Buck Beats Bailey Indians Win 2-1

By Jerry Dowling

Homer Bailey is an avid hunter but this time a Buck got the better of him.

Josh Tomlin and Bailey matched zeros for six innings.

Tomlin allowed just two hits in the first five innings.  He hit Brandon Phillips with a two-strike pitch.  Jay Bruce followed with a single to center field.  With the infield shifted for Bruce, Phillips beat thirdbaseman. Jack Hannahan to the base.  For the second straight day, Orlando Cabrera muffed a hard ground ball.  Instead of a double play.  Cabrera could only get Scott Rolen and Phillips broke the ice with the first run of the game.

Bailey had little trouble with the Indians.  Shin-Soo Choo blooped a hit to left in the fourth inning but that was the only baserunner the Indians had until Asdrubal Cabrera found a hole with a ground ball to start the seventh inning.

Bailey got the next two hitters, catching Carlos Santana looking for the second out of the inning.  Bailey made one bad pitch.  The first pitch to designated hitter, Travis Buck, was right down the middle and Buck tagged it.

The ball hit the top of the right field wall and gave the Indians the lead.

Reliever Vinnie Pestano allowed a single to Ryan Hanigan.  Dusty Baker sent Travis Wood in to run for Hanigan.  Wood became a spectator as Pestano struck out struggling Edgar Renteria swinging, Drew Stubbs looking and Jonny Gomes after swinging at a pair of pitches off the plate, took a called third strike.

Jose Arredondo, who is starting to look more comfortable, allowed a single and nothing else in the eighth.

Indians closer Chris Perez walked Joey Votto to start the ninth but got Phillips to ground into a double play.  Bruce walked but Rolen struck out to end the game.

The Reds lost its fourth straight and fell 1 1/2 behind the St. Louis Cardinals, who beat Kansas City earlier.

The Indians are insured of winning the series by taking the first two games.  The Reds had won the last seven series between the Ohio rivals.   Also the Indians are 36-35 against the Reds since interleague play began in 1997.