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Indianapolis Indians

Indians Rally for 5-3 Win over Clippers

June 7, 2010 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS -- Designated hitter Brandon Moss gave the Indianapolis Indians their first lead of the contest with a two-out, bases-clearing double in the fifth and left-handed pitcher Justin Thomas worked out of a one-out bases loaded jam in the seventh to lead the Tribe to a 5-3 win over the Columbus Clippers on Monday night at Victory Field.

With the win, Indianapolis' record improves to 31-27, while the loss drops Columbus to 36-23 on the season. The victory gives the Indians the 3-1 series victory and ups their season series mark to 6-4 against the Clippers.

After Columbus RHP Josh Tomlin (4.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 4 SO) retired the first two batters of the fifth frame, Moss stepped to the dish with the bases loaded following three consecutive walks to 3B Pedro Alvarez, C Erik Kratz and CF Jonathan Van Every. Following a first-pitch ball, Moss jumped on the second offering from reliever Josh Judy and drove the pitch off the top of the left field wall to plate all three Indians' base runners and give the Tribe the 4-2 lead.

Before Moss' two-out heroics in the fifth, Columbus jumped out to the early 2-0 lead in the top half of the third inning with a two-out, two-run rally. After the first two batters of the frame were retired on a fly out and a ground out, CF Michael Brantley singled to center and came around to score one pitch later when DH Brian Bixler blasted his third home run of the season to deep left field.

The Indians scored their first run of the contest in the home half the fourth inning to cut the Clippers lead in half at 2-1, when, with the bases loaded, Tomlin threw a wild pitch that bounced all the way to the backstop to plate Alvarez, who had walked to lead off the inning.

The Clippers pulled to within a run of the Tribe with a single score in the top of the sixth after 1B Wes Hodges doubled to lead off the inning, moved to third on a ground out and scored on a sacrifice fly by RF Chris Gimenez after a one-out walk by 3B Jared Goedert.

Indianapolis later regained the two-run advantage with single run in the home half of the sixth when LF Jose Tabata singled to third and advanced to second on a throwing error before coming around to score on RF Kevin Melillo's single to left to give the Tribe the 5-3 lead.

The Clippers mounted a seventh-inning rally, loading the bases with back-to-back singles and a one-out walk against RHP Vinnie Chulk (1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB), before Thomas relieved his bullpen mate and induced an inning-ending double play grounder off the bat of C Carlos Santana to end the threat. Tribe RHP Jean Machi (1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO) came on in the ninth and retired Bixler for the final out of the game to earn his eighth save of the season and preserve the victory for Burres in his 2010 Triple-A debut.

Columbus starter Tomlin was strapped with his second loss of the season - both of which have come at the hands of the Tribe - after allowing four runs on five hits and six walks in 4.2 innings of work.

On the offensive side of things, three Indians' batters - Melillo (2-for-4, 1 RBI), Alvarez (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB) and 2B Brian Friday (2-for-4, 1 2B) - recorded multiple hits, while no Columbus batter managed multiple base knocks,and only Bixler (1-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI) drove in multiple runs for the Clippers.

The Indians now begin a four-game set with the Pawtucket Red Sox on Tuesday, June 8 at 7:00 p.m. RHP Charlie Morton is expected to get the nod for the Tribe, while RHP Adam Mills is the probable starter for the Red Sox.

The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and broadcast live on Comcast and Bright House Networks digital channel 81 with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley on the call. The pre-game show on WXLW-950 AM begins at 6:40 p.m.

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