Streaker wins squeaker

Chris Davis wasn’t aware that he had a long hitting streak until his parents told him earlier in the week.

Davis hit a 12th-inning, game-winning home run Thursday night for the Spokane Indians in the 6-5 win over the Vancouver Canadians in the opener of a five-game series in Northwest League baseball play in front of 4,157 spectators at Avista Stadium.

The victory snapped the Indians’ four-game losing streak and increased Davis’ hitting streak to 19. Davis went 3 for 6 with two homer, the first in the sixth inning.

Davis continues to lead the NWL in homers and is fourth in the league with 29 RBIs.

Second in league homers is teammate Chad Tracy with eight.

“We battled down to the end of it,” Davis said. “It feels good to finally get a win.”

The Indians had their second day off in 44 days on Wednesday after a five-game series on the road against the Everett AquaSox. Spokane manager Mike Micucci said he thinks the rest helped the team, which looks forward to its days off.

The Indians trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but they scored five runs in their next three innings.

Vancouver, however, would not go down without a fight. Down 5-1 in the eighth, the Canadians rallied back and scored four runs off of closer Brennan Garr.

Jeremiah Haar, a new addition to Spokane’s pitching staff, relieved Garr, who pitched two-thirds of an inning. With the tiebreaking run on third, Haar struck out Andre Piper-Jordan to retire the inning.

“To give up four runs in the eighth and not die shows the club’s character,” Micucci said.

Down by one run in the bottom of the fifth, Spokane’s No. 9 batter, Wally Backman Jr., hit a two-run homer to right to give the Indians a 2-1 lead.

After Davis homered to open the sixth, Hunter Harrigan, Spokane’s No. 8 batter, opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo homer to left, giving the Indians a 4-1 advantage.

Spokane’s Craig Gentry knocked in the fifth run in the seventh with a single up the middle, bringing home Backman, who had walked. Gentry finished 3 for 4 with two stolen bases.

Kasey Kiker started on the mound for Spokane and pitched four inning, giving up one run and striking out seven, including the side in the second inning. Adam Schaecher relieved Kiker.

Vancouver tied the game in the eighth when Greg Dowling had a two-run double and scored on Christian Vitters’ triple.

Vancouver scored its first run on Larry Cobb’s sacrifice fly in the third.

The Indians, who played in Hawaiian jerseys, will be back in their home uniforms today at 6:30 p.m. at Avista Stadium.

Notes

Spokane added to its roster 2005 Indians outfielder KC Herren, who moved down from the Clinton LumberKings. Herren batted .264 with four home runs and 27 RBIs with Clinton. He went 1 for 4 in his return to Spokane. … Kyle Rogers was added to Spokane’s pitching staff from Clinton. Major leaguer Armando Galarraga joined the team on a rehab assignment. … Spokane’s Chris Kemp, Glenn Swanson and Grant Gerrard all moved up to Clinton, while pitcher Jose Jaimes was moved down to the Arizona Rookie League.