Indians Win Fifth Straight
The winning pitcher allowed two singles and a walk to the three batters he faced.
The game-winning run came on a double play.
Could Dame Fortune have possibly smiled more on the Spokane Indians this week?
Spokane completed a five-game Northwest League sweep of the Boise Hawks on Saturday, but not without tense moments. The Indians, 8-7 winners at Seafirst Stadium, allowed the Hawks to tie the game at 7 after leading 7-1.
“The biggest thing was responding with a run right away,” said manager Tye Waller after the Indians gave Boise a five-spot in the top of the sixth inning but scored the winner in the bottom of the sixth.
“That’s the kind of thing that’s been happening to us recently.”
Spokane swept its first series of the year and its first five-game series since 1990. The Indians (25-31) are on a five-game winning streak, while Boise (35-21) has dropped six straight.
Spokane starter Shane Dennis waltzed along for five innings before the game shifted in the sixth.
“He just lost his control a little bit,” said Spokane catcher Dave Ullan, who had the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly/double play, then completed an important double play in the eighth by throwing out Ryan Wheeler. “But he’d gone the distance before, so we thought he’d be all right.”
Dennis, the league strikeout leader with 75, left with two out, the bases loaded and Spokane leading 7-3.
His replacement and winning pitcher Jarman Leach (2-2) allowed a two-run single to Paul Failla, walked Kevin Ham, then gave up Demond Smith’s two-run single. What saved Leach: Ham strayed off second base on Smith’s single and was tagged out near third.
David Sick (2-1), Boise’s most effective pitcher of the night, took the loss when Spokane scored in the sixth. Second baseman Mark Merila, 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs scored, opened the inning with a single. Sick loaded the bases, picked up a strikeout, then surrendered Ullan’s deep fly to right that scored Merila. Pete Bifone was doubled up on the play by trying to take second.
Matt Barrett relieved Leach in the seventh and put two aboard with two out. Up came Kevin Young, who had doubled, scored twice and driven in a run with a sacrifice fly. Barrett struck him out and Young left the game after arguing the called third strike.
Barrett walked Jim Greely, the first batter in the eighth, forcing Waller to call upon relief specialist Bubba Dixon.
Dixon struck out Failla on a 3-2 pitch and Ullan, throwing over Failla, doubled up pinch-runner Ryan Wheeler at second.
Dixon worked an easy ninth for his league-best 11th save.
Spokane begins a five-game series tonight at Bend. The Indians have won four of five from the Rockies this year. Arthur Lee Jenkins (3-4), in search of his fourth consecutive win, will start for Spokane.