Boise sweeps Spokane

BOISE – They had no luck with one first-place team on the road, so the Spokane Indians will take a stab at another first-place team on the road.

Russell Canzler hit a one-out solo homer in the eighth inning Thursday night to give the Boise Hawks a 6-5 win and a three-game sweep of the Indians at Memorial Stadium.

Steven Clevenger led off a four-run third inning with a home run, and Mike Billek pitched five innings of one-hit ball to stake Boise to a 5-0 lead.

Northwest League East Division-leading Boise (28-23) outscored Spokane 21-8 during the series and is 6-0 against the Indians this season.

Spokane (19-32) begins a five-game series at West Division-leading Salem-Keizer tonight. The Volcanoes are 5-0 against Spokane this season.

Spokane briefly caught Boise with a three-run sixth and a two-run eighth.

In the sixth, Thomas Berkery had an RBI double and scored on Chad Tracy’s triple. Christopher Davis singled home Tracy.

In the eighth, Davis added an RBI single and K.C. Herren had a bases-loaded walk.

Spokane went 1-2-3 against Michael Cooper in the ninth.

Note

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Frank Francisco will join Spokane’s roster today at Salem-Keizer on a rehabilitation assignment. Francisco, 26, underwent “Tommy John” ligament transplant surgery in April 2005. The season before, he had a 3.33 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 51 innings for Texas.