Indians pound T-C, close in on second

Despite what the calendar insists, the Spokane Indians’ bats aren’t ready to call it a summer.

The Indians batted around in the second, fifth and sixth innings Saturday night during a 15-5 win over the Tri-City Dust Devils at Avista Stadium. The 15 runs were Spokane’s second-biggest output of the season.

The 76-game Northwest League baseball season will end tonight with Spokane and T-C vying for second place in the East Division. Both teams were 40-35 following Spokane’s second consecutive easy win in the season-ending series.

Spokane has won four consecutive games and six of its last seven. The Indians have averaged eight runs and 11 hits during the week-long streak.

“The guys are really playing hard,” said Indians manager Darryl Kennedy. “I gotta tip my hat to them. They’re hustling and swinging the bats well.”

Offensive leaders were up and down the order for Spokane.

Right fielder Kevin Mahar, with his parents in attendance, collected four hits to earn a $100 gift certificate from Napa Auto Parts.

Shortstop Tobin Swope, with a .151 batting average in 25 games, bagged his first home run, a three-run liner to left field during a four-run sixth inning.

“It was good to see (Swope) get into one,” Kennedy said. “It didn’t go out by much, but it was a home run in the books.”

Designated hitter Chris Alexander, a late addition to the lineup, rapped out three hits, including RBI singles in the first and second.

“(Ben) Harrison fouled a ball off his ankle in the cage before the game,” Kennedy said. “I penciled Alexander in there instead, and he comes in and gets three hits. So all things were working tonight.”

Indians first baseman Jim Fasano added a two-run single to highlight a four-run second off starter Jarrett Grube (4-3). All of those runs were unearned because shortstop Pedro Strop extended the inning with a two-out error.

Spokane catcher Mike Nickeas picked up RBIs 53, 54 and 55 with a double to left-center during a five-run fifth. T-C reliever Jeff Watchko, who entered with an earned-run average of 0.00 in 11 1/3 innings, was touched up for nine earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Indians starter Shawn Phillips (6-1) tied Marcos Herrera for the club lead in wins by pitching five-hit ball for 5 2/3 innings. Phillips led the team with 71 innings worked.

“When I went out to take him out of the ballgame, I told him that he had really stepped it up for his last four or five outings,” Kennedy said. “He really became the workhorse of the staff.”

Garett Gentry led the Dust Devils’ offense with two doubles, a homer and two RBIs. Gentry has four doubles in the series.

Left-hander Clint Brannon will attempt to set an NWL record when he starts tonight for the Indians. Brannon (3-2, 0.62) could break the record for lowest ERA in a season, set by Eugene’s James Campbell (0.73) in 1987.

Brannon needs to pitch at least 3 1/3 innings to be eligible for the record. He has allowed four earned runs in 57 2/3 innings.

Notes

Before the game, the Indians held a press conference to announce a two-year extension to their player development contract with the Texas Rangers. Spokane has compiled a 90-61 regular-season record during its two seasons with the Rangers. “We are extremely pleased with how the previous two seasons have gone and look forward to at least two more years of affiliation with the Rangers,” said Indians managing partner Bobby Brett.

“Brett Sports sold its Double-A Texas League franchise, the El Paso Diablos, to an ownership group that plans to move the team to Springfield, Mo. The $9.5-million sale, revealed at a press conference in El Paso two weeks ago, was not formally announced at the time by the Indians. At the press conference, the Brett group hinted that it would like to bring Triple-A ball to El Paso. But Indians president Andy Billig said Saturday that El Paso’s 2005 team will play in the independent Central League.