Sixth inning sinks Spokane
Spokane Indians starter Kellan McConnell pitched well enough to keep his team in the game through five innings, striking out six and giving up two earned runs on 61 pitches.
But after a 25-pitch sixth inning, in which he walked a batter and gave up three singles in consecutive at-bats, McConnell took the loss as the Indians (13-18) dropped another game at Avista Stadium on Friday, 7-5 to the Tri-City Dust Devils.
“I thought I was making good pitches,” said McConnell of his sixth-inning performance.
However, for as good McConnell thought his pitches were, the hits were better – and more effective as the Dust Devils (15-16) scored three runs on three hits.
“That’s frustrating,” McConnell said. “You try to make your pitches, and the balls just find holes.”
After getting Sandy Almonte to ground out to second on two pitches, McConnell walked Michael Paulk on five. Daniel Carte and Steven Boggs followed with singles to right field that were just out of the reach of second baseman Julio Santana.
“Their hits,” Santana said, “were just perfectly located. I couldn’t get to them.”
With the bases loaded and one out, Pedro Strop drove a single past Santana and first baseman Phillip Hawke that scored two runs to increase the Dust Devils’ lead to 5-1. Travis Becktel followed and drove in Boggs with a grounder.
“It (the sixth) was huge,” said Tri-City starting pitcher David Patton, who held the Indians to three hits in seven innings to get the win. “And the pitches they hit, they were good pitches.”
After hitting five home runs last night, the Indians were held to seven hits by three pitchers. Ryan Fox pitched the eighth and George Delgado got the save in the ninth.
Patton (3-4), who had given up a team leading six home runs and had an ERA of 5.81 going into the game, kept Spokane off balance by working the inner part of home plate with his fastball and slider. He finished with five strikeouts.
“Go figure that one out,” said Indians manager Greg Riddoch. “We hit five home runs off of their best pitcher and then their worst pitcher blows it by our ear. No idea how that happens.”
After Patton exited the game, the Indians scored two runs off Fox in the eighth on a double by Terry Blunt to make it 6-4 with no out. The threat, however, ended as Fox struck out the next three batters.
“David Smith will take Jesse Hall’s spot in the rotation and start the first game of the series against Tri-City in Pasco on Sunday, according to manager Greg Riddoch. In five relief appearances, Smith has allowed one run in 14 2/3 innings pitched. … Steve Murphy hit his league-leading seventh home run of the season in the sixth inning on a two out, 2-2 pitch from Patton. … The Indians lead the Northwest League in home runs (27). They have hit 18 home runs at home and nine on the road.