Finally, Indians Stand Alone After 124 Games, Spokane Nudges Boise Out Of First Place In North

Hey, something looks different about the Northwest League standings.

For the first time in 124 games, stretching back to July 11, 1997, the Boise Hawks are not in first place in the North Division.

The new leaders, with four games left in the NWL season, are the Spokane Indians, the same Indians who started the year 0-4 while Boise began 11-1.

“The main thing is, we’re in charge of our own destiny,” Spokane manager Jeff Garber said after the Indians (46-26) dusted off Yakima 6-1 on Saturday night at Seafirst Stadium while Boise (45-27) lost at Everett 12-8.

“If we don’t win it, we’ll at least know we had our chance to do it.”

Spokane had been tied for first with Boise three times during the 124-game stretch, but never led by itself.

“I feel pretty good about the way we’ve been playing, so I felt good about our chances of finally taking over first,” said Indians second baseman Corey Hart, who reached base in all four of his plate appearances and entered as the league’s No. 5 guy in on-base percentage.

Spokane is 9-2 against Yakima (30-42) heading into tonight’s final home game of the season. The Indians begin a regular season-ending, three-game series at Boise on Monday.

Spokane’s Cary Ammons (5-2, 1.58), the league leader in earned-run average, would normally be scheduled to pitch tonight against Steve Colyer (2-2, 4.48). Ammons is No. 2 in league strikeouts, with 77, while Colyer has 71. The Indians will opt to start Javier Pamus (2-1, 4.96) instead and save Ammons for the series opener at Boise.

“I really think Cary deserves to pitch against Boise,” Garber said.

Monty Ward (6-1) handled Saturday’s starting pitching duties for Spokane, allowing no earned runs in five innings, striking out five and walking none. Ward moved up to third in league strikeouts, with 76.

Ward outdueled Tim Harrell (5-3), who had defeated Ward and Spokane 3-2 on Aug. 8.

Denton McDaniel, Shawn Sonnier and Robbie Morrison held the Bears to one single for the final four innings.

Yakima infielder Thomari Story-Harden, inserted into left field for the first time in the series, played too shallow against left-hander Danny DiPace in the third and paid for the strategy. DiPace deposited his 10th double over Story-Harden’s head, driving in two runs and snapping a 1-all tie.

Story-Harden also turned the wrong way on Mike Curry’s fly in the fifth, resulting in an RBI double and 5-1 lead. Curry, who stole his 27th and 28th bases earlier in the game, had reached base nine consecutive times after the double. He lined to right in the seventh.

Spokane, 28-9 at home, has totaled 38 runs and 46 hits while winning four straight from Yakima.

“I think we have it all - starting pitching, relief pitching, good defense, although it could be better, and we have the sticks,” Hart said. “We have one other thing I’ve never seen on any other team. We thrive off of each other.”

Notes

Tonight’s regular-season home finale is an advance sellout, a franchise first, according to the Indians. The attendance of 7,000-plus will break the club season record of 4,876 per game, set last year. Post-game fireworks are scheduled… . Spokane’s Jeremy Dodson, who had taken over the league lead in hitting at .347, went 0 for 5… . Indians infielder Jeremy Freitas is still nursing a sore left leg and is expected to miss his fourth consecutive game tonight… . The Indians continue to lead the league in team batting (.284) and ERA (3.49).