Indians Jet Past Bats, 7-1

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Bats were unable to find their groove Saturday afternoon at Louisville Slugger Field against Indianapolis Indians starter Rudy Owens (2-0, 1.35). Owens went 6.1 innings en route to his second victory in as many starts in the young 2011 campaign as the Bats fell, 7-1. Bats starter Johnny Cueto (0-1, 2.70), on a rehab assignment from the Reds, suffered the loss. He threw 55 pitches (32 strikes) in 3.1 innings and was charged with two runs (one earned) while surrendering two hits, walking two and striking out four.

Cueto stranded three base runners through the first three innings, but was unable to get out of trouble in the fourth. After a one-out double to right-center field by Andrew Lambo, Josh Harrison reached on a Zack Cozart throwing error and Wyatt Toregas walked. Jeremy Horst then relieved Cueto, but allowed a two-run single to Brian Friday before striking out Owens and Gorkys Hernandez to end the inning. Both runs, one of which was earned, were charged to Cueto and the Indians led 2-0 after four innings.

The Bats had their chances, but only scored once while leaving nine on base. Todd Frazier walked to lead off the top of the second. Three batters later, Owens hit the red-hot Danny Dorn with a fastball, but stranded both runners after inducing Chris Valaika to ground out. Dorn went 0-for-3 on the afternoon, snapping a seven-game hitting streak.

The bottom of the fifth provided another opportunity for the Bats. Valaika walked and Horst laid down a bunt in an attempt to sacrifice him to second. On the bunt, a pair of throwing errors by Josh Harrison and Pedro Ciriaco allowed Valaika to advance to third and Horst to reach base and advance to second with one out. Dave Sappelt, however, fouled out to Ciriaco down the left field line and Zack Cozart grounded out to end the inning.

Yonder Alonso provided the Bats with their first hit with a line drive single to center leading off the bottom of the sixth. However, the Bats were unable to take advantage as Todd Frazier flew out to right field and Jeremy Hermida grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Bats finally broke through for a run in the bottom of the seventh. Mesoraco laced a double off the top of the wall in right-center field to lead off the inning and advanced to third on a groundout to second by Dorn. A bloop single to right by Valaika scored Mesoraco for the Bats only run. Valaika would be the last batter Owens would face. Tony Watson relieved Owens. He struck out pinch hitter Brian Barton, allowed a single to Sappelt and got Cozart to ground into a fielder's choice to end the frame.

The Indians put the Bats away with four runs in the top of the eighth off reliever Joe Krebs. With one out, Lambo singled and then scored on a triple from Harrison to the alley in right-center field. Krebs then issued back-to-back walks to Wyatt Toregas and Friday. Andy Marte, pinch hitting for Watson, provided the thunder with a three-run double to the leftfield wall to give the Indians a 6-1 lead. The Tribe would tack on one more in the ninth on a run-scoring single by Matt Hague and win by a final of 7-1.

Bats manager Rick Sweet expressed the difficulty of having pitchers come down on rehab assignments to join the club. "It usually kind of messes things up a little bit, more than anything else just because we're on a good roll, we got our rotation, we got our bullpen set, everything's going along pretty smooth; and then we throw a big monkey wrench into it," he said.

The Bats and Indians are back at it for the fifth straight day at Louisville Slugger Field Sunday afternoon at 2:05. RHP Homer Bailey will be the second straight Reds pitcher making a rehab start for the Bats, while LHP Brian Burres will toe the rubber for the Tribe. Kids will be able to run the bases after the game.