IronPigs lose to Indianapolis 4-1

Indianapolis pitcher Jeremy Powell came into Monday's start at Coca-Cola Park with a 9.50 ERA.

The IronPigs came into the game as the third-highest scoring team in the International League, averaging 5.3 runs a game, and one of two teams not to be shut out in the season's first month.

So naturally, Powell tossed seven shutout innings and the Indians came within a ninth-inning throwing error of blanking the IronPigs before settling for a 4-1 win before 7,678.

The loss brought the IronPigs' alternating pattern of losses and wins to a halt at 13 games as they dropped back-to-back games for the first time since April 18 and 19. They also fell four games below .500 (10-14) for the first time this season.

Lehigh Valley got its lone run in the ninth when Cody Ransom doubled and eventually scored on a wide relay throw by Indians shortstop Argenis Diaz as he tried to turn a game-ending double play.

Powell (2-3), a former fourth-round pick who played eight seasons in Japan before spending the last two seasons with Indianapolis, allowed five hits and walked three. He also benefited from two double plays turned behind him and some sparkling catches by Neil Walker in left field and Brandon Jones in right.

Jones made a diving catch to end the fifth by taking extra bases and at least one RBI away from Luis Maza, who was hitting with runners at first and second. Then, he hit Joe Savery's third pitch in the top of the sixth onto IronPigs Way in right field for his second homer, extending the Indianapolis lead at the time to 3-0.

Savery (0-2) walked another tightrope throughout his six innings, allowing eight hits and walking two. Indianapolis put its leadoff runner on base in three of the first four innings, but as he's done throughout his career Savery wiggled out of trouble each time, with a huge assist from left fielder Rich Thompson.

Thompson made a sliding catch of Walker's drive near the line after Brandon Moss' leadoff double in the first, then reached into the picnic area to snag Steve Pearce's fly ball for the second out of the inning before Savery got Jones on a soft liner to third.

In the third, Thompson played the carom perfectly on Jones' double off the wall, and short stop Brian Bocock's strong relay to the plate easily cut down Pedro Alvarez at the plate to end the inning. Alvarez, trying to score from first on the play, was out by 20 feet.

But after holding the Indians to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the first four innings, the averages caught up with Savery in the fifth. With runners at first and second with two out Alvarez lined a rocket just over the head of center fielder John Mayberry Jr. in center, chasing in both runners with the double to give Indianapolis the lead.

The outing continued a career-long trend for Savery. Indianapolis hitters were 6-for-13 against Savery with nobody on base, raising Savery's career opponents batting average in such situations to .300. But Savery has held opponents to a .234 batting average with runners in scoring position (the Indians were 1-for-8 Monday), and to a .222 mark with RISP with two outs (Indianpolis was 1-for-6).

The Indians got their final run against Ehren Wassermann without putting the bat on the all. Steve Pearce drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a balk, reached third on a passed ball and scored when Wassermann threw wildly past third on a pickoff attempt.

From the Morning Call