Indians Put On A Terrific Show Spokane Plays Errorless Baseball To Defeat Yakima 2-1 In Front Of National TV Audience
Perhaps the Spokane Indians needed to have television cameras pointed at them all year.
With a national TV audience watching on ESPN2, the Indians played errorless ball and held tough in the ninth inning for a 2-1 win over the Yakima Bears.
Spokane first baseman Randy Paulin preserved the win by gloving Trent Cuevas’ bases-loaded grounder in the ninth and flipping the ball to Jose Santiago, the fifth Indians pitcher. Santiago, in relief of Brent Kaysner, faced the one batter and earned his first save.
The Indians (34-39) broke a two-game losing streak and remained tied with Everett for second place in the Northwest League’s Northern Division. Yakima (27-46) lost its seventh straight, although the Bears lead the season series with Spokane 5-4.
Center fielder Tony Miranda paced the Indians with two hits, including his 16th double. Miranda and teammate William Roland, who doubled and scored in the second, are tied for second in the league with 16 doubles.
Miranda played before a national TV audience when his Cal State Fullerton team won the College World Series. The cameras meant little to him.
“My advice is to stay within yourself and not try to do too much,” said Miranda, the league leader with 51 runs scored. “That’s when good things happen to you.”
Few good things happened to the Bears against Indians starter Jeremy Williamson (3-1). The left-hander struck out five, and allowed five hits and one earned run in six innings. Williamson, after his seventh and final start, has an earned-run average of 1.43.
“Jeremy did an outstanding job,” said Spokane manager Al Pedrique. “He threw about 80 to 85 pitches.”
The one bad pitch, a 1-2 fastball to leadoff hitter Ken Morimoto in the first, was deposited into left-center for a double. Morimoto moved to second on Juan Sosa’s no-out single to left. The next batter, Andy Owen, grounded to Roland at third. Roland opted for a double play and conceded the run. That would be it for the Bears, although Williamson stranded Judd Granzow at third in the second and Owen at third in the fourth. Williamson, Craig Sanders, Matt Saier and Kaysner retired 14 straight until Juan Hernaiz’s single in the ninth.
Kaysner walked pinch-hitter Travis Meyer and hit Johnny Hilo on the batting helmet before Pedrique summoned Santiago for the final out. Cuevas hit a sharp grounder on a 1-1 pitch, but Paulin was prepared.
Paulin was also ready in the second, when he followed Roland’s two-out double with an RBI single to center. Spokane took the lead for good in the third when Dwayne Lewis walked with one out, Patrick Hallmark singled, Miranda loaded the bases with a single to shortstop and Mark Quinn notched an RBI grounder to short.
“It was a good game for both teams,” said Pedrique, though perplexed by Spokane’s continuing trend of blowing scoring chances. “I wasn’t so much nervous, but I wondered how they’d do on national TV.”
The game drew 5,425, putting Spokane within reach of a record for per-game attendance. Last year’s team averaged 4,219. This year’s is at 4,193. The 1995 Indians bid adieu to Spokane tonight with club wins leader Modesto Villarreal (7-2, 3.22) scheduled to start against Carl South (3-6, 6.14).
, DataTimes