Weber, Boise prevail

Matt Weber’s second professional baseball season is progressing perfectly.

Weber (1-0) opened with five perfect innings Friday night while pitching the Boise Hawks to a 7-4 win over the Spokane Indians at Avista Stadium.

Weber’s third start in the Northwest League had a similar look to his first. In an opener against Vancouver, Weber threw three perfect innings before issuing his only walk of the season.

His pattern against the Indians was methodical and efficient. The majority of batters started in a 0-1 hole and either struck out, grounded out or popped out to the infield.

“That’s just my style of pitching,” said the 19-year-old, a 6-foot-3 right-hander. “I come out and get that first-pitch strike because … the coaches will tell you that’s the best pitch in baseball.”

Weber struck out seven, walked none, and allowed two hits and one earned run in the sixth inning.

His effort tied the series at 1 and created a three-way tie for first place in the East Division among Boise, Spokane and Tri-City – all with 8-7 records.

The rubber game of the three-game set is tonight. Boise left-hander Darin Downs (0-0, 6.75) is scheduled to start against right-hander Clayton Jerome (2-1, 3.75), Spokane’s club leader in wins.

Weber grew up near Chicago and received a thrill when his beloved Cubs selected him out of high school during last year’s amateur draft. The Cubs sent him to the Arizona Rookie League.

“I was used as a closer because I came out of high school having worked a lot of innings,” Weber said. “I only threw 14 innings last year … but what I’d like to do in my career is be a starter.”

The conversion to starter has reaped benefits. In 17 innings, Weber has allowed nine hits and four earned runs, striking out 15 and walking one.

The Hawks staked Weber to a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and sixth. First baseman Ryan Norwood led off the second with a mammoth home run to left field estimated at 420 feet. Indians starter Mark Roberts (0-2) retired nine consecutive batters after serving up the blast.

Jim Fasano broke up Weber’s perfect game with an opposite-field, bloop single to left to lead off the sixth. Fasano scored on a two-out double to center by Brandon Boggs, the Georgia Tech product making his Indians debut.

Boise roughed up reliever Willy Espinal for a five-run seventh. Espinal allowed three hits, walked three, hit a batter and committed a throwing error while facing nine batters.

Indians pinch-hitter Brock Jacobsen struck out with the bases loaded to end the eighth. Spokane struck for three runs in the ninth on an RBI double by pinch-hitter Michael Mask and a two-out, two-run single by Lizahio Baez.

Notes: Besides center fielder Brandon Boggs, designated hitter Ben Harrison and pitcher Clint Brannon also made their Indians’ debuts. … The Indians rested catcher Mike Nickeas and outfielder Brandon Cashman. Nickeas ranks fifth in league batting (.366), and Cashman leads the league in slugging (.744) and homers (six). … Spokane is 15 for 16 in stolen-base attempts.