INDIANAPOLIS -- After squandering an early 6-0 lead the Indianapolis Indians, led by center fielder Jeff Salazar’s two-run, three-hit, three-rbi performance, squeezed by the Norfolk Tides 9-7 Thursday night at Victory Field.

With the win the Indians improve to 28-31 overall and 13-17 at home, while the loss drops the Tides to 36-21 on the season and 17-11 on the road.  The victory gives Indianapolis a 1-0 series lead in their first meeting with Norfolk this season.
ADVERTISEMENT

Salazar started the Tribe’s scoring, when he brought home SS Brian Bixler with an RBI triple in the first inning, before coming plateward himself on a sacrifice fly by RF Garrett Jones to push the score to 2-0.

After a scoreless second Indianapolis exploded for four runs in the third as LF Chris Snelling and Bixler led off with back-to-back walks, before Salazar ripped an RBI single and Jones beat out an infield single to load the bases.  The Indians went on to score one run in each of the next three at-bats as DH Steve Pearce lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Bixler, 1B Larry Broadway roped an RBI single to score Salazar and C Erik Kratz collected a second sacrifice fly, which allowed Jones to trot home and give the Tribe a 6-0 lead.

However, Norfolk battled back and pulled the score to 6-4 after posting four runs in the fifth behind a pair of two-run singles by 3B Brandon Pinckney and 2B Melvin Dorta.  The Tides kept the hits rolling and scored three more runs in the next frame as the first five batters of the sixth all reached base safely.

After two straight RBI doubles by 1B Jolbert Cabrera and C Chad Moeller tied the game at six, Pinckney collected his third RBI of the contest with an run scoring single that plated Moeller and gave the Tides their first lead of the game.

The Indians wouldn’t trail for long as their offense answered right back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the sixth.  Broadway led off the frame with a single and later scored after 2B Shelby Ford reached first safely on a throwing error by Norfolk SS Carlos Rojas.

Kratz jump started the game winning rally in the eighth, with his second hit of the contest, before being joined on base by Ford who reach on a walk.  Snelling then brought home the eventual game-winning run with an RBI single up the middle for his first hit in an Indians’ uniform.

Kratz scored on Snelling’s RBI base knock after he pulled off an acrobatic hook slide that allowed him to just squeak past Norfolk backstop Chad Moeller.  The fantastic slide by Kratz also gave Snelling his first Triple-A RBI of 2009 and reclaimed the lead for Indianapolis at 8-7.  
Later in the frame, Salazar would add an insurance run when the speedy outfielder brought home Ford with his third base knock of the night to seal the 9-7 victory for the Tribe..

RHP Chris Bootcheck (1.0 IP, 2 SO) then shut the door on the Tides with a perfect ninth inning, which included two strikeouts en route to his team-leading ninth save of the season.  Bootcheck along with fellow relievers, Brian Slocum (1.0 IP), Donnie Veal (1.2 IP, 2 BB, 2 SO) and Juan Mateo (0.1 IP) combined to allow just two base runners in four scoreless innings of relief.

Neither starter recorded a decision as Indians’ right-hander Virgil Vasquez (5.0 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO) was touched for all seven of Norfolk’s runs over five innings of work, while Tides’ starter Radhames Liz (4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 5 SO) gave up six runs in his four innings. Tides reliever Chris Ray (2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 SO) was handed his first loss of the season as he gave up the Tribe’s final two runs as well as three hits and two walks in his two innings of relief, while Mateo earned his third victory to move to 3-4 for the Indians this year.

The Tribe benefited from a multi-run and multi-RBI performance by Salazar (3-for-5, 2 R, 1 3B, 3 RBI) who along with Broadway (3-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) and Kratz (2-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB) also tallied multiple hits.  Norfolk received multi-hit games from RF Jeff Fiorentino (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 BB), Cabrera (2-for-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI), Moeller (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB) and Pinckney (2-for-3, 1 R, 3 RBI) as both Moeller and Cabrera scored multiple runs and Pinckney tallied multiple RBI.

Are You an Insider Yet?
SZ Insider. A look ahead into the big player feature, the big story, tips, rumors, and special opportunities for collectibles and memorabilia only available for our insiders. Free monthly to your e-mailbox. Click the link to subscribe to this FREE newsletter!