Indians lose to Emeralds 1-0

EUGENE, Ore. – The Spokane Indians, defeated 1-0 by the Eugene Emeralds on Friday night, are stumbling on two fronts in their attempt to reach the postseason.

With Northwest League East first-half winner Tri-City having also led for much of the second half, the playoff focus has been on Spokane and Boise. It was looking like whoever came out with the better overall record for the season would be joining Tri-City in the playoffs. The Indians are a game up on Boise, however, surging Yakima could make it a moot point.

The Bears, though they have the worst overall record, have won six in a row to move within one of Tri-City. If the Bears win the second half, overall records won’t matter and they will play the Dust Devils in the postseason.

In Friday’s loss, Chris Hanna (3-2) pitched seven innings for Spokane, giving up five hits and one walk while striking out seven. But his wild pitch in the first inning after a one-out walk and a single allowed the game’s only run to score.

Spokane had two hits.