Harvey Elevates Indians Two-Run Double In Eighth Spoils Complete Game By Rockies’ Starter
It seemed that solid pitching by the Portland Rockies would be the Spokane Indians’ downfall again Saturday night.
But that was before Ken Harvey came to the plate in the eighth inning. The Indians’ first baseman and the Northwest League’s leading hitter belted a two-run double deep into left field with two outs to lead Spokane to a 2-1 victory over the Rockies in front of 5,346 fans at Seafirst Stadium.
The Indians (37-24) increased their lead in the North Division to 4-1/2 games on second-place Boise after the Hawks lost 6-4 at Salem-Keizer.
Harvey, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound bear out of Nebraska, had struggled in his team’s 8-6 loss Friday, going 1 for 5. He was 1 for 3 going into his at-bat in the eighth.
“He has come up in situations the last couple days when he doesn’t get it in (play) and doesn’t get it in,” Indians manager Kevin Long said. “He wanted a chance to get it done. I’m glad he got it done. We all had faith in Harv, it was just a matter of time.”
Harvey said whenever runners are on base, he knows the team counts on him to knock them home.
“You can’t be perfect every day,” he said. “Everybody struggles. I just wanted to come out and do my job - knock in runs. I struggled in the beginning (of the game) but I got it done in the end.”
Spokane’s win spoiled a brilliant effort by Portland starter Enemencio Pacheco (2-2), who went entire distance. Pacheco gave up six hits and had five strikeouts.
He retired 10 of 11 batters before giving up a lead-off walk to G.J. Raymundo in the fifth inning. Before the eighth, Spokane runners reached third only in the first and sixth.
Entering the game, Pacheco was a third of an inning short of the league’s minimum of 47 to qualify to be ranked among the top pitchers. His 3.28 earned-run average would have made him third in the league. Now, he should qualify.
“He threw strikes and kept us off balance,” Long said. “But as good as he pitched, our pitchers were just as good.”
Portland’s Greg Catalanotte scored the game’s first run in the seventh when Justin Lincoln singled to right center. Catalanotte had walked, then advanced to second on a wild pitch by Spokane reliever Jay King.
King (7-2) replaced starter Kyle Snyder who had reached his pitch limit. King picked off two runners at first and pitched four innings to earn the win. He gave up three hits, struck out two and walked three. Jay Gehrke struck out two in the ninth on the way to his 12th save.
Snyder, the seventh pick of the first round by the parent Kansas City Royals in the June draft, was on a 60-pitch limit and threw four innings, allowing only two doubles to Justin Hemme to go with three strikeouts and a walk.
Portland (31-29), which had won 11 of 14, left Kevin Burford on third in the sixth. Burford doubled to left center with one out but Hemme grounded out and Ricardo Mahoney struck out.
Spokane leadoff hitter James Shanks picked up his 15th stolen base in the sixth. However, the Indians stranded two runners in the inning and Shanks was thrown out at home.
Notes
Pitching matchups for tonight’s 6:05 game are Spokane right-hander Brian Sanches (1-1, 5.50 ERA) against Portland right-hander Cam Esslinger (5-3, 3.73).