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IL1 Indianapolis Indians

Rain Delay Turns Tide as Indians Beat Yankees 6-2

August 5, 2012 - International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. --A five-run outburst for Indianapolis followed a 40-minute rain delay on Sunday night and turned the tide at Frontier Field as the Indians broke out of a pitchers duel to win 6-2 against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

RHPs Rick VandenHurk of Indianapolis and Ramon Ortiz of Scranton had battled through seven innings apiece on Sunday, with the Triple-A Yankees leading 2-1, when heavy rain began falling in Rochester. In the top of the eighth inning, C Jose Morales singled to center and was replaced by PR Eric Fryer before 2B Anderson Hernandez laid down a bunt.

Ortiz came off the mound to field the bunt but slipped on the wet playing surface and Hernandez was safe with an infield hit. The umpiring crew immediately called a stoppage in play and the tarp was put on the field.

The 40-minute rain delay cost both starters their chance at a complete game. RHP Cory Wade entered for Ortiz with two on and none out in the top of the eighth. After a sac bunt advanced the runners to second and third, CF Jose Tabata was hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Wade (0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO) then dialed up a would-be double play ball that could have ended the inning, but it was bobbled twice and Scranton came away with no outs on the play as Indianapolis tied the game. It all fell apart for the Yankees after that as two "routine" flyballs fell for base hits when the Scranton outfielders couldn't come up with the baseball in the twilight sky.

First, 1B Jeff Clement lifted a high fly ball into right field that fell on the warning track behind RF Chris Dickerson, driving in two runs to give Indianapolis the lead for the first time in the ballgame. It was ruled a double -- Clement's 34th of the season, which at the time tied him for the International League lead.

3B Yamaico Navarro then launched a fly ball into center field that wasn't seen by CF Melky Mesa and fell for an RBI single. Clement then scored on a wild pitch to give the game its final 6-2 tally.

In a cruel twist of fate, two of those runs were charged to Ortiz (7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K) nearly an hour after he had left the ballgame and he was saddled with the loss, his fifth loss of the season. Since VandenHurk (7.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 1 HR) was still the pitcher of record for Indianapolis following the delay, he picked up his 11th win of the season, at the time putting him into a five-way tie for the most in the IL.

VandenHurk had allowed just two runs in the ballgame, one each in the first and second innings. In the first, Dickerson connected on his fifth home run of the season and, in the season, 1B Kosuke Fukudome hit an RBI double to put Scranton ahead 2-0.

Indianapolis got one run back in the top of the fifth inning when Hernandez drove in LF Jeff Larish with a single to center field.

In support of VandenHurk, RHP Daniel McCutchen tossed a pair of perfect innings to secure the win. McCutchen (2.0 IP, 3 K) has now allowed just one hit and no runs in 7.0 innings across his past four outings, striking out nine.

The Indians (71-46) return home on Monday to begin a four-game series with the IL South-leading Charlotte Knights (66-50), who trail Indianapolis by five games for the best record in the league. In what could be a preview of the first round of the playoffs, neither team has named a starter for Monday's 7:05 p.m. start.

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.

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