Indians rally for comeback win
There are certain things that are taken for granted in baseball. Such as, it takes three outs to end an inning. And, the team that scores the most runs wins. Also, the intentional walk is an annoying process that is ignored at the high school level.
Unfortunately for the Eugene Emeralds, it is only ignored at the high school level. The intentional walk became a comedic highlight that aided the Indians in Tuesday’s 10-5 Northwest League win over the Emeralds (9-6) at Avista Stadium.
After Spokane (8-7) fell behind 5-3 in the top of the seventh on back-to-back home runs given up by relief pitcher Cain Byrd, the Indians led off the bottom of the seventh with a single and hit by pitch. Steve Murphy drove in one run with his league-leading eighth double and after John Mayberry Jr. flied out to second base for the first out in the inning, Eugene’s reliever Adam Gold began to intentionally walk Freddie Thon.
With runners on first and second, walking Thon, who had hit his second home run of the season in the fourth, made sense and seemed like a simple procedure. But not for Gold.
The Emeralds reliever almost threw away the ball on the first pitch. Catcher Nick Hundley took a huge step to his left to catch the ball and save the run.
“I knew he had some control troubles after that pitch,” said Murphy, who was at second base at the time. “I’m looking for any sort of passed ball that can help us.”
Murphy and the Indians got something just as good when Gold’s third pitch was wild, scoring German Duran, who had been hit on the right wrist by Gold and moved to third on Murphy’s double, tying the game.
“That was the turning point,” said Joey Hooft. “It got things going for us.”
After Thon was walked on the next pitch, Gold was relieved by John Madden.
Madden didn’t do any better, however, as he gave up an RBI single to Ben Crabtree and then an infield single to Hooft to load the bases for K.C. Herren. Herren cleared the bases three pitches later with a double that made it 9-5 and brought the 3,086 in attendance to their feet.
“It was a spark,” said Murphy, who is batting .500 in the month of July, of the unintentional run. “And that’s what’s great about this game; it’s the little things that change a game.”
Starting pitcher Doug Mathis had a second consecutive solid performance as he struck out five in six innings, but failed to record a win. Mathis, who threw 81 pitches, lowered his ERA to 2.84 during the quick 2-hour and 39-minute game.
Byrd, who got the win, gave up a two-run homer to Chase Headley with two outs in the seventh and then a solo home run to Hundley that gave the Emeralds a short-lived lead.
Jon Wilson came in and worked the last two innings to close the game.
“After we fell behind, I had a feeling that we were going to respond,” said Thon, who scored three runs. “Especially the way we’ve been hitting lately and the fact that we were all feeling great. I just had a feeling.”
In the last three games, the Indians have totaled 42 hits and 30 runs. Murphy is hitting 9 for 18 with five doubles and seven RBIs in the month of July.
Notes
Steve Murphy’s four doubles during Sunday’s 17-3 win at Yakima tied an NWL record. … Smokey Bear threw out the ceremonial first pitch 10 minutes prior to the game.