Successful Tribe Trip Ends On Loss Spokane Stays Atop North; Homestand Opens Wednesday

A 10-1/2-hour bus trip is never pleasant any time, but after a losing game it can be gruelling.

You’ll pardon the Spokane Indians if they didn’t lament Monday night’s Northwest League baseball loss all the way home.

Not that they’re ready to celebrate a 9-5 whacking by the Southern Oregon Athletics, but consider:

1) It was only Spokane’s fifth loss in 21 games, and just its second on an eight-game road trip.

2) The Indians retain a one-game lead over 15-6 Boise, a 3-1 loser to Portland, in the North Division.

3) And the Indians, after an off-day today, return to Seafirst Stadium on Wednesday to open a six-game homestand that will be capped by a visit from Boise.

Athletics catcher Javier Flores was the big thorn in the side of the Indians, delivering a sacrifice fly in the third and a three-run homer in the seventh. That came off Spokane reliever Don Quigley, who hadn’t given up a hit in 8-2/3 innings over four games.

Juan LeBron, who dropped a fly ball in the sun to open the floodgates on a four-run Southern Oregon second, did his best to atone for the miscue with a three-run homer in the eighth. The 400-plus-foot shot was his second and gave him 12 RBIs, second on the team behind Dermal Brown’s league-leading 28.

Brown reached that total with a single in the fifth.

Rodney Clifton had a two-run single in the Athletics’ second and Adam Piatt belted his fourth homer in the fifth. It was his second in as many nights.

Merrell Ligons doubled and scored on a passed ball in the third for Spokane’s other run.