Indians whitewash Hawks

David Smith wasn’t really expecting to be affiliated with a Major League Baseball team this year. But he sure isn’t complaining.

Especially not after leaving the game to a standing ovation from the crowd at Avista Stadium as Smith got his first win of the season when the Spokane Indians shut out the Boise Hawks 4-0 on Tuesday night in front of 3,471 in attendance.

The Indians’ first shutout of the year was highlighted by Smith’s 5 2/3 scoreless innings pitched, which lowered his earned run average to 1.02. Tanner McElroy allowed just one hit over the final 3 1/3 innings to get his second save, and Phillip Hawke did the damage on offense, going 2 for 3 with a pair of runs batted in.

Smith, who was pitching for the Gateway Grizzlies of the Independent Frontier League, had already given up on signing a contract this year before a scout from the Texas Rangers called his former college coach, current Grizzlies coach Danny Cox.

“The scout asked what I was doing and if I was still pitching,” said Smith, who struck out three in his longest appearance of the season. “He then asked if I wanted to play here.”

It wasn’t a hard choice for the left-handed pitcher from Moline, Ill.

“I wasn’t expecting (to be here) this year,” said Smith. “I was hoping to pitch well and then catch on next year.”

After going undrafted in June’s amateur draft, Smith began as a reliever for the Grizzlies before moving into the starting rotation.

Upon his arrival with the Indians on July 7, Smith also began as a reliever before moving into the rotation. He has not allowed a run in his last two starts (10 2/3 innings pitched).

Smith, a Southwest Missouri State product, was lifted from the game after developing a blister on his throwing hand. Smith retired the first two batters he faced that inning, but after getting Jesus Valdes to fly out to right field, Indians manager Gregg Riddoch and trainer Eddie Tamez came out to check Smith’s left hand.

“After getting the first two batters, Ridd saw me messing with it (the blister) and he came out,” said Smith, who wanted to finish out the inning.

Riddoch said that Smith was the type of tough guy that would mask an injury in order to stay in the game.

“That’s the kind of guy he is, no nonsense,” said Hawke, who drove in Steve Murphy in the fourth with a single to left to give the Indians a 1-0 lead. “Off the field he is a clown, but on the field he is all business.”

The win lifts Spokane (21-27) back into a tie for first with Boise (21-27) in the Northwest League East.

For the season, Smith has pitched 35 1/3 innings and has 16 strikeouts. He has only given up five runs, despite an unorthodox throwing motion.

“His motion makes it hard to pick up his 58 mph curveball,” said Murphy, who finished the game 2 for 3 with a double and two runs. “And it also masks his 85 mph fastball. It works.”

It has also worked for the Indians, who have won each time Smith has taken the mound to start a game.

“It’s about time (I got a win),” he said, “but it doesn’t matter as long as the team keeps winning.”