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Spokane Indians

Philip Clarke, Spencer Horwitz pace Vancouver over Spokane Indians 13-5

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

Philip Clarke had a career night, Spencer Horwitz set a league record and the Vancouver Canadians downed the Spokane Indians 14-5 in the third of a six-game High-A West series in Hillsboro, Oregon.

[BOX SCORE courtesy MILB.com]

The Indians (61-48) fell 1 1/2 games behind league-leading Eugene (64-48) and remain two games ahead of third-place Everett (60-51) for the second playoff spot in the league. Eugene beat visiting Everett 4-1. 

Horwitz went 2 for 4, extending his hitting streak to 27 games, breaking the Northwest/High-A West League record set by Gary Johnson of Tri-City in 1962 and Anthony Laurenzi of Medford in 1982.

Horwitz is hitting .440 (48 for 109) with seven home runs and 32 RBIs during the streak.

The game was tied at 4-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, but the first five Vancouver batters in the frame reached against reliever Moises Ceja, including a three-run home run by Philip Clarke, and the C’s ran away with it. Vancouver scored five runs in the fifth, three in the sixth and single runs in the seventh and eighth.

Clarke finished 3 for 4 with eight RBIs. He has six home runs on the season – four against Spokane.

Indians starter Chris McMahon struggled out of the gate. He walked C’s leadoff hitter Zac Cook and with one out hit Horwitz and walked Rafael Lantigua to load the bases.

Pitching coach Ryan Kibler came out to settle the 23-year-old right-hander, but it didn’t work. Clarke laced a double to center, clearing the bases. 

McMahon went four innings and allowed four runs on two hits and three walks with three strikeouts and one hit batter.

The Indians scored three in the third on RBI singles by Ezequiel Tovar and Grant Lavigne. Lavigne plated another run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly to tie it before Vancouver blew it open.

Around the league

Eugene 4, Everett 1: Kai-Wei Teng struck out 13 over six innings and the Emeralds (64-48) beat visiting AquaSox (60-51). Teng allowed one run on three hits and two walks. Jairo Pomares homered for the Ems.

Hillsboro at Tri-City: The remainder of the six-game series between the visiting Hops (48-59) and the Dust Devils (42-64) was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns with Tri-City.