Spokane Indians lose at Yakima

YAKIMA – The Yakima Bears grabbed the lead three batters into the game and didn’t look back in a 6-4 win over the Spokane Indians in Northwest League play Wednesday night. The victory gives the front-running Bears (18-9) a four-game lead over the second-place Indians (14-13) and eight ahead of third-place Tri-City, which lost to Boise Wednesday, in East Division second-half play. Spokane already clinched a spot in the playoffs by winning the division in the first half of the season. Yakima jumped on Indians starter Juan Grullon (0-3) from the get-go. Grullon hit Roberto Ortiz with a pitch with one out in the bottom of the first inning. Ortiz took second on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on a single by Zachary Walters. Yazy Arbelo singled and Henry Zabala drew a walk to load the bases. Walters was forced out at home on a fielder’s choice grounder by Raywilly Gomez for the second out. But Raoul Torrez followed with a two-run single and Jhoan Pimentel capped the four-run first with an RBI double. Trailing 5-0, the Indians scored twice in the fifth on Alejandro Selen’s bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly from Ryan Strausborger. Spokane pulled within a run in the seventh on a two-run single by Andrew Clark, but would get no closer.