Tribe Top Tide
Published on July 28, 2009 under International League (IL1)
Indianapolis Indians News Release
NORFOLK, Va. -- Starting pitcher Brad Lincoln allowed just two earned runs over seven innings, while second baseman Shelby Ford scored twice and drove in two runs to lead the Indianapolis Indians past the Norfolk Tides 7-6 Tuesday night at Harbor Park.
With the win the Indians improve to 50-53 on the season and 24-27 on the road, while the Tides drop to 55-48 overall and 27-19 at home with the loss. The victory gives Indianapolis the 1-0 lead in their current four game series and pushes the season series to a 4-1 advantage in favor of the Tribe.
Lincoln (7.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO) allowed just three runs (two earned), while scattering eight hits on the way to picking up his second victory of the season. The Pittsburgh Pirates top pitching prospect also struck out one batter and for his third consecutive start did not surrender a base-on-balls (18 innings).
While Lincoln held down Norfolk scoring attack, Ford sparked the Indians' offensive attack, scoring two runs and driving in two all from the lead-off spot. The Tribe second baseman began the scoring, when he led off the game with a single, moved to third on a double by LF Lastings Milledge and trotted home on a groundout by RF Brian Myrow.
Later in the first frame DH Robinzon Diaz extended the Indians' lead to 2-0, when he brought home Milledge with an RBI single. The Tides would then even the score with two runs of their own in the second as 1B Brandon Snyder, LF Victor Diaz and 3B Melvin Dorta went 3-2-1 with a triple, double and single all in a row, allowing Snyder to score and moving Diaz to third where he would later trot home on a double play.
Indianapolis would, however, quickly take back the lead as 3B Neil Walker led off the fourth with a base hit, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by CF Chris Barnwell, and came around to score on a Norfolk throwing error that also allowed SS Argenis Diaz to advance to third. Ford then came through with his first RBI of the evening as he lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Diaz and extended the Tribe lead to 4-2
The Tribe then added two more runs to their lead in the sixth as Barnwell led off the frame with a hit-by-pitch, moved to second on a wild pitch, trotted to third on a sacrifice bunt and finally came around to score on Ford's fielder's choice. Myrow would then give the Indians a 6-2 lead as his infield single allowed Ford to cross the plate for the second time in the contest.
The Tides did manage to chip away at the Indian's lead in their half of the sixth as 2B Justin Turner reached on a Tribe error and came around to score on a single by RF Jeff Fiorentino that moved the score to 6-3. Indianapolis quickly got that run back as C Erik Kratz blasted his sixth home run of the season to left field in the top of the ninth inning for what at the time looked like an insignificant insurance run.
But Kratz's longball actually proved to be the difference as the Tides mounted a furious bottom of the ninth comeback with three runs on four hits, including a two-run triple by SS Blake Davis. Norfolk also looked to be sending the game to extras as they placed a runner on third with just one out, but after allowing a run to score Tribe closer Chris Bootcheck would hunker down and collect the final two outs to earn his team leading 17th save of the season.
Norfolk starter Chris Waters (5.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in just 5.1 innings. Though the Tides' bullpen looked possibly to be on their way to holding the score close enough for the offense to send it to extras, it turned out to be their closer Jim Miller (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 SO) who would surrender Kratz's homer that proved to be the difference.
The two clubs combined for 23 hits and each had three individuals post multi-hit games as Milledge (2-for-4, 1 R), Myrow (2-for-4, 1 RBI) and Kratz (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) collected multiple base knocks for the Tribe and Snyder (3-for-4, 2 R), Diaz (3-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI) and Davis (2-for-4, 2 RBI) turned in multi-hit efforts for the Tides.
Indianapolis will continue their four-game series with Norfolk on Wednesday at 7:15 p.m. RHP Eric Hacker is scheduled to start for the Indians, while RHP Jake Arrieta is expected to get the nod for the Tides.
The contest will be carried by WXLW-950 AM and www.IndyIndians.com with Howard Kellman and Scott McCauley. The pre-game show begins at 6:55 p.m.
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