Offense Still Protecting Indians From Their Errors

The Spokane Indians completed a five-game, season-opening sweep Saturday night, but manager Jeff Garber chose to address the negative rather than the positive errors.

“We’re fortunate to be 5-0,” Garber said after the Indians put on another offensive display in a 9-2 Northwest League victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

“We’re just making too many physical and mental errors,” added Garber. “It’s something we’re going to give a lot of attention.”

Largely because the Indians are drawing too much attention to their sloppy defense. It didn’t cost them anything this week, but opponents will take advantage of the mistakes sooner than later if they’re not curtailed.

Spokane committed four more errors Saturday, pushing its total to 18. At that pace, the Indians could threaten the league season record of 86.

That’s the lone concern Garber seems to have, though, as the Indians hit the road tonight for a five-game set at Portland. Spokane may be out of town but it won’t be out of sight as the road opener will be televised live on Fox Northwest beginning at 7.

It was “Opposite Field Night” as 4,718 fans braved the chilly wind at Seafirst Stadium.

Three of Spokane’s four homers were of the opposite-field variety. The hard-hitting Indians nearly doubled their homer output in the first four games (five).

Rod Metzler, Joe Caruso, Dave Ullery and Merrell Ligons each stroked their first homers of the season.

Ligons’ solo homer in the second inning was wind-aided by a healthy breeze blowing from right to left field. It put Spokane ahead briefly at 2-1.

Salem’s Tim Flaherty tied the score at 2 with a solo homer in the fourth.

Spokane responded with four runs on four hits in its fifth. Ullery started things with a two-run homer and Metzler followed a batter later with a solo shot.

Doug Blosser completed the scoring with an RBI double to put the Indians ahead to stay at 6-2.

Three pitchers combined for a solid outing for Spokane. Kris Wilson started but left after 3-2/3 innings because of the 65-pitch limit for players making their first start. He struck out five and allowed just three hits.

Left-hander Justin Lamber (1-0) picked up the win and righty Scott Key pitched two final shutout innings. The pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts while three Salem pitchers recorded 13.

Affeldt signs

The Indians front office announced moments after the game started that their parent club, the Kansas City Royals, had signed Jeremy Affeldt of Northwest Christian.

Affeldt, a 6-foot-3 left-handed pitcher, was the seventh selection in the third round of the recent amateur draft. He was the 91st choice overall.

Affeldt of Medical Lake is projected to start his pro career in the Gulf Coast League in Florida.

Indians 9, Volcanoes 2

Salem-Keizer Spokane

ab r h bi ab r h bi Byas cf 5 1 0 0 Metzler cf 4 1 1 1 Young 2b 4 0 0 0 BBrown cf 1 0 0 0 Ankrum 1b 4 0 1 0 Caruso 2b 4 2 1 1 Flaherty c 4 1 1 1 Griffis ph-3b 1 0 0 0 Faircloth rf 3 0 1 0 DBrown lf 2 2 0 0 Mosier 3b 4 0 2 0 Blosser 1b 2 0 1 1 Kenna dh 4 0 0 0 Willis 1b 1 0 0 0 Wells lf 2 0 0 0 Dillon dh 4 0 0 0 Mendoza ss 3 0 0 0 Montas 3b-2b 4 1 1 0

Baustista rf 4 1 1 0

Ullery c 4 1 3 3

Ligons ss 4 1 1 1 Totals 33 2 5 1 Totals 35 9 9 7

Salem-Keizer 100 100 000 - 2

Spokane 101 040 21x - 9

E-Young 2 (2), Joseph 2 (2), Blosser 2 (2), Willis (4), Ligons (2). DP-Spokane 2. LOB-Salem-Keizer 8, Spokane 5. 2B-Blosser (2), Baustista (1). HR-Flaherty (2), Metzler (1), Caruso (1), Ullery (1), Ligons (1). CS-Mosier (1).

Salem-Keizer IP H R ER BB SO Verdugo L,0-2 4-1/3 5 5 5 1 6 Joseph 2-2/3 2 3 1 2 5 Travis 1 2 1 0 0 2

Spokane IP H R ER BB SO Wilson 3-2/3 3 2 1 1 5 Lamber W,1-0 3-1/3 1 0 0 1 4 Key 2 1 0 0 2 2

WP-Joseph, Lamber.

T-2:54. A-4,718 (7,101).

, DataTimes