Kolette Bailey prepared a big barbecue feast Monday night for her houseguests. Joey Butler and Jacob Kaase just returned from winning the Northwest League pennant. “They called me (Sunday) night and they had dumped champagne all over each other’s heads in the locker room,” Bailey said.
Thousands of people picked the Spokane County Interstate Fair over the Indians’ game next door for their entertainment Friday. They picked the wrong venue.
The Spokane Indians who came out to play Thursday didn’t look like the Indians that fans have seen all year. They came out nervous. They chased bad pitches. They struck out 11 times. And that’s just what Salem-Keizer wanted.
With their last three games of the regular season, the Spokane Indians did exactly what they wanted to do: gain momentum heading into the Northwest League Championship Series. Spokane’s 3-1 win over Boise on Wednesday capped a 51-25 regular-season record, the best in the league by eight games and Spokane’s best since 1987. Tonight at 6:30, the Indians start a best-of-5 series against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (40-36) at Avista Stadium.
When two Spokane starters got injured two weeks ago and left town for good, the Indians’ depth took a hit. Left fielder Mike Bianucci had added a big bat to the lineup, hitting .316, and Jason Ogata offered a solid mitt at second base. But in Spokane’s 6-4 win over Boise on Tuesday, it became clear that others – coming off injuries, no less – have stepped up to the plate.
Jared Bolden didn’t want to jinx it, but in the bottom of the ninth inning, his team down one run, he had a realization. This is the type of game the Spokane Indians have to be ready for. A close game against a tough opponent – playoff-caliber baseball.
It wasn’t the Indians’ most graceful win, but it was a win nonetheless. Injuries plagued both teams in Spokane’s 7-4 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils on Thursday at Avista Stadium. The Indians (47-23) won their fourth consecutive game and remained six games ahead of Northwest League East Division title contender Boise.
Shaving cream was the ingredient du jour in Jake Kaase’s postgame pie. “I was hoping it was whipped cream, but it’s got a bit of a taste to it,” he said, wiping the foam out of his eyes and hair. He smelled fresh and clean – yep, shaving cream.
The Indians needed this game. They needed to assert their prowess. They needed to dominate. That’s what they did. Spokane attacked early and quickly and took a commanding lead in a 7-0 Northwest League victory over the Tri-City Dust Devils on Tuesday at Avista Stadium.
