Indians put up another zero against Tri-City

PASCO – There must be better ways to enter the stretch drive of a pennant race.

The Spokane Indians stumbled through their second consecutive shutout Wednesday night while losing to the Tri-City Dust Devils 4-0 in the rubber game of a three-game series at Tri-Cities Stadium.

The blanking – the second of the Indians’ season – left Spokane and Tri-City tied for second place in the Northwest League’s East Division, two games behind Boise (32-27).

Boise split a doubleheader with Yakima. The Hawks play their next 11 games on the road, starting with a three-game series at Spokane that begins Friday. Boise is 2-7 against Spokane this season.

A throng is expected for Friday because of $1 Family Feast Night.

The Indians may need a boost from their fans. Spokane has scored two runs in the last 46 innings and has six hits in the last 18 innings.

T-C right-hander Juan Morillo (3-1) checked the Indians on one hit in six innings while striking out eight. The lone hit was an infield single by Lizahio Baez in the fifth inning.

The Dust Devils scored twice in the first off J.D. Cockroft (1-5). Erik Dean and Angel Valdez, making his season debut, had run-scoring singles for T-C.

Jose Valdez’s RBI single in the third extended the lead to 3-0. Florentino Nunez capped the scoring with an RBI single in the fourth off new Indians pitcher John Lujan, a right-hander.