Bears deal Indians fifth straight defeat
The Spokane Indians’ undesirable trek from first to worst now is inevitable.
The defending Northwest League champions can do no better than share the league’s lowliest record at the end of the season after stumbling in a 14-4 loss against the Yakima Bears at Avista Stadium on Friday.
Yakima starting pitcher Cesar Valdez totaled 12 strikeouts, and the Bears capitalized on six Spokane errors to gain the upper hand in the opener of the three-game series.
With only five games remaining in the season, Spokane (22-49) slipped five games behind the third-place Bears in the East with its fifth straight loss. Yakima, meanwhile, picked up its fourth consecutive victory.
Spokane has lost 20 of its last 23 games.
“It was all about errors, and we had way too many,” Spokane manager Mike Micucci said. “It was real poor defense and poor situational hitting. … We keep coming out and working hard, but we’re not able to execute. That’s been a thorn in our side the entire year.”
Valdez worked at a deliberate pace and kept the Indians off-balance with effective off-speed pitches complementing a mid-90s fastball. The right-hander allowed two earned runs and seven hits in six innings and didn’t issue a walk to improve to 7-5.
”(Valdez) has been solid all year,” Yakima manager Jay Gainer said. “He’s only had two outings this year where he wasn’t himself. Other than that, he’s been the same type of pitcher all year.”
The Bears scored four runs in the third inning, more than enough production to send Spokane starter Juan Carlos Garcia to his fifth loss in five decisions. Joey Hooft’s throwing error – his second of four defensive miscues – sparked the Bears outburst, but it was Garcia’s shaky control that proved more harmful. Garcia threw 35 pitches in the third before recording the final out.
Mike DeCarlo’s bases-loaded double drove in two runs for Yakima in the third, and Edwin Roman and Brad Miller each added an RBI to spot the Bears a 4-0 lead.
Chris Davis pulled the Indians within 4-2 in the fourth with his 14th home run of the season, a towering drive to right field that scored Chad Tracy.
Yakima sealed the game’s outcome with three runs in the sixth, one more in the eighth and a six-run eruption in the ninth.
Spokane scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth to close within 7-4. K.C. Herren drove in Davis with a groundout to shortstop, and Hooft added a sacrifice fly to drive in Steve Marquardt.
“We had several opportunities to drive in runs, and we’ve got to do a better job,” said Davis, who finished 2 for 4. “We’re pressing a little bit to get runs.”
The Indians will host a 1970s retro party tonight and treat fans to a fireworks display in its home finale on Sunday. Both games begin at 6:30 p.m.