Harrison’s big single lifts Indians into first

YAKIMA – The Spokane Indians rediscovered first place Friday night after spending nearly three weeks trying to get there.

Ben Harrison’s one-out single to right field in the ninth inning drove in the winning run as the Indians dispatched the Yakima Bears 7-6 in a back-and-forth Northwest League game at Yakima County Stadium.

Spokane (29-25) moved into a first-place tie in the East Division with Boise, a 5-3 loser to visiting Salem-Keizer. Spokane spent most of the first one-third of the season in first place, but the Indians dropped out of the top spot on July 26.

Tri-City (28-26) has been in first place for much of the month, but it lost its sixth consecutive game to fall into third place. Last-place Yakima (26-28) is three games back.

Spokane won its third consecutive game and its third straight from the Bears. To do so, the Indians rallied from deficits of 2-0, 4-3 and 6-5.

Harrison and Lizahio Baez homered in the eighth inning for a 5-4 lead. Harrison has seven homers this season, Baez four.

Yakima bounced back in its eighth against fourth Indians pitcher Eric Hurley. Chris Carter, who leads the Bears with 48 runs batted in, lined a one-out, two-run single to left for a 6-5 lead. Jesse Ingram (4-1) replaced Hurley and ended the inning with a flyout and strikeout.

Ryan Baldwin started Spokane’s ninth-inning rally off Chris Thompson (1-2) with a single to right. Brandon Boggs, seeing his first action for Spokane this month (injured ribs), entered to run for Baldwin.

Bobby LeNoir singled past a drawn-in infield after fouling off two bunt attempts, and Tug Hulett walked to load the bases.

Michael Mask tied the score with his second sacrifice fly of the game. LeNoir scored the winner when Harrison singled on a 0-2 pitch.

Ingram allowed only a two-out bunt single in the ninth.