Indians jump on top early, coast to win

YAKIMA – The game started, and the game ended, in the first inning.

Spokane gave starter Juan Maldonado all the support he needed in his pro-debut when they scored eight runs, on only four hits, in a top of the first that lasted 33 minutes during Sunday night’s 17-3 Northwest League win against the Yakima Bears.

Yakima’s starting pitcher Angel Rocha walked six, and recorded two outs before being relived by John Cahill with the bases loaded after 52 pitches and five runs.

Cahill got German Duran to ground out to shortstop, but Derek Bruce was late with his throw to second base and two runs scored. Steve Murphy then drove home Julio Santana, who represented Rocha’s last batter, with a first-pitch double to left field that pushed the scoreboard to 8-0 in front of a crowd of 2,296 at Yakima County Stadium that had yet to fully find the comfortable spot on their seats.

“It was crazy,” said Murphy, who ended with 4 doubles and 5 RBIs. “We were lucky enough to jump on them early, and that’s what you’ve got to do at this level. Get on top.”

The Indians (7-6) added six more runs in the third, two in the fourth and another in the sixth to win their second consecutive series and stay atop the Northwest League’s East Division standings.

“He (hitting coach Mark Whiten) was excited,” said Duran, who drove in four runs and got three of the Indians’ 18 hits. “He knows we can swing it … and today we showed it.”

Spokane coaxed seven walks out of five Yakima pitchers. The Indians used 12 of their 13 position players.

“And they all contributed,” said manager Greg Riddoch. “They didn’t just come in and watch.”

Maldonado (2-1), who made four other appearances as a reliever this season, went five innings to earn his first win as a starter. He gave up three runs on seven hits. Kellen McConnell, Broc Coffman and Tom Van Buskirk did not give up a hit in four combined innings of relief.

Midway through the top first, Maldonado had to go back to the bullpen to warm up once more due to the length of the inning.

“The inning was long, so long, that I began to get cold,” said Maldonado, who was an outfielder last year with the Texas Rangers organization before being switched to pitcher during the winter. “So I went out there to loosen up again.”

The Bears’ had many opportunities to get out of the first with minimal damage, but kept the Indians alive.

First, Rocha forgot to cover first on a grounder by Joe Kemp with two outs that extended the inning. Then, Kemp hustled to second on a grounder by Santana to the shortstop to beat the play at second. Both players scored, as did the batter after Santana, Terry Blunt.

“They gave us a lot of opportunities,” said Riddoch,” but we capitalized on them. “When you have something snowball like that, everyone wants to contribute.”

Notes

Joe Kemp got the Indians’ lone home run of the game when he led off the third. … Spokane’s Juan Carlos Garcia, originally penciled in as Sunday’s starter, missed his start due to soreness in his elbow.