Indians Lineup Changes Work In 5-3 Triumph Over Yakima

Too sick to play, Brett Taft still affected the outcome of Saturday’s Spokane Indians game.

With Taft a late scratch because of a recurrence of flu-like symptoms, Spokane manager Bob Herold had to alter his lineup. He inserted Kris Didion into the No. 8 spot and moved designated hitter Roman Escamilla from No. 8 up to No. 7, Taft’s planned spot.

Escamilla adjusted well to the change, thundering a grand slam in the fifth inning to power the Indians past the Yakima Bears 5-3 at Seafirst Stadium. Didion followed with a lineout to center.

“I hate to see a guy get sick, but as fate would have it I was in the right situation,” said Escamilla, who collected Spokane’s fifth slam of the season.

Spokane trailed 3-1 at the time, failing in the first four innings to deliver a big hit. Escamilla changed that on the first pitch he saw from Mickey Maestas (0-6).

Maestas, ‘celebrating’ his 21st birthday, relieved Ben Simon with one out in the fifth and two runners on. Maestas issued a walk to load the bases, then recorded one of the weirdest plays in this or any year: Juan Robles’ spinning squibber between home and the mound that became a pitcher-unassisted force at home.

Maestas hurt his finger fielding the ball, however, and required attention from the Yakima trainer. Cleared to continue, Maestas grooved a fastball to the eager Escamilla, who had one previous homer (July 22) with the Indians and no grand slams since his sophomore year at Galveston (Texas) Junior College.

“I’ve come up this year with the bases loaded and failed to execute,” Escamilla said. “It’s just good to beat this team because we’ve had so much trouble with them.”

Yakima had won seven of 10 against Spokane and 14 of its last 17 games. The Bears (31-34) dropped their third straight after a blistering two-week run at Northwest League North Division-leading Bellingham that included a 10-game winning streak.

Spokane (30-35) kept alive its slim title hopes. Six of the Indians’ final 11 games are against Bellingham (36-29).

“Regardless of what anybody says, so long as you’re not mathematically eliminated, you’re in it,” Escamilla said.

Enrique Calero (4-2) pitched five innings for the victory, stretching his scoreless streak against Yakima to 15-1/3 innings before the Bears’ two-run fourth.

Modesto Villarreal pitched 3-2/3 solid innings of relief before allowing back-to-back, two-out singles in the ninth. Ryan Brewer coaxed the final out for his fourth save.

Spokane generated a run in the third, after Eric Sees doubled and moved to third on Scott Harp’s infield single. With one out, Harp broke for second, stopped right before the bag and retreated to first with Bears second baseman Monte Marshall in pursuit. Sees broke for home and scored when Marshall threw wildly to the plate.

Sees went 3 for 4 and is in a 12-for-28 streak.

The two-game series ends tonight, with a 6:05 start. Spokane’s Jason Simontacchi (2-3, 4.12) and Yakima’s Brian Paluk (3-1, 4.11) are the scheduled starters.

For tonight’s promotion, the first 1,000 fans will receive Indians baseball cards.

, DataTimes