Indians Can’T Hit Everett
Shane Dennis pitched well Monday night, just not well enough. Again.
The Indians left-hander struck out 10 in seven innings, but couldn’t overcome another silent night from Spokane bats as Everett prevailed 6-1 before 2,591 at Seafirst Stadium.
“He pitched his butt off,” Giants manager Mike Hart said, “but they didn’t get any runs for him.”
It’s a familiar story for Dennis, who entered Monday’s game with a 1-5 record despite a 3.28 ERA. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from Wichita State ran his scoreless innings streak to 15, striking out seven of the first 13 Giants he faced.
Then came the fifth, when Everett managed one run on three hits, and the sixth, when Don Denbow launched his 10th homer of the season for a 3-0 Giants lead.
“The mistake to Denbow was inexcusable,” Dennis said, “especially after I worked so hard to get the second out in the inning.”
Hart summed up Denbow’s homer: “That was 450 feet if it was a foot. That’s about as far as he can hit ‘em.”
Gary Matthews Jr.’s sixth-inning groundout to shortstop Jose Alguacil scored Darren Grass from third and pulled Spokane to within 3-1.
The game could have ended there, although Spokane nearly rallied in the ninth. Erik Martinez reached on an error, Jay Johnson singled and Mark Merila walked to load the bases. Reliever Tony Mattos struck out the next three Indians to end the game. In all, Spokane stranded 13, including five on third base.
Everett scored in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings on RBI singles from Michael Villano and Jamie Apicella and a fielder’s choice.
Everett starter Chad Frontera lasted four innings before leaving with an injured leg. Jeff Keith (3-0) pitched the next 2 innings, striking out five before Mattos finished up.
The Giants won the final four games of the five-game series against Spokane. Boise starts a five-game series at Seafirst tonight at 7:05.
Notes: Former Spokane Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers star Steve Garvey will join SportsTalk host Craig West at 6 p.m. today on KGA 1510. The show, which will also include Washington State University football coach Mike Price, will take call-ins (441-3315). … This year’s Indians, averaging 4,319 fans per game, lead the NWL in attendance and are on pace to outdraw Garvey’s 1970 team despite playing 33 fewer home games (73 to 38), not counting rainouts. Baseball America called the 1970 team the best minor-league team in the last 50 years, while the ‘94 version is fourth-best in the NWL North Division.