Indians Take Another On Chin Everett Downs Spokane 9-7; Tribe’S Leading Hitter Promoted

It’s a new month, but the way it started Monday for the Spokane Indians it must still read July on their calendar.

Everett handled the woeful-hitting Indians for the third time in a four-game series as the Giants held off a late Spokane rally for a 9-7 Northwest League win at Seafirst Stadium.

Spokane, the league’s worst-hitting team (.233 before Monday), had six hits. Three of the hits came in the ninth inning when the Indians took advantage of some sloppy relief pitching by the Giants (three walks and a hit batter) to score what would prove to be five “oh-by-theway” runs.

Spokane’s offensive drought may not improve any time soon, either. It was the final game for shortstop Greg LaRocca, Spokane’s leading hitter (.291), who has been promoted to Class A Rancho Cucamonga (Calif.).

The Indians, who fell into sole possession of last place in the North Division on Sunday, slipped to 18-26. Everett moved two games ahead of Spokane at 20-24.

If the Indians are going to turn things around at the plate - and in their division, for that matter - they’ll have to do it on the road. Spokane goes to Eugene tonight to open a fivegame series before returning Sunday for a seven-game homestand.

Spokane manager Ty Waller issued a challenge to the Indians.

“It’s the time of the season now when we’ve got to play ball,” Waller said. “We’re in August and we can’t wait any longer. We need everybody to step up now or we’re going to get buried in our division.”

Most of the 2,977 fans had left by the time Spokane mounted its belated rally.

Still, Spokane brought the potential winning run to the plate in its last at-bat. But with runners at second and third base, Gary Matthews took a called third strike on the outside corner to end the game.

“We just aren’t swinging the bats,” Waller said. “You’ve got to hit to get men on base. We didn’t do that until the last inning and even then we got a ton of walks.”

Waller wasn’t completely disappointed - especially since the Indians fell behind 9-1 in the previous inning when the Giants’ No. 1 draft pick, Dante Powell, put Everett ahead comfortably with a grand slam.

“Any time you come back and battle in a game it’s a positive,” Waller said. “But I’d like to see some of that earlier in the game.”

Spokane broke a 14-inning scoreless drought in the sixth. Trailing 5-0, the Indians manufactured a run without a hit.

Jay Johnson walked to lead off, stole his league-leading 19th base and advanced to third on a ground out. Antonio Fernandez followed with a sacrifice fly.

Everett starter Mike Schiefelbein (1-2) pitched six effective innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out four.

The Giants staked Schiefelbein to a 5-0 lead. Everett right-fielder Dan Denbrow did the early damage when he hit his league-leading ninth homer, a high, tailing, two-run shot to right field that barely snuck past the foul pole fair.

Everett added a single run in the third and got two more on a triple by Kevin Watson in the fourth. Watson’s stroke kept rising past Indians’ right-fielder Kenya Hunt, who made a leaping attempt at the ball but couldn’t hold on as he tumbled onto the warning track.

Notes: In addition to promoting LaRocca, the Indians made three other roster moves Monday. Outfielder Francisco Derotal was sent to Peoria of the Arizona League; Spokane picked up Adam Robson, a first baseman, from Peoria; and the Indians also will receive former Indian Santiago Rivera, a shortstop, from Springfield, Mo., to replace LaRocca.