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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians pregame: Teodoro Ortega makes first start of season against Boise

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

The Spokane Indians face the Boise Hawks in the first of a four-game Northwest League series at Avista Stadium at 6:35 p.m.

The Indians (6-2) send right-hander Teodoro Ortega (1-0, 0.00) against LHP Breiling Eusebio (0-0. 0.00) for the Hawks (3-5).

This is Ortega’s first start for the Indians. In two relief appearances, the 19-year old has allowed two hits and struck out five over four innings of work. Eusebio has made two starts for Boise but hasn’t pitched longer than two innings in either appearance.

Lineup:

Weather: Game time – partly cloudy, 73. Final out – clear, 64.

Player to watch: Tanner Gardner returned to Spokane on a rehab assignment on Friday to play in his first game in more than one month. The former Texas Tech Red Raider hit .247 last season in Spokane with five homers and 30 RBIs.

Scoring update: Boise’s Michael Toglia, the Colorado Rockies first-round pick out of UCLA, homered in his second at-bat after reaching on an error in the first inning. After the game, the official scorer changed his first at-bat to a single, so the 20-year old had hits in his first two pro appearances.

Streaking: With a single in the fifth inning, Jonah McReynolds extended his season-long hitting streak to eight games. He’s hitting .400 over the span.

Last night: David Garcia hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, added a two-run double in the sixth and the Indians downed the Boise Hawks 9-4 in the first of a four-game Northwest League series before an over-capacity crowd of 7,050 at Avista Stadium.

Obie Ricumstrict and Starling Joseph added homers for the Indians, who matched their season’s home run total in the game.

Starter Ricky Vanasco got the win, He allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks with six strikeouts and threw 50 of his 76 pitches for strikes.

Ex-Indians news: Sherten Apostel hit his tenth homer for Low-A Hickory and as he reached the plate, Charleston catcher Anthony Seigler had some words for him. Lead runner Melvin Novoa then got into it with Seigler and the benches emptied. Both Novoa and Apostel were ejected. Due to a short bench, Hickory had to use catcher Isaias Quiroz at first base, making his debut at the position.