier pitched a total of 7.1 innings, and gave up 4 runs on 4 hits plus one walk, while striking out 6 batters.

It was that last 0.1 inning, the bottom of the 8th with the score tied, when Barthmaier got into trouble. He had allowed only 3 hits and 2 runs in the first 7 innings, and had not walked any batters. He was probably getting tired by the 8th though, as he started the inning by walking LF Jorge Padilla. Pitching coach Ray Searage made a visit to the mound to check on Barthmaier, and Barthmaier got the first out of the inning on a sacrifice bunt that moved Padilla to second base. Then pinch hitter Ray Olmedo doubled into right field, scoring Padilla with the go-ahead run. Reliever TJ Beam took over for Barthmaier. After a fly out, Beam gave up an RBI single to SS Ed Rogers, bringing in Olmedo (Barthmaier also responsible for that run) and giving the Clippers a 4-2 lead.

Barthmaier had started off with a 1-2-3 first inning. The 2nd inning started with a ground rule double by 1B Larry Broadway, and then Barthmaier hit former Indy Indian (2005-07) Yurendell de Caster with a pitch. A ground out to first base advanced the runners to second and third bases. 2B Jemel Spearman lined a single into center field, scoring both Broadway and de Caster, to give Columbus a 2-0 lead. Barthmaier settled right back down and faced only one batter more than the minimum over the next 5 innings — he gave up a lone single in the 4th inning.

(Photo: Nyjer Morgan and Craig Wilson)

The Indians worked 6 hits off Clippers’ starter Dennis Tankersley, as they scored 2 runs. CF Nyjer Morgan and LF Kevin Thompson hit back-to-back singles to begin the game, but 3B Neil Walker grounded into a double play and C Ronny Paulino struck out to end the inning and the Indians’ threat. Another double play squashed an Indians’ threat in the 3rd inning. Matt Kata led off with a ground-rule double, but he was caught off base when Barthmaier’s bunt attempt popped into the air and was caught by 1B Broadway.

The Tribe tied the game in the 4th inning. Ronny Paulino doubled into right field, and RF Steve Pearce (photo) smashed his 8th homer of the season over the left field wall, for 2 RBI. The score remained tied for the next 4 innings. As Barthmaier was holding the Clippers in check, Tankersley retired the Indians in order in the 5th and 6th innings. Reliever Steven Shell came in for Tankersley to begin the 7th inning, and he allowed only one lone single to 1B Craig Wilson in the 7th, and put the Tribe down in order in the 8th.

After the Clippers took the lead in the bottom of the 8th inning, reliever Chris Schroder took the mound for Columbus in the top of the 9th. Neil Walker (photo) led off with a single. He stole second base without even drawing a throw from Clippers’ C Paul Lo Duca, when Ronny Paulino swung at strike three for the first out of the inning. A wild pitch let Walker advance to third base, but he was left there when the inning ended with a fly out and a pop up.

The Indians had a total of 8 hits in the game, with all the position players except SS Brian Bixler (who got on base with a walk) had a hit, and Nyjer Morgan went 2-for-4 for the second day in a row and the third time in four games.

The loss gives the Indians a 0-6 record against the Clippers in 2008. The Indians will have two more chances against the Clippers in the next two days, as the Clippers come to Victory Field to begin the Indians’ next home stand on Monday.

Indians’ Hitting Gem of the Game: Steve Pearce’s 2-run homer in the 4th inning.

Indians’ Defensive Gem of the Game: In the 4th inning, Ronny Paulino nipped a rally in the bud when he threw out Frank Diaz attempting to steal second base after a single.

NOTES:

Outfielder Chris Duffy begins a rehab assignment with the Altoona Curve today. Duffy had surgery on his left shoulder late in the 2007 season. He worked hard to be ready for the spring training, or at least April, but kept having setbacks. He has spent the first 2.5 months of the 2008 in Bradenton at Extended Spring Training. In today’s 8-0 loss to the Connecticut Defenders, Duffy led off for the Curve, going 0-for-3 (grounded out to shortstop and to second base, and popped out to third base). He played 6 innings in center field, and made one play on a fly out. Keep your fingers crossed, as he gets back to real games.

Bryan Bullington’s start yesterday was planned to be short. No word as yet as to what his schedule will be for upcoming starts.

Three more draft picks signed by the Pirates:
9th round –Matt Hague — 3B, Oklahoma State
48th round — Owen Brolsma — RHP, Texas Tech
50th round — Craig Parry — OF, South Dakota State

Go Tribe!

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 15th, 2008 at 11:39 pm and is filed under Brian Bixler, Steve Pearce, Matt Kata, Jimmy Barthmaier, TJ Beam, Nyjer Morgan, Bryan Bullington, Pittsburgh Pirates Minor-League Affiliates, Chris Duffy, AAA - Indianapolis Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects, 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.