Indians batter Canadians
Needing a change of pace, the Spokane Indians turned to two players who could relate.
Hard-luck pitcher Mark Roberts and struggling first baseman Jim Fasano played crucial roles Wednesday afternoon as the Indians pasted Vancouver 14-7 to complete a five-game series at Avista Stadium.
Roberts (3-5) shook off a poor start to pitch five innings and earn the win after losing three times to Vancouver this Northwest League baseball season.
Fasano, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound left-hander, hit his first home run since June 20 and began a seven-run first inning with a two-out, bases-loaded single.
The Indians (21-19) had lost seven of nine games to Vancouver (19-21) this season, including three of the first four during the homestand. With the win, Spokane closed within one game of first place in the East Division because Tri-City (22-18) lost an afternoon game at Everett, 9-3.
Spokane dominated Vancouver last season, winning seven of 10.
“In baseball, if you’ve been around long enough, you know you can beat up on a team one year and they’re going to beat up on you the next year,” said Indians second-year manager Darryl Kennedy.
The 90-degree afternoon began on a down note when Canadians first baseman Kevin Melillo hit Roberts’ first pitch for a home run to right field. The next batter, Kurt Suzuki, singled sharply to right.
“I’ve been in that position when I pitched for (the University of Oklahoma), against Texas A&M,” Roberts said. “The first pitch of the game left the yard. You just have to refocus.”
Roberts passed the test, allowing no more hits until Nicolas Blasi’s one-out infield single in the fifth. One out later, Melillo homered again, to nearly the same spot by the batting cage in the Grotto area.
“The guy who hit the two homers against me is one of my buddies,” Roberts said. “We played on Team USA together. I’m sure every time I talk to him now, he’ll have to bring this up.”
Roberts had been 0-3 against Vancouver, including a setback in Saturday’s series opener, but his earned-run average against the Canadians was 3.75. Roberts is among the top 10 in league ERA and ranks second in strikeouts (44).
Canadians starter Steven Sharpe, just named to the NWL All-Star team, did not live up to his last name. Sharpe allowed six earned runs and walked four in two-thirds of an inning.
Still, Sharpe would have escaped the first inning by retiring Fasano, who entered the game with a .221 batting average.
Fasano singled to right to score Tug Hulett, tie the score at 1, and load the bases again.
“I was trying to get a good pitch to hit,” Fasano said. “I’ve left a lot of runners on base this year, and a lot of that was from swinging at bad pitches.”
The Indians led 4-1 after two wild pitches by Sharpe and a pitch by reliever Zachary Basch that hit Bobby LeNoir. That brought up leadoff hitter Hulett for the second time in the inning, and his second double of the inning plated three runs.
The Indians extended the lead to 10-1 in the third, drawing five walks after the inning started with second baseman Ryan Ruiz dropping Fasano’s short fly to right. Through four innings, Vancouver had issued 10 walks.
“I thought the guys did really well at the plate, not giving in,” Kennedy said. “They were hanging in there with two strikes and drawing a lot of walks.”
Fasano’s two-run homer during a three-run sixth was his first at home.
“You have to expect to struggle at one time or another,” Fasano said. “I have to hope that I’m coming out of it.”
Spokane’s Lizahio Baez homered deep to right to lead off the eighth against Canadians utility infielder Ben Winslow, who pitched his second inning of the season.
Canadians right fielder Chalon Tietje, who replaced league hitting leader Javier Herrera in the sixth, hit a three-run homer to right off Clayton Jerome in the ninth.
Spokane jumped on a bus after the game for the 450-mile trip to Eugene, Ore. The Indians and Emeralds will begin a five-game series tonight with Spokane’s Justin Lensch (2-3, 3.53) scheduled to start against Vern Sterry (2-2, 3.38).