Indians squander one away

VANCOUVER, B.C. – One bad inning and some missed opportunities cost the Spokane Indians a victory on Saturday.

Vancouver scored five runs in the bottom of the third inning and then held on late to post a 6-2 victory in Northwest League baseball action at Nat Bailey Stadium.

Spokane (12-11) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Brandon Boggs walked, took second on a Travis Metcalf single and scored on a two-out single by Ben Harrison.

Spokane starter Thomas Diamond breezed for the first two innings before running into trouble.

Diamond’s second start of the season ended when he gave up back-to-back doubles to Nicolas Blasi and Javier Herrera to open the third.

Willy Espinal took the mound and promptly walked Ryan Ruiz. Espinal fanned Thomas Everidge, then surrendered a pair of RBI singles to Gregorio Petit and Myron Leslie to put Vancouver up 3-1. The Canadians (10-13) scored their final two runs, both unearned, when Spokane outfielders Boggs and Harrison had a slight collision running down a Don Sutton fly ball to right-center. Harrison was charged with an error on the play.

The Indians added a run in the top of the fifth when Boggs led off the inning with a home run.

Vancouver scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the sixth inning off Spokane reliever Shawn Phillips. Josh Beauregard drew a walk and later scored on a single by Ruiz.

It was the only blemish for Phillips, who went four innings and allowed four hits.

Spokane had its chances to score late, leaving two runners on base in the eighth inning and the bases loaded in the ninth.

Diamond (0-1) took the loss for the Indians. He gave up three hits and two runs in 2 1/3 innings. The top pick of the Texas Rangers in this year’s draft struck out four and walked one.

Spokane, which has dropped three of the first four games in the five-game series, will send Mark Roberts to the mound tonight.