Indian eruption
Spokane scores 14 runs in row, beats Volcanoes
A quick glance at the runs scored by the Spokane Indians and it would be easy to overlook the pitching.
More specifically, the pitching of right-handed reliever Jose Monegro.
Had it not been for Monegro it’s very likely Spokane wouldn’t have had a chance to battle back from an early 7-1 deficit for a series-clinching 15-7 win over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in a Northwest League game Monday before 3,244 at Avista Stadium.
The 6-foot-3 Monegro (1-0) – a free-agent signee in 2008 out of San Francisco de Macoris, Dominican Republic – put the brakes on the Volcanoes’ momentum, throwing 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. He allowed just two hits, striking out four with no walks. Of his 44 pitches, 30 were strikes.
“We needed to shut down that momentum on their side,” Spokane manager Tim Hulett said. “We were starting to put the numbers up there but you’ve got to put the zeros on the back end of that and Monegro did an outstanding job.”
In fact, the Indians’ three relievers held the Volcanoes scoreless the final six innings.
That allowed the Indians’ bats to take over.
Spokane’s comeback started in the third when the Indians sent 10 to the plate. Brett Nicholas continued his hot start, collecting a run-scoring single. Ruben Sierra followed moments later with a two-run single. A third run scored when S-K’s right fielder ran past the ball. Spokane pulled within 7-6 when Carson Vitale knocked in a run on a single.
Spokane pulled even in the fourth on a Nicholas sacrifice fly, and the Indians took the lead for good the following inning on another Nicholas sacrifice fly.
The Indians took control in the sixth when they sent 11 to the plate. Spokane scored eight runs on just three hits, but they were big connections. Sierra had a three-run double and Trever Adams had an RBI double. The big pop, though, came when Ryan Rua hit a three-run homer. It was just his second hit of the season, but first hit out of the infield.
Spokane scored 14 unanswered runs.
Leading the way was Sierra, the son of the ex-major leaguer by the same name. He finished 3 for 5 with five RBIs.
“We know he can hit,” Hulett said. “The issue for him is he’s a free swinger and we’re trying to slow him down a little bit … and not be such a swinger with guys on base. He backed the ball up well with guys on and didn’t try to do too much. He got a big knock early and an even bigger knock later.”
“I don’t know what you want to call it but I like to swing a lot on the first pitch,” Sierra said. “They’re trying to get me to take more strikes, see more of the ball and put it in play.”
It’s working.
Hulett wasn’t concerned when the Indians (3-1) trailed 7-1.
“One of the things on our list is we don’t play the scoreboard,” Hulett said. “We play the game and we want to put guys on base every inning and try to score and I guess the guys took it to heart tonight. We’ve done an outstanding job of swinging the bat with guys on base. It’s been getting the guys on base that’s been the issue. I thought as a team we had much better team at-bats.”
Indians’ second baseman Hirotoshi Onaka did his part in getting on base frequently. He walked five times, falling one walk short of the NWL record set by Robert Nelson of Tri-City in 1960.
“I’ve never seen that in my life – five walks by one person,” Sierra said. “That’s what helped the team. Every time you get on a base there’s a great chance to score.”