Tribe’s Petrue Makes First Impression Count Shortstop Steps In To Spark Spokane Past Timberjacks

REPLAY: 7-22-97 Richard Petru was the batting and fielding star in the Spokane Indians’ 8-3 baseball victory Saturday over Souther Oregon. His last name was misspelled throughout the story and in the headline on Sunday.

The newest member of the Spokane Indians thought his baseball career was finished last month.

No major league team drafted Richard Petrue in June. He’d hit .350 and .310 his last two seasons at Texas A&M, and figured somebody might want a well-rounded shortstop.

Instead, he appeared finished with baseball at age 22.

But after doubling, scoring twice and making a dazzling play in the field Saturday, Petrue looks ready for a few more games.

“I’m just glad to be here,” Petrue said following Spokane’s 8-3 Northwest League win over Southern Oregon at stormy Seafirst Stadium. “It’s a lot of fun playing in front of these types of crowds.”

Spokane (22-10) beat the Timberjacks (16-15) for the second consecutive night to improve its home record to 13-3. North Division-leading Boise also won, to stay two games ahead of Spokane.

The third game of the five-game set is at 3:05 p.m. today. Kansas City bonus baby Dan Reichert, who arrived in town Friday, the same day as Petrue, will make his professional debut on the mound. Reichert, a first-round draft selection (and seventh overall) last month, will face Chris Gorrell (3-1, 4.91 ERA).

Petrue’s luck changed when he signed with Sioux City (Iowa), an independent team. The Kansas City Royals found him there and signed him to a free-agent contract.

Petrue spent four days at Gulf Coast (Fla.) rookie league, then was shipped to Spokane. Merrell Ligons, Spokane’s regular shortstop, is fighting a hip flexor problem, so Petrue earned the start Saturday.

Petrue, batting No. 9, and catcher Jeremy Hill at No. 8 started rallies in the fifth and sixth innings as the Indians stormed back from a 2-1 deficit for their 15th comeback victory.

Hill and Petrue scored on Joe Caruso’s double during a five-run fifth. Petrue added a wind-blown RBI double in the sixth and scored on a wild pitch.

The best of Petrue came on defense. With two out in the sixth, he ranged far to his left on Nicolas Sosa’s liner, and stabbed the ball while midair on a big stretch.

“That felt good to hear the crowd roar,” said the Houston native. “I was a little nervous after my bad throw (in the fifth).”

Spokane’s Men of July remained hot. Caruso improved his average for the month to .379, Juan LeBron doubled and scored for his ninth hit in 19 at-bats, and Rico Montas’ RBI single made him 15 for 45 (.333) for the month.

Spokane’s Dermal Brown, the man of any month, went 3 for 4 to increase his league-leading average to .383. Brown’s third-inning RBI single was his league-best 39th, 25 in July.

The Indians’ Doug Blosser crushed a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right-center during the fifth. He has six homers, third-best in the NWL.

“He had been hard on himself because yesterday was a rough night,” Spokane manager Jeff Garber said of Blosser. “I just told him to grip it and rip it.”

Spokane starter Justin Pedersen (2-1) allowed one earned run in five innings, striking out five. He has 40 strikeouts in 28-1/3 innings.

“Every start, he’s come out because of the pitch count,” Garber said. “He gets to 3-2 (in the count) a lot, but he has great stuff. Nobody has hit him hard.”

Southern Oregon’s Adam Piatt went 2 for 4 and is hitting .343.

Notes

Jordy Alexander, Spokane’s starter and winning pitcher on Friday, leads the league with 41 innings pitched… . Indians center fielder Goefrey Tomlinson took a pitch to his knee in the fifth. His status is day-to-day… . Merrell Ligons missed his second consecutive game. He’s expected back Monday or Tuesday… . Southern Oregon outfielder Bradford Gorrie (.325) missed his third consecutive game with a pulled leg muscle.

, DataTimes