3-Run 5th Leads PawSox Past Tribe
With the win, Pawtucket takes the season series from Indianapolis for the first time since 2006, five games to three. The Indians only have losing records against two other International League teams this season; they lost five out of eight games to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and are 6-9 against the Columbus Clippers, who the Tribe will face six times in August.
The Triple-A Red Sox rallied from a one-run deficit in the fifth inning, taking advantage of a pair of Indianapolis errors. CF Ryan Kalish led off the frame with a single and advanced to second base on a sac bunt before stealing third. 1B Lars Anderson then chopped a bouncer through the drawn-in infield that was ruled an error, sending Kalish plateward and tying the game at 3-3 at the time.
After a walk to 3B Mauro Gomez, a groundout advanced the runners to second and third. With two outs and two on, 2B Andy LaRoche hit a groundball to shortstop, but the throw across the diamond short-hopped and LaRoche was safe, allowing both Anderson and Gomez to cross the plate and give Pawtucket a 5-3 lead.
LHP Chris Hernandez (5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) picked up the win in relief, his first Triple-A victory in just his second appearance. Hernandez was pitching in support of starter Scott Atchison (1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 1 HR), who struggled in a short rehab appearance.
The Indians had jumped out to an early lead against Atchison, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. SS Chase d'Arnaud led off the game with a single and stole second base, his 26th steal of the season and third stolen base in three games.
With two outs in the inning, 3B Matt Hague drove in d'Arnaud with a single to center field and then promptly scored on a two-run home run by 1B Jeff Clement, the slugger's 14th of the season. Clement also hit his 31st double in the ballgame, moving him into second-place in the IL.
Pawtucket had taken a 2-0 lead in the top of the first on run-scoring singles by Anderson and DH J.C. Linares. Tribe starter Daniel Cabrera (5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) gave up all five Pawtucket runs -- though only three were earned -- and was saddled with the loss, falling to 4-5 with the Indians this season.
Indianapolis saw its best chance at a rally in the bottom of the eighth inning when Clement and DH Yamaico Navarro led off the frame with back-to-back walks, but RHP Daniel Bard (1.0 IP, 2 BB, 1 K) picked up a big strikeout and induced an inning-ending double play to kill the rally. RHP Jose De La Torre (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K) allowed one hit and recorded one strikeout in a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.
The Indians (66-42) now begin a four-game series with the Buffalo Bisons on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. Indianapolis took three out of four games from the Bisons in Buffalo earlier this season and will not have to face top prospect Matt Harvey, who on Thursday night dazzled in his major league debut, picking up the win on 5.1 shutout innings for the New York Mets, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out 11 Arizona Diamondbacks.
LHP Jeff Locke (7-5, 3.01) will likely make the start on Saturday night for the Tribe. Meanwhile, RHP Jeurys Familia (7-6, 4.57) is expected to take the mound for Buffalo.
The contest will be televised on HTSN (Hometown Sports and News), available via cable or over-the-air on digital channel 6.2. The game will also be carried on WNDE 1260 AM-WFBQ-HD2, WNDE.com and via iheartradio, a mobile application for iPhone, Blackberry and Android phones with Howard Kellman and Will Flemming on the call. The pre-game show begins at 6:45 p.m.