Indians trip Bears, end skid
There was a smile on Bobby LeNoir’s face following Sunday night’s 10-4 Spokane Indians victory over the Yakima Bears at Avista Stadium.
First, the win snapped a three-game losing skid that dropped the defending Northwest League champions from contention to life support in the East Division. That fact alone was enough to coax a relieved grin.
But no, the slick-fielding shortstop had an even bigger reason to smile, collecting a pair of hits to drive in two runs – including a fifth-inning triple that scored Michael Mask with the go-ahead run.
“It feels really good to be able to contribute, especially with the team struggling the way that we have the last few games,” the shortstop admitted. “Hopefully we can pull it back together and finish this season out right.
“I’ve been struggling a little bit myself, so that ball felt really good coming off my bat.”
LeNoir, drafted in the 21st round out of the University of Richmond, entered the game hitting .213 with 18 runs batted in. His three-bagger was the team’s fifth triple this season.
“You don’t see that many triples, especially in this park,” LeNoir admitted. “I don’t hit that many home runs, so I wasn’t even thinking about scoring, but when I came around first and saw the ball was still rolling up against the wall (in center field), all I could think about was getting to third.”
Spokane scored a pair of runs in the first inning. Second baseman Tug Hulett doubled to open the game and scooted to third on a single by Kevin Mahar. First baseman Jim Fasano poked a sun-field double to score both runs and stake starting pitcher John Lujan to a 2-0 lead.
In just his second start since joining the team, Lujan scattered seven hits through the first four innings, but did not surrender a run. The Bears hit him often; they just didn’t hit him hard.
That changed in the fifth inning, when Lujan walked Rodrigo Guirre with one out, then surrendered a two-run home run to Carlos Gonzalez, who had three hits in five at-bats for the Bears.
Third baseman Travis Metcalf added three insurance runs for Spokane, ripping a three-run home run over the State Farm sign in left field to cap a five-run fifth.
The win did little to help ease Spokane off life-support in the division. Boise won its eighth straight game Sunday to maintain a five-game lead over the Indians with just seven games remaining in the season.
For LeNoir, offensive struggle is nothing new.
“I went through a spell in college where I struggled and I had to go out and still be able to play solid defense or I wasn’t going to play at all,” he explained. “My dad was my coach from Little League all the way up, and he always taught me to not let things bother me when I’m in the field. Helped me a lot with that.”
Yakima’s Chris Carter, a threat to win the triple crown, had one hit in three at-bats, entering the game .007 out of first-place in the race for the NWL batting crown. He has a league-leading 15 home runs and 63 runs batted in.