Indians stroll to third consecutive win
Unlikely plays helped the Spokane Indians establish an early lead against the Vancouver Canadians on Saturday night.
An unfortunate injury, a costly error and holding the Canadians to four hits helped the Indians claim their third consecutive victory of the five-game series.
The Indians totaled 15 hits in the 10-1 victory over the Canadians in Northwest League baseball play in front of a sellout crowd at Avista Stadium.
Spokane’s Chris Davis started to come alive in the sixth inning with a ground-rule RBI double after going 0 for 5 in the last two games.
“I kept my head up,” Davis said. “I was getting anxious and chased a few pitches.”
Hitting coach Jim Nettles talked to Davis before he went out to bat in the eighth.
“He told me to slow down and get a good pitch to hit,” Davis said.
Davis did just that with a solo home run, bringing his league-leading total to 13. The double tied him for first in the league with 13.
Spokane scored in the first inning on an unfortunate mishap. Craig Gentry was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a groundout and wild pitch by starter Andrew Bailey.
Davis then swung at a pitch and his backswing hit Vancouver catcher Jacob Smith in the head, disabling him to make a play on the advancing Gentry. Bailey scrambled to retrieve the ball, but Gentry touched home with Smith lying on the ground holding his hand to his wound.
Smith was able to walk of the field and was replaced by Gustavo Rosendo.
The Indians scored their second run under strange circumstances with the bases loaded and two out in the second.
With Gentry up, Bailey’s wild pitch ricocheted back to the Rosendo. While the runners were trying to scramble safely back to their bags, Rosendo threw to first trying to beat Jay Heafner back to the base, but his overthrow allowed Nick Cadena to score from third, giving Spokane a 2-1 lead.
Spokane’s Michael Wagner pitched five innings, striking out eight, including the side in the fifth. Wagner leads the team with 50 strikeouts.
Patrick Donovan relieved Wagner and held the Canadians to two hits with two strikeouts in three innings. Derrick Jones closed for Spokane in the ninth and posted one strikeout.
Back-to-back doubles from KC Herren and Heafner scored Spokane’s third run in the fourth inning.
Spokane tallied four runs in the fifth inning with a three-run homer from Chad Tracy, his ninth, followed by a RBI single from Herren.
The fourth game of the series will be today at 6:30 p.m. at Avista Stadium.