Sosa Helps The Rockies Get Their Offense Going Gets Key Double In Sixth Inning For Portland

Seventeen-plus innings without a run and Jorge Sosa was losing patience. So he took it upon himself to rejuvenate the Portland Rockies’ offense Sunday night.

His efforts at the plate helped key Portland’s 5-4 victory over the Spokane Indians in a Northwest League baseball game in front of 4,763 fans at Avista Stadium.

Sosa’s groundout in the fourth scored Brad Hawpe to end the Rockies’ streak of scoreless innings at 17-2/3 and tie the game at 1. Sosa then ripped a two-run double off the wall in right-center in the Rockies’ three-run sixth that put his team ahead 4-1.

“I was just watching the ball,” said Sosa in Spanish. He speaks limited English. “I was positive, telling myself to be aggressive at the plate and not to swing at bad pitches. All the time I go to the plate with confidence.”

The Indians (28-31) have lost 10 of 14 and are 10-14 in one-run games, including 1-1 against the Rockies (27-31).

Spokane hit two home runs, in cluding a solo shot by pinch-hitter Ray Hattenburg with one out in the ninth, but still came up short. It was the first career home run for Hattenburg, out of Mead High School and Washington State University, and only his fourth extra-base hit. The switch hitter batted left and sent the first pitch from Portland closer Diogenes Gomez over the right-field wall. Chad Santos hit the Indians’ first home run at Avista since July 24 in the eighth as Spokane pulled within a run, 4-3. The two-run shot over the right-field wall was his league-leading 12th home run and first since Aug. 3 at Boise. He also homered off Rockies reliever Sean Green in Portland.

“I wish the home run would have put us up,” said Santos, who went 1 for 4.

“We had good defense today but they were just placing the ball where we weren’t. We’re real confident, we just haven’t been lucky lately. Everyone is playing good defense and everyone is hitting the ball hard. I guess it’s just one of those times.”

In the sixth, Portland tagged Spokane reliever Micah Mangrum for three runs on three hits. Michael Tejada walked, Bryan Peck singled, then Sosa brought them both home with his double. Javier Guzman followed with a double to score Sosa.

Portland starter Jermaine Van Buren gave up one run and four hits in six innings with two strikeouts and two walks to improve his record to 4-5. Hawpe, the Rockies’ first baseman, hit his NWL-leading 19th double in the fourth.

Spokane left-hander Jon Metzger (2-2, 3.35 ERA) goes against Portland right-hander Chris Buglovsky (3-4, 2.91) tonight.