Tyler Ratliff lifts Spokane Indians past Everett

Tyler Ratliff is a self-admitted underdog.

The Spokane Indians third baseman says he’s had to prove himself throughout his playing career.

Ratliff was a 17th-round draft pick in June. It’s a round that has proven golden for the Texas Rangers, Spokane’s parent club. Such standouts as Ian Kinsler, Mitch Moreland and Ryan Rua have been 17th-round selections.

Whether Ratliff proves to be worthy of mention with that company is still to be, well, you know, proven.

Ratliff smacked a two-out, three-run homer down the left-field line that hit the foul pole, breaking a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning to jump start Spokane to a 6-4 win over the Everett AquaSox before a season-high crowd of 7,044 at Avista Stadium on Thursday.

Spokane (3-1 second half, 19-23 overall) travels to Everett for a three-game Northwest League series before a three-day break for the All-Star game.

Ratliff and pitcher Cole Ragans will play in the All-Star Game.

Ratliff arrived in Spokane on July 7 and he hasn’t taken long to make an impact. He went 3 for 5 with four RBIs on Thursday.

“That’s why we put him in the heart of the order every night,” Spokane manager Matt Hagan said. “He’s got an opportunity to come out and hit two or three balls on the nose every night. Last night he lined out twice. We’re starting to come to expect that from him and he carries those expectations well.”

Ratliff is enjoying the opportunity to prove himself.

“Going back to high school and being recruited to college, it was just a long path to college,” Ratliff said. “I got overlooked a lot. Then some kids committed and I’m thinking ‘I’m better than that kid’. I just kept working and got an offer to Marshall and the same thing there. You just have to out and keep proving yourself.”

Spokane catcher Melvin Novoa extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.

The Northwest League’s playoff format affords a team like Spokane a reset halfway through the season.

The Indians’ rough start – which included eight straight losses after winning three of the first four – put them in a hole they couldn’t crawl out of.

Four games into the second half, though, Spokane is on a good trajectory. Spokane has won five of its last six series.

“There’s a breath of fresh air going through that clubhouse,” Hagan said. “These halves are so short than when you drop eight games in a row you put yourself in a pretty big hole. We’re headed in the right direction.”

Notes

A little more than halfway through the season the Indians find themselves in an unusual spot in attendance. Spokane traditionally leads the NWL in attendance, but before Thursday’s sell-out crowd Spokane was in second, trailing Vancouver. The Indians have averaged 5,144 per game for 108,026 through 21 games. Vancouver is averaging 6,228 for 118,339 through 19 games.