Bears muscle up to beat Indians

YAKIMA – The Bears continue to be bad news for the Spokane Indians.

Yakima broke open a close game with a four-run eighth inning en route to a 7-2 victory in Northwest League play on Monday night.

The Bears (27-41) sport the worst record in the league, but have defeated the Indians (31-37) in five of seven games, including three straight.

Spokane remained two games behind East Division-leading Tri-City (33-35), which lost 9-6 at Boise. Third-place Boise (30-38) pulled to within a game of Spokane. Yakima is six games back.

Yakima jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning when Ramon Downing homered to right field off Indians starter David Smith (1-2).

Spokane bounced back in the top of the second. John Mayberry and Freddie Thon opened the inning with back-to-back walks of Bears starter Angel Rocha (3-8). Joey Hooft walked to load the bases with nobody out. Julio Santana drove in Mayberry with the tying run on a fielder’s choice grounder that forced out Hooft at second base. The Indians took a 2-1 lead when Rocha threw away the ball on a pickoff attempt, allowing Thon to score.

Smith then hung zeroes on the scoreboard for the Indians – until the bottom of the fifth.

Lester Contreras led off with a walk and moved to third on a Jaen Centeno double. Smith induced a popout from Manny Del Campo, and Kevin Williams flied out to shallow left field for two quick outs, but Joseph Batten walked to load the bases and Downing followed with a two-run double to put the Bears up 3-2. Smith’s night ended after striking out Trey Hendricks.

Yakima hammered Indians reliever Nathan Fogle for a pair of homers in the decisive eighth, the second a three-run shot by Del Campo that was originally ruled foul before being overturned by the third-base umpire.