Indians power up, whip Hawks

The Spokane Indians’ slumbering offense received a triple-espresso boost Friday night before a sellout crowd.

Travis Metcalf, Ben Harrison and Bobby LeNoir all homered as the Indians (31-29) closed within one game of first-place Boise (32-28) in the Northwest League’s East Division with an 11-3 win over the Hawks in front of 7,317 at Avista Stadium.

Metcalf set the tone for the opener of the three-game series when he lined his 12th homer of the season, a no-out, three-run blast off Luis Brito (5-4) in the first inning. Brito has surrendered seven homers to the Indians, who lead the league with 60 round-trippers.

“We just came out of (the slump) tonight,” Metcalf said. “It was a great night. I think it’s just being back home.”

Spokane had endured two consecutive shutouts on the road and had scored just two runs in its last 46 innings.

But good things have happened for the Indians whenever they’ve played Boise this season. The Hawks are 2-8 against Spokane this year and have dropped five consecutive games to the Indians.

“We didn’t want to go three games back of Boise,” said Indians starter Shawn Phillips (3-1), who pitched six innings of three-hit, shutout ball. “This was probably one of the biggest wins of the season.”

“I don’t talk to the guys about must-win stuff,” said Indians manager Darryl Kennedy. “That only adds to the pressure, and this game’s hard enough as it is.”

Still, the players know the league season is down to 16 games and Tri-City (31-29) also has its sights on the East crown.

T-C blanked Spokane on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the Indians wrapped up a six-game road swing. Spokane managed just six hits, including five singles, in the final two games against the Dust Devils.

“We still hit the ball hard in Tri-City,” Kennedy said. “They just played great defense.”

Phillips, who worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the first, said he felt the mood in the dugout lift when Metcalf lined a 1-1 pitch to left-center field for his 50th, 51st and 52nd runs batted in of the season.

“That was a big relief for me,” Phillips said. “Then I just had to do my job and throw strikes.”

Phillips allowed one hit, a single, over his final five innings. The right-hander from Delaware State University struck out six and walked one – the second batter he faced.

Harrison hit an opposite-field solo homer in the fourth that hit the foul pole by the Grotto picnic area in right field. Harrison’s nine homers rank No. 2 on the team.

LeNoir hit his first professional homer while leading off the five-run fifth. The shortstop from the University of Richmond had logged 166 at-bats before his first blast.

By the time Ryan Baldwin bounced a two-run single to center in the sixth, Spokane had an 11-0 lead.

Kyle Boyer hit a two-run homer to right during Boise’s three-run ninth.

Boise is 6-16 against Spokane the last two seasons.

Tonight’s starters for the middle game of the series are Spokane right-hander Eric Hurley (0-1, 4.26) and Boise left-hander J.R. Mathes (2-0, 3.89).