Eugene handles Indians
It’s obviously too early to panic if you’re the Spokane Indians and too early to print Northwest League playoff tickets if you’re the Eugene Emeralds.
Still, in the get-to-know-you stage in just the second game of the short season Wednesday, Eugene spread the offense around and was efficient on the mound as the Emeralds handled the Indians 11-1 before an Avista Stadium crowd of 4,874.
“It is too early to be concerned, but you always want to play better than that, especially opening up the season,” Spokane manager Tim Hulett said. “But we’ve got a lot of new players and everybody got their feet wet. I think we’ve got just about everybody in. They’ll get their feet wet and we’ll put the right combinations together and we’ll play well.”
Eugene (2-0) batted around twice while collecting nine hits, including five extra-base strokes.
The Emeralds also took advantage of seven walks and two hit batters.
As it turned out, the Emeralds only needed two runs, and those could have been provided by Zach Brown, who opened the fourth and eighth innings with solo homers.
Emeralds starting pitcher John Hussey went five innings to pick up the win. The 6-foot-3 right-hander scattered six hits while striking out five and walking one. Four other pitchers threw an inning apiece.
Spokane, which has used 11 of its 14 pitchers, sent six to the mound. They combined for 16 strikeouts, including striking out the side in the eighth.
“It’s that other thing called walks in key situations that hurt,” Hulett said. “We gave up walks in innings they scored runs. Seven walks is a lot.”
Four walks, in fact, came around to score.
Eugene leadoff hitter Danny Payne, the San Diego Padres’ 2007 first-round draft pick, walked four times to go with three walks in the season opener.
The Emeralds’ No. 2 batter, Ray Stokes, was most consistent at the plate.
He collected three hits, two of which were doubles, and knocked in four runs.
The Indians got their first extra-base hit of the season in the eighth when second baseman Matt Lawson led off with a homer, accounting for Spokane’s lone run. He finished with three hits.
Hulett said he would deliver a simple message to his team, especially to those who haven’t played yet.
“I’ll just remind them that professional baseball is a long season,” Hulett said.
“We play a lot of games – we play every day. They get like three days off and two of them are traveling (days).
“It’s a long year and they’re going to get lots of at-bats and lots of opportunities.”
Notes
Before the game, the Indians honored the history of the Spokane Tribe by dedicating a museum-quality exhibit that honors their namesake. The exhibit is located just outside the first-base tunnel. … The Indians added another player to their roster with the arrival of Jonathan Greene, a catcher who was an eighth-round pick out of Western Carolina University. He hit .331 this spring with 14 homers and 57 RBIs. … Spokane will start righty Jacob Brigham tonight in the third game of the five-game homestand. A 2006 draft pick, Brigham had a 3.70 ERA and 58 strikeouts for the Arizona League Rangers.