Dust Devils complete three-game sweep over Indians
PASCO – About everything that could go wrong for the Spokane Indians, went wrong during Monday’s 16-4 Northwest League loss to the Tri-City Dust Devils.
“Didn’t pitch, didn’t hit, didn’t catch,” said manager Greg Riddoch after the game. “We had five errors, but should have had seven.”
After benefiting from an eight-run first at Yakima last week, the Indians found themselves on the opposite end against the Dust Devils, who completed their first series sweep since Aug. 26 of last year.
Up 2-0 on the scoreboard, Indians starter Kellan McConnell walked leadoff batter Christopher Frey in the bottom of the first. Jason Van Kooten hit a high grounder to Joey Hooft at third base. Hooft threw to second to cut off Frey, but the throw was late.
Phillip Cuadrado followed with a bunt down the first base line. McConnell tried to bare-hand the ball, but failed to come up with it. With the bases loaded, McConnell walked Travis Becktel to force in the first Dust Devils run.
James Sweeney drove a pitch just past the reach of Indians second baseman David Peterson to score two runs. Michael Paulk drilled a double over the head of center fielder K.C. Herren to plate Becktel and Sweeney and push Tri-City’s lead to 5-2.
“You just try to stop the bleeding as soon as possible,” said Indians catcher Jonathan Higashi. “You try to get an out as soon as possible and get out of the inning.”
McConnell struck out No. 7 hitter Daniel Carte for the first out of the inning and then induced Rob Hosgood to ground out, sending Paulk to third. Pedro Strop singled in the sixth run. The inning finally ended when McConnell got Frey to fly out.
“Luck was on their side,” said Riddoch. “We didn’t pitch well, we didn’t catch well, we didn’t hit well… way too many mistakes.”
McConnell ended up allowing nine runs, seven earned, in just 1 2/3 innings. He walked three.
In all, seven Indians pitchers gave up 14 hits, and five different players committed an error. Four of the five errors led to a run.
The Indians (10-11), up one game when the series began, are two games behind the Dust Devils (12-9) in the Northwest League East Division standings.
Steve Murphy staked the Indians to a first-inning lead with a two-run home run off Dust Devils starter David Patton.
Freddie Thon led off the second with a home run to right field to pull Spokane within 6-3, but the Dust Devils answered with three more runs in the bottom of the inning and scored two more in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
Thon hit another home run in the sixth, his fourth of the season, to make the score 11-4. Murphy’s home run, his fourth of the season, extended his hitting streak to 12 games.
Spokane has its first day off today after playing 20 games in 20 days.