Indians’ rally a bit incomplete
The Spokane Indians remained upbeat after dropping their fourth consecutive Northwest League game on Monday, losing 9-7 to the visiting Boise Hawks.
The reason for the Indians’ positive attitude was their hitting. After facing some good pitching and being held to 12 hits in four games, the bats came alive against the Hawks for 13 hits and three home runs at Avista Stadium before a crowd of 3,405.
“We were beginning to get frustrated,” said Phillip Hawke, who in the third inning hit a solo home run for the second consecutive night. “But I think this will get us going.”
Hawke’s sixth home run of the season cut the Hawks’ lead to 3-2.
After Boise (21-26) made it 7-2 with two runs in the fourth and three in the fifth off starter Brett Zamzow, the Indians (20-27) got two more home runs in the bottom of the fifth to cut the lead to three runs.
K.C. Herren led of the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run over the right-field wall. Three batters later, Lizahio Baez added a two-run home run that scored Steve Murphy to make it 7-5.
“The problem with them (the home runs) was that they were solo shots,” said Indians manager Gregg Riddoch. “We couldn’t get the right hits at a time when we could have blown the game wide open.”
The Indians, who stranded eight runners, had a runner in scoring position with no outs in the ninth, but Baez lined out to the shortstop, John Mayberry Jr. struck out and Hawke grounded out.
“We had the right people up there,” said Riddoch. “But how many times can you count on the same guys to produce?”
The loss drops the Indians to second place in the East Division, one game behind the Hawks.
Herren said that the Indians aren’t worried too much about the standings right now.
“We lost nine games in a row, and were still in the race? Come on,” he said. “Ridd was telling me something that out of 20 wins, 11 are come-from-behind (victories). If we can come from behind in those games, we can come back in the standings.”
Herren, who finished the night 2 for 5 with a double, a solo home run and two runs scored, was happy to get the four-bagger, his first of the season.
“It was a long time coming,” said the Texas Rangers’ second-round draft pick from last year. “It’s nice to get one off my back. I was drafted as a power hitter and it just wasn’t working out.”
Zamzow took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched. Boise’s Jeff Teasley, who took over for Kyle Holden with two outs and two on in the sixth inning, got the win with 2 1/3 perfect innings of work. Roger Evenson recorded his third save of the season for working the ninth.
Baez’s home run was his league-best ninth, all of them in 13 games played at Avista. Baez has also driven in 19 of his 22 runs batted in at home.
“The good thing is that everybody bounced back,” said Riddoch. “We just fell short.”
Notes
Spokane’s Steve Murphy, who singled three times in five trips to the plate, has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games… . Spokane’s Jon Wilson pitched a perfect ninth inning. He has not allowed a run in his last three innings pitched. … Hawks’ manager Trey Forkerway was ejected in the middle of the fifth for arguing a call at the plate.