Yakima Pitcher Gets Even With Indians Bears Scramble To One-Run Victory That Slows Spokane’S Pennant Drive Bears 7 Indians 6

Yakima pitcher Phil Devey would lead the Northwest League in earned-run average if it weren’t for the Spokane Indians.

Devey paid back the Indians on Tuesday night, lasting seven innings during the Bears’ 7-6 win at Seafirst Stadium.

Devey (5-3) entered the game with a 2.60 ERA against the rest of the league but an 11.00 mark in two starts against Spokane.

He survived Spokane’s four-run second, scattering three hits over the next five innings.

“If I could eliminate Spokane from my starts, I’d have some pretty good stats,” said Devey, who is nevertheless No. 6 in league ERA at 3.78.

The Bears (30-41) defeated Spokane (42-29) for the first time in seven attempts this season and tightened the race for the North Division title. Everett (40-30) edged Boise 6-5 to close within 1-1/2 games of the Indians.

Spokane has five games left, all against Yakima, and Everett plays Boise (38-32) six more times.

Spokane had led the North by at least 2-1/2 games since July 23.

“We’re approaching the last six games as we approached the first games: play hard and don’t lay down,” said Yakima shortstop Joe Thurston, who had two runs batted in.

Yakima scored the go-ahead runs in the eighth when Shane Allen grounded to shortstop with the bases loaded and one out. Spokane registered a forceout at second base, but Eric Nelson’s relay to first bounced in the dirt to score a second run that made it 7-6.

The Indians had runners on second and third base in the eighth. Casey Dunn was tagged out at home on Brian Johnson’s one-out squibber back to the mound, then Thurston corralled Charlie Ramirez’s hot grounder headed to center field, for a forceout at second.

Devey, a left-hander, said he changed his strategy against an Indians lineup of all right-handers. After the second inning, he usually started the batters with off-speed pitches rather than heat.

“We’ve had tough times throughout the season,” said Devey, a fifth-round selection in June’s amateur draft from Quebec, Canada. “Our main focus is to finish strong and go home feeling good about ourselves.”

Spokane starter Kyle Snyder, making his sixth start, had his first subpar outing. Snyder, who entered with a 1.02 ERA, allowed six hits and four earned runs in 3-1/3 innings.

League batting leader Ken Harvey had a rough second inning. The Indians first baseman tumbled to the ground while attempting to field Sandy Vasquez’s infield single, was hit on the back by a pitch, and fell on his back rounding third base after Jake Baker’s single.

Michael Clay replaced Harvey in the third, but Harvey was reported to have no serious injury. Harvey, hitting .392, is within reach of the league-record of .403 set by Ronald McNeely in 1976.

Tonight’s scheduled starters are Spokane’s Brian Sanches (1-1, 4.03) and Eric Junge (4-7, 6.05). Sanches pitched five innings of no-hit ball against Yakima on Aug. 6. Junge is 0-2 vs. Spokane and No. 2 in league losses.

Notes

Spokane pitcher Jay King left to attend his father’s funeral in Florida. King, who has a 7-2 record, may return for the end of the season… . Spokane went 16-13 in August after a 21-8 July… . If Spokane makes the playoffs, tickets will go on sale the day after the Indians clinch… . Spokane can set an attendance record for the sixth consecutive year. With two home games left, the average is 4,879, just short of last year’s 4,904.

This sidebar appeared with the story: PENNANT RACE BY THE NUMBERS WITH SPOKANE’S LOSS AND EVERETT’S WIN OVER BOISE, THE INDIANS’ LEAD IN THE NWL NORTH HAS SLIPPED TO 1-1/2 GAMES.