Tribe Lends Chapman Overdue Support

This time, the Spokane Indians backed up Jake Chapman’s sharp pitching.

Chapman (6-1), who has pitched brilliantly of late but received no run support, was awarded a 6-0 cushion Tuesday on the way to a 6-3 win over the Giants at Joe Martin Stadium.

Kit Pellow’s two-run homer in the fifth inning gave Spokane a 5-0 lead and proved the game-winner.

Spokane (31-36), pulled within five games of first place Bellingham (36-31) in the Northwest League’s North Division. The teams clash the next five nights - four times in Spokane.

Chapman allowed one unearned run and three hits, struck out five and walked one in six innings. In his six starts, the left-hander has allowed 16 hits and two earned runs in 38-2/3 innings for a 0.47 ERA. He has fanned 37 and walked five.

Brandon Berger, who walked to lead off the second, scored Spokane’s first run on Brett Taft’s groundout.

The lead grew to 3-0 in the third off starter Ryan Jensen (2-3). Kenderick Moore led off with a double, stole third and came home while Eric Sees created a rundown between first and second. Berger’s fielder’s choice grounder scored Sees.

Pellow’s homer, lined to left off Luis Estrella, was his 17th of the year. Pellow leads the Tribe with 60 RBIs.

Juan Robles’ RBI single in the sixth completed Spokane’s scoring. Bellingham scored an unearned run off Chapman in the sixth, then two in the ninth off Ryan Brewer on Damian Minor’s 11th homer.

All-star team announced

Everett AquaSox first baseman Rob Zachmann was selected most valuable player of the NWL by a vote of league managers.

North Division-leading Bellingham placed five on the 15-player team. Eugene, which leads the South, earned four selections. Spokane was the lone NWL team without a representative. Yakima’s Joe Vavra was tabbed manager of the year.