IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Gwinnett Grabs 6-3 Win over Tribe

Published on May 23, 2010 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


INDIANAPOLIS -- Third baseman Wes Timmons scored three runs and drove home the game-winning run with a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning as the Gwinnett Braves overcame a late Indianapolis Indians' rally to earn a 6-3 win over the Tribe on Sunday afternoon at Victory Field.

With the loss, Indianapolis falls back to the .500 mark at 22-22 on the season, while the win improves Gwinnett to 19-24. The defeat drops the Indians' all-time record to 3-7 against the Gwinnett Braves, who joined the International League prior to the start of the 2009 campaign.

With the score tied at 3-3 with two outs in the top half of the ninth inning, Timmons stepped to the dish with LF Matt Young at second and CF Gregor Blanco at first. The Braves' third baseman fouled off the first offering from Indians' LHP Wil Ledezma (1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB), then, on the next pitch from the southpaw, he lined a single to right field over the head 2B Brian Friday to give Gwinnett the 4-3 advantage.

The Braves scored two more runs in the ninth on dropped third strike passed ball that would have been the third out of the inning to take the decisive 6-3 lead.

The contest was tied at 0-0 through three full frames, before Indianapolis and Gwinnett traded single runs in the fourth inning. Timmons singled to lead off the frame and was doubled home one batter later on the first pitch of 1B Barbaro Canizares' at-bat to give the Braves the 1-0 advantage.

The Tribe responded with a run of their own in the home half of the fourth after CF Jose Tabata reached on an error, moved to second on a single by 1B Erik Kratz, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by RF Brandon Jones and touched home plate on a sacrifice fly by Friday to tie the game at 1-1.

Gwinnett snapped the 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth inning on a two-out, two-run double by Canizares, before Indianapolis tied the contest with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to pull even with the Braves at 3-3.

The Indians' late inning comeback was sparked by solo home run on the final pitch of a 13-pitch at-bat by Kratz in the sixth inning that featured eight foul balls before the first baseman hit a towering fly ball down the left field line that landed in the first row of the seats. Indianapolis then tied the contest at 3-3 with a run in the bottom of the seventh inning when Friday, who had led off the frame with a single, scored from third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of 3B Doug Bernier.

Neither starter figured in the final decision, as Tribe LHP Donnie Veal (5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 SO) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks in five innings of work and Braves' LHP Jose Ortegano (5.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO) was solid in his second start of the season for Gwinnett, allowing only one earned run in 5.2 innings of work. Ledezma was strapped with his first loss of the season after allowing three runs (one earned) in the ninth inning, while Braves' RHP Craig Kimbrel (2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO) earned his first victory of the 2010 campaign with two scoreless innings of relief.

Two batters recorded multiple hits on the afternoon for each side, with Timmons (2-for-4, 3 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and Canizares (2-for-5, 2 2B, 3 RBI) completing the feat for Gwinnett and Kratz (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 HR, 1 RBI) and Friday (2-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) tallying two base knocks for the Tribe.

The Indians continue their four-game set with the Gwinnett Braves on Monday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m. RHP Mike Crotta is expected to get the nod for the Tribe, while RHP Tim Gustafson is the probable starter for the Braves.

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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International League Stories from May 23, 2010


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