Indians bounce back, stifle Salem-Keizer
Nice answer.
After getting their lunch handed to them the night before, the Spokane Indians rebounded in impressive fashion Saturday.
Three pitchers combined to limit the Northwest League’s best team to seven hits and Ian Gac provided much-needed power as the Indians topped the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 6-2 before a more-than-capacity crowd of 7,316 at Avista Stadium.
“We were kind of motivated after getting our butts kicked (Friday),” said Gac, whose two solo homers moved him atop the league at 10.
The Indians (20-24) stayed within 1 1/2 games of East Division-leading Boise (22-23), which downed Eugene 11-9.
Gac finished 3 of 4, including a double. He felt fortunate to hit both homers, which looked like identical strokes over the left-field wall.
“I got them both out in front a little bit,” Gac said. “I was sure at first. Luckily, they carried out for me.”
After spotting the Volcanoes (35-10) a 6-0 lead after two innings Friday, the Indians responded this time with a big number in the second. After a leadoff strikeout, Spokane batters fashioned five straight hits including Gac’s first homer. Timothy Rodriguez had a run-scoring double and Johan Yan had an RBI single.
“Tonight was a good answer,” Spokane manager Tim Hewlett said. “We stress to these guys there are so many games in professional baseball and at this level you’ve got to bounce back, and they did that tonight.”
It appeared the Volcanoes might dig into Spokane’s lead in the next inning, though. Sharlon Schoop, batting ninth, led off the third with an opposite-field homer over the 296-foot area called The Grotto. Moments later, a walk and two hit batters by left-handed starter Derek Holland (3-3) loaded the bases. Finally, Holland got out of the jam with an inning-ending strikeout.
“(The coaches) told me we’ve got to keep the momentum on our side,” Holland said about the third. “I just got real lazy. I was letting up big time. It shouldn’t be that way.”
Holland left after five innings, and left-hander Ryan Falcon picked up where Holland left off. Falcon allowed just one hit in three innings before righty Andrew Laughter pitched a scoreless ninth.
“It was a great effort by the whole team,” Holland said.
The Indians seemed to offer an unadvertised promotion – Foul Ball Night. The teams combined for so many foul balls early that two extra dozen of balls had to be brought out in the sixth.
Spokane had opportunities to put Salem-Keizer away early. In the fifth, the Indians loaded the bases. Renny Osuna had a run-scoring single before the next three batters struck out.
“The guys’ eyes got a little big and they tried to bite off a little more than they should,” Hulett said of the inning. “I think they saw 15 sliders in a row.”
The third game of the five-game series will feature Spokane righty Evan Reed (0-0, 3.00 ERA) and Volcanoes right-hander Daryl Maday (4-1, 1.26).