Snyder Well Worth The Wait

Kyle Snyder passed the first test.

Snyder’s long-awaited professional debut was an unqualified success. The 6-foot-8 right-hander pitched three scoreless innings Thursday night in the Spokane Indians’ 9-2 win over Yakima at Seafirst Stadium.

Snyder, the first college pitcher selected in June’s amateur draft, had waited nearly a month to take the mound for the Indians. An elbow problem that threatened to end his season turned out to be nothing more than minor swelling.

Snyder allowed two hits, struck out two and walked none. He threw 33 pitches, 24 for strikes, and left early because of a strict pitch count.

“Overall, I was satisfied,” said Snyder, a University of North Carolina product whose father, Don, was in town from Florida. “I was around the strike zone. Actually, I hadn’t thrown in about 2-1/2 months, against Stanford in late May.”

Snyder stranded Bears runners at third base in the first and second innings. In the first, he struck out Northwest League home run leader Lamont Matthews with a 75-mph curveball to stop a threat. He ended the second by stabbing Isaac Valdez’s hot grounder before it could scoot into center field.

“I wouldn’t say that the best part of my makeup is fielding, but that one got me out of a jam once again,” Snyder said.

Jay King relieved Snyder in the fourth and improved his record to 5-1. The reigning NWL pitcher of the week struck out six and allowed two earned runs in six innings.

Spokane (29-17) retained its four-game lead over Boise (25-21) in the North Division. Spokane won for the 16th time in 19 games and improved its home record to 16-6.

“It’s been surprising to see how well we’ve been doing,” Snyder said. “Now this is the icing on the cake.”

Yakima (21-24) is 0-4 against Spokane this season. Spokane is 11-2 vs. North rivals, such as the Bears, since July 1.

Spokane teed off on Phil Devey, who entered with a 3-0 record and 1.89 earned-run average. Devey allowed seven earned runs, three more than his previous high for the season.

Indians third baseman G.J. Raymundo extended his hitting streak to 15 games with his club-best ninth homer, a two-run, opposite-field blast to right during Spokane’s seven-run second inning. Raymundo increased his batting average to .347, third in the league. He began the night with the league’s third-best slugging percentage (.590).< Shortstop Mark Ellis had a two-run double in the big second inning and added a sacrifice fly in the fourth. He had been tied for the league lead with 42 runs and added one more.

Spokane’s Ken Harvey hit his third homer, a solo shot in the eighth, and improved his batting average to .407. He’s a few plate appearances shy of qualifying for the league leaders.

Yakima’s Sandy Vasquez hit a solo homer in the sixth. The Bears’ Cliff Wren doubled twice to take over the league lead with 15.

Indians right-hander Brian Sanches (0-0, 7.50) is scheduled to make his fourth start in tonight’s 7:05 contest, the middle game of the three-game set. Righty Eric Junge (2-4), who started the season 2-1, is set to start for Yakima.

Notes

Kansas City Royals minor league outfield instructor Sixto Lezcano is visiting the Indians. Lezcano was a member of the Philadelphia Phillies’ 1983 world champions. . . . Yakima outfielder Lamont Matthews leads the league with 15 home runs, including three against Spokane, but the Bears are 3-8 in games in which he has homered… . Indians infielder Liam Healy (hand injury) expects to resume taking batting practice today. Healy, who has hit .313 in 10 games, hasn’t played since July 15… . The Spokesman-Review will sponsor fireworks after tonight’s game.

INDIANS 9 BEARS 2 TONIGHT: YAKIMA AT SPOKANE, 7:05.