No stopping Indians

It’s not exactly what Spokane Indians manager Tim Hulett wanted to see: his top pitcher limping and clutching his foot midway through the first inning.

Wilfredo Boscan, the Northwest League’s winningest pitcher at 6-0, rolled his right ankle during a play at home plate. The Salem-Keizer run scored and Hulett had to turn to his already-thin bullpen.

“With Boscan going down in the first inning, if you’d asked me right then and there if we were going to get through the game, I would have said no,” Hulett said. “Because we were thin.”

But the bullpen, tired after Monday’s 12-inning victory, stepped up to the challenge. Along with Spokane’s rekindled offense, the relief pitchers led the Indians to an 8-4 victory over the Volcanoes on Tuesday afternoon at Avista Stadium.

Boscan faced four batters before he left the field, so reliever Yoon-Hee Nam all but started the game. He pitched 31/3 innings, shutting down the Volcanoes (17-18) until he walked two in a row to begin the top of the fourth.

Those two ended up scoring, but Hulett let Nam finish out the inning before bringing in Justin Gutsie. In three innings, Gutsie struck out three and allowed two hits.

“That’s the best he’s thrown for us this year,” Hulett said. “I was very impressed with him today.”

Justin Miller took over in the eighth inning and earned his first professional save. By the end of the game, the Indians (27-8) had just one available reliever left according to Hulett.

There was nothing easy about the chilly afternoon game. Light rain slicked the field and led to two injuries. In addition to Boscan, Salem-Keizer shortstop Vladimir Frias hurt his leg, but stayed in the game.

And the weather cut down on the usual fan turnout for Businessperson Special, the annual afternoon game that encourages Indians fans to leave work early to watch some baseball. The announced attendance was 3,555, but it appeared to be a much smaller crowd.

The rain let up by the third inning, when the Indians led 3-1. The Spokane bats had gained momentum early, in the first inning, when four consecutive hits – including a Joey Butler triple – scored three.

“It’s always good to come out strong and set the tone,” Butler said.

It was leadoff batter David Paisano who stole the show. He went 3 for 5 and was a triple away from hitting for the cycle. A solo home run in the fourth inning put the Indians up 6-3.

Paisano is one of the league’s leading hitters with 24 RBIs.

“I’m happy that I’m doing good,” the Venezuelan said through an interpreter. “When I first came here I thought I was a little lost, but now I’m becoming more comfortable with everything.”

On Tuesday, he said, he was just looking for the fastball.

“The one thing that he needs to get better at is being consistent at the plate,” Hulett said, “and I think he’s done that here.”

If Hulett was happy with the game, his Salem-Keizer counterpart, manager Tom Trebelhorn, was not.

Trebelhorn stormed onto the field in the top of the first when Francisco Peguero was given a third strike for stepping out of the batter’s box. Home plate umpire Matt Benham took the wrath in stride.

But Benham got fed-up in the top of the third, when Trebelhorn ran out to argue a double play turned by the Indians. Benham threw out the Volcanoes manager, who continued his tirade by kicking dirt over home plate and signing it “T” with his finger.

Benham begrudgingly brushed off the plate to prepare it for Nam’s next pitch, which Peguero lined to Paisano in center field for an easy third out. Nam was given the win, for his first this season.

“It was a great outing today by our bullpen,” Hulett said.

Spokane and Salem-Keizer continue their five-game series tonight at 6:30 at Avista Stadium. Spokane leads it 2-1.

Note

The Indians added outfielder Mike Bianucci to their roster Tuesday, filling the spot vacated by Cody Podraza, who was sent down to the AZL Rangers rookie league. An eighth-round draft pick this year as a junior out of Auburn, Bianucci batted .320 and had 13 home runs this past season with the Tigers.