Brandon Cumpton pitches 8 scoreless innings as Indianapolis beats Columbus 1-0

Indianapolis defeated Columbus 1-0 in a not-very-eventful game Thursday night at the Clippers' Huntington Park.

Indianapolis had its work cut out for it tonight -- opposing starter Danny Salazar was easily the best Columbus pitcher I've seen in three years living here, and he's probably one of the best pitchers currently in the minor leagues, a hard thrower who looked like a big-league ace in the making last season and might still become one if he can cut down his walks a bit. He walked five batters today, but Indianapolis' hitters failed to do much against him.

Brandon Cumpton pitched a poor first inning, walking his first two batters and giving up a line drive single to Jesus Aguilar, but Brett Morel bailed him out by starting a double play from third. He settled way down after that and didn't allow another hit until the eighth, when Carlos Moncrief led off with a double, then moved up on a sacrifice. Cumpton got a shallow fly ball and a groundout, though, and that ended his night with eight scoreless innings. He struck out three and walked four.

McGuiness led off the ninth with a double to deep left center, and then pinch-runner Mel Rojas moved up on Blake Davis' sacrifice. Dean Anna then brought Rojas home with a sacrifice fly. Josh Wall pitched the ninth for the save.

A few notes:

-P- Andrew Lambo, playing his first game back at Triple-A after a thumb injury in May, hit a line drive for an out in the first and then singled in the fourth. He whiffed in the sixth, then again in the eighth.

-P- Tony Sanchez nearly took a Salazar fastball to the face early in the game (there was some history between the two teams -- Wirfin Obispo apparently buzzed a Columbus batter twice last week in Indianapolis). But Sanchez got revenge, driving Salazar out of the game in the sixth with a double to left. Sanchez also gunned down a basestealer with a terrific throw in the sixth.

-P- Davis and Brent Morel don't hit well, but they looked terrific on the left side of the infield, making a number of tough plays. Neither of them are likely to become big-league starters, but they could probably fill in well enough if needed, because of their defense.