Indians’ Guinn hits the big time

In all the years he’d played big-time ball, 22-year-old Dennis Guinn never hit a game-winning home run.

Not until Monday night.

In the bottom of the 12th inning, with two runners on base and no outs, Guinn stepped up to the plate. He worked the count to 2-0, then the pitch came.

Crack.

The 3,467 fans at Avista Stadium gasped. The Spokane Indians emptied their dugout. The ball sailed over the left-field fence.

One night after a devastating loss, the Indians fought back against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes to win 9-6 after four hours under the lights.

“It’s just a great feeling,” Guinn said after emerging from a smiling horde of excited Indians players. “Especially the way we battled all game, came back when they had the lead.”

The Northwest League game was a cat-and-mouse contest up to that point. The Volcanoes (17-17, first place West Division) would get a lead, then the Indians (26-8, first place East Division) would catch back up.

Pitching dominated for both teams. Though the Indians gave up eight walks, just two of them led to runs. Spokane errors contributed, but catcher Justin Pickett credited the pitchers for keeping the Indians in the game.

“It was a well-played game between two first-place teams,” Indians manager Tim Hulett said. “They did a great job. But it’s great to be the home team during those extra-inning games.”

Spokane put 15 hits on the board, but the game was largely the Pickett and Bolden Show. The teammates accounted for nine of the hits.

They came under the spotlight in the bottom of the ninth, Spokane trailing 6-5 with one out. Jared Bolden smacked the ball to the left-field corner and stretched it into a triple. Matt West then struck out.

So, with two outs, it was up to Pickett. He quickly fell behind in the count – one ball, two strikes. Then he shot a chopper up the middle pass second base, and Bolden came in for the tying run.

“I try to keep everything simple,” Pickett said. “Be relaxed, have a good day. And if the hits are going to be there – I mean, if they’re there, they’ll come.”

Pickett finished 5 for 6 with three RBIs. His no-out single in the bottom of the 12th gave the Indians the spark they needed to overcome the Volcanoes.

Designated hitter Tim Rodriguez followed with a single of his own. With two on, Guinn hit his three-run shot.

Bolden finished 4 for 5 with four runs scored. Rodriguez was 2 for 6 and Guinn went 2 for 5.

“It was a big game for us. After (Sunday’s 14-2 loss) we wanted to come back with some energy and play like the Spokane Indians,” Hulett said. “Our first two innings were a little shaky, but we bounced back and scored some runs and stayed with it the whole game.”

Spokane and Salem-Keizer continue their five-game series at 3:30 p.m. today at Avista Stadium.

Notes

Reliever Juan Peralta recorded the win, shutting down the Volcanoes with two strikeouts in two innings. Ryan Schlecht, who entered the game in the seventh inning when the Indians led by one, blew the save. … Zach Zaneski, an Indians catcher, was on the alert to come in as a relief pitcher if Hulett ran out of options on the mound. … Cody Podraza was sent down to the AZL Rangers rookie team. The outfielder batted .235 in 34 at-bats with the Indians.