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05/29/2009 11:34 PM ET
Tribe Provides Fireworks in 14-7 Win Over Sox
On Fireworks Friday The Tribe Plates Season High 14 runs on 16 Hits
By Brian Bosma / IndyIndians.com
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 RF Garrett Jones went 4-for-5 with three runs scored in the Tribe's 14-7 blow out win over the Pawtucket Red Sox on Friday evening. (Bill Gentry)
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INDIANAPOLIS -- On Fireworks Friday, the Indianapolis Indians provided some fireworks of their own as they plated a season high 14 runs on 16 hits, including four-hit efforts from 1B Steve Pearce and RF Garrett Jones that led them to a 14-7 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox in front of a crowd of 10,008 on Friday night at Victory Field.
With the win the Indians improve to 22-25 overall and 10-12 at home, while the loss drops the Red Sox to 25-22 on the season and 13-13 on the road. The victory gives Indianapolis the early 1-0 season series edge over Pawtucket.
Pearce (4-for-5, 4 R, 1 RBI), Jones (4-for-5, 3 R, 1 RBI), 3B Neil Walker (2-for-4, 1 R, 4 RBI), DH Luis Cruz (2-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI) and SS Brian Bixler (2-for-4, 1 R, 3 RBI) combined to go 14-for-21 with 11 runs and 11 RBI and lead the Tribe to one of their best offensive efforts on the season.
Pearce sparked the Indians first rally when he led off the second inning with a double, moved to third on a single by C Adam Melhuse and came plateward on a double by Cruz. Melhuse then trotted home on an RBI groundout by 2B Shelby Ford, before Cruz came home himself on a double by Bixler.
The Red Sox would battle back to take over the lead with five runs of their own in the third inning. 2006 Indianapolis Indians MVP, Carlos Maldonado, plated one of the five runs with an RBI single and then trotted home on a three-run long ball by DH Paul McAnulty.
Maldonado (2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBI) turned in one of three multi-hit efforts and one of two multi-RBI performances for Pawtucket, with LF Chip Ambres (2-for-5, 1 R, 1 RBI) and CF Freddy Guzman (2-for-4, 2 R) also collecting multiple base knocks and McAnulty (1-for-3, 1 R, 3 RBI) also posting a multi-RBI effort.
After falling behind 5-3, the Indians responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning and then tied a season high with six more tallies in the fifth.
Walker provided the fireworks in the third inning, when he blasted a home run for the second straight game to take over the Indians' team lead with seven homers on the season. Jones and Pearce were along for the ride, when Walker launched his long ball to center field after reaching on a double and single earlier in the inning.
Jones and Pearce would also key the Tribe's six run fifth, when they led off the frame with back-to-back singles and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Walker and a Pawtucket miscue. Bixler would also add a two-run single later in the inning, before Salazar lifted a sacrifice fly and Jones came up with his second single of the inning to drive in the sixth and final run of the frame.
Indianapolis would also plate single runs in the sixth and eighth on an RBI single by Cruz and a run-scoring groundout by Pearce that brought them to their season high total of 14 runs.
Indianapolis starter Daniel McCutchen (5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) picked up the win to improve to 3-3 on the season despite allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings, while Pawtucket starter Enrique Gonzalez (4.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 BB, 4 SO) was pinned with the loss to drop to 5-4 on the season after allowing eight runs on nine hits in just 4.1 innings.
Tribe relievers Juan Mateo (2.0 IP, 1 H) and Chris Bootcheck (1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 SO) also combined for three scoreless innings of relief, allowing just two hits, while striking out two.
Indianapolis continues their four game series against the Red Sox with game two of the series to take place on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. RHP Virgil Vasquez is scheduled to start for Indianapolis, while RHP Clay Buchholz is expected to get the nod for Pawtucket.
Vasquez picked up his team leading fourth win in his last start on May 25th after he allowed only one run on four hits and struck out six in six innings of work. In his last two starts combined, Vasquez has hurled 14 innings and allowed only two runs, while striking out nine.
On the other side, Buchholz took a perfect game into the ninth inning in his last start against the Louisville Bats, but it was broken up after a leadoff single to begin the ninth and ultimately ended in a complete game shutout. On September 1, 2007, Buchholz also became the first Boston Red Sox rookie to throw a no-hitter, when he shutout the Baltimore Orioles 10-0 at Fenway Park in Boston.
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 6:40 p.m.
Post-game quotes -- 1B Steve Pearce
(on his 4-for-5 performance on Friday)
"I just made it simple. I just went up there and just tried to hit the ball and put some good swings on them. I just felt good at the plate, but it was a great night for everybody. It was a fun night tonight so let's see if we can continue this and take it into tomorrow."
(on Neil Walker's three-run home run)
"Oh it definitely changed the game, especially when the Red Sox just put up five runs right before. It was a big swing and a great at-bat by Walker and it put the momentum back on our side."
This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
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