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Final: Red Sox 4, Braves 0 »
June 19, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS -- Backup catcher Einar Diaz singled home Brad Eldred from second with two out in the bottom of the tenth to give the Indianapolis Indians a 4-3 win over the visiting Pawtucket Red Sox.
Diaz, who entered the game in the sixth inning, slapped reliever Travis Hughes' second pitch into left field to end the three-hour, 20 minute contest.
Once again, the PawSox fizzled with runners on base. Pawtucket batters left 15 runners stranded, at least one in each inning. The PawSox (31-37) have now lost three in a row, including two straight to the I.L. West-leading Indians (42-28).
Pawtucket scored a run in the first inning off Indians starter Marty McLeary. Leadoff hitter Jacoby Ellsbury singled, stole second, moved to third on an infield out and came home on a double by David Murphy. Eldred evened things in the bottom of the second with a 410-foot solo shot to center off PawSox starter David Pauley.
Indianapolis took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third. Luis Ordaz opened the inning with a single and went to second on Matt Kata's base hit. Yurendell de Caster's single scored Ordaz and one out later, Pauley walked Russ Johnson to load the bases. The threat ended when Humberta Cota hit into a force at second.
The PawSox tied the score in the fourth when Bobby Scales singled to center and scored on a double by George Kottaras. The Indians went up 3-2 in the bottom of the inning. Michael Ryan walked and moved to second on a fielder's choice, then scored on Brian Bixler's single.
Mike Burns took over for Pauley in the fifth inning and blanked the Indians through the eighth. Meanwhile Jesse Chavez, who relieved McLeary, stifled the PawSox until the bottom of the eighth. Jeff Bailey led off the inning with a double and moved to second on a bunt single by Scales. Bailey breezed home to make it 3-all when Kottaras flew to right.
The PawSox squandered a couple of opportunities against Franquelis Osoria, the third Indians pitcher. In the ninth they left runners on first and second and in the tenth, they failed to score after loading the bases with less than two out. Scales led off the tenth with a hit and Kottaras followed with a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Ed Rogers, Osoria intentionally walked Ellsbury. But the next two batters, Joe McEwing and Murphy, flied out to douse the rally.
Craig Breslow (1-1) entered the game in the eighth and pitched two scoreless innings. With one out in the tenth, Rogers' throwing error from short put Eldred on base. Russ Johnson flied out, and Hughes relieved Breslow. Diaz's single came on a 1-0 inside fastball.
Notes: With no replacement for right-hander Manny Delcarmen, promoted Sunday to Boston, the PawSox remain short a man.
Jon Lester (1-3) starts for Pawtucket Wednesday afternoon against Michael Tejera (3-1). Thursday night it'll be Kason Gabbard (6-2) versus Shane Youman (3-5) for Indianapolis. Youman was named I.L. Pitcher of the Week for June 11-17, when he went 2-0 with an 0.59 earned run average in two starts.
The current road trip continues with four games at Louisville, starting Friday.
--PETE CAVA, Special to the Providence Journal
Posted by Chris Venditto 
at 10:42 PM to PawSox
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