Indians’ playoff hopes suffer telling blow

YAKIMA – The Spokane Indians found themselves on the brink of a deep hole after stumbling through their worst performance of the season Tuesday night.

Mark Reynolds had four of Yakima’s season-high 17 hits and Brandon Simon scored four of the Bears’ season-high 15 runs as the Indians were blasted 15-4 in Northwest League baseball play at Yakima County Stadium.

After suffering through their most lopsided loss of the season, the Indians (36-35) left themselves with no room for error with the league season down to five games. To defend its East Division title, Spokane must win its final five games (two more with Yakima and three at home against Tri-City) and have Boise (41-31) lose its final five games to tie for first place.

Spokane would win the tiebreaker because of its 9-3 season series win over Boise. The Hawks lead second-place Tri-City (38-33) by three games after dispatching the Dust Devils 6-4 to open a three-game set at Boise.

Erik Schindewolf, Carlos Gonzalez and Brandon Burgess drove in three runs apiece to lead Yakima (33-38).

Gonzalez’s two-strike, two-out, two-run double in the second inning put the Bears ahead to stay, 4-2.

Spokane had a flicker of hope when it tied the game at 2 in the second. Jim Fasano led off with a double and later scored on a wild pitch. Bobby LeNoir’s sacrifice fly scored Ben Harrison, who had singled.

But the Bears roughed up Spokane pitchers Eric Hurley (0-2), Clayton Jerome and J.D. Cockroft for 17 hits and 13 earned runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Yakima led 15-2 when Michael Mask had a one-out, two-run triple for the Indians in the ninth.

Winner Josh Perrault (2-4) allowed five hits and two earned runs in seven innings while striking out four.

The season series is tied at 5 heading into tonight’s game. Spokane is 16-20 on the road and 17-14 against the East.

Yakima must lose tonight and Thursday, then turn around and sweep three at Boise for the Indians to have a chance.