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Spokane Indians

Indians’ losing streak reaches season-high five

HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Spokane Indians registered their season-high fifth consecutive setback on Friday night but not before pushing the Hillsboro Hops until the final out.

The Indians spotted the Hops a 4-0 lead after two innings. They rallied with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings and had two runners aboard in the ninth when Jose Trevino’s liner to shortstop capped Hillsboro’s 4-3 win at Ron Tonkin Field.

The Indians (35-31 overall, 10-18 second half) have also lost five consecutive games to the Hops (41-25, 19-9) and are 1-7 for the season series with games left today and Sunday.

Hillsboro, the South Division first-half champion, boosted its second-half lead to two games over Salem-Keizer. The North Division first-half champion Indians are four games behind second-half leader Tri-City (14-14), which holds a gap of 1 1/2 games on Vancouver and Everett.

The Indians have dropped eight of their last 10 games. They are 13-20 against the South teams after starting the season 8-0 against the division.

Steve Nyisztor’s two-run double to right field off Richelson Pena (5-4) gave the Hops a 4-0 lead in the second.

Spokane began its fifth with Juremi Profar’s single and Chuck Moorman’s double. Eduard Pinto’s one-out ground out scored Profar, but Moorman was stranded on third.

Trevino singled to open the sixth and scored on Profar’s sacrifice fly to center.

The Indians cut the Hops’ edge to 4-3 in the seventh. Saquan Johnson led off with a single and scored on Diego Cedeno’s one-out ground out to first.

Cedeno and Seth Spivey singled with two outs in the ninth before Trevino’s liner ended the comeback.

Spokane has scored three runs or less in seven of its last eight games.

The Indians are down to the final 10 regular-season games before opening the best-of-3 divisional round Sept. 2 on the road.

Spokane’s Luke Tendler (.309, nine homers, 47 RBIs) returned after missing three games with a sprained ankle. Tendler entered as a pinch hitter in the top of the eighth inning and struck out with a runner at first base.