Indians pick on Hops, 10-1

Jose Trevino said it was time for the Spokane Indians to reintroduce themselves to their fans. Trevino and the Indians did just that Friday, banging out 15 hits while their four pitchers combined for 16 strikeouts during a 10-1 win over the Hillsboro Hops before a sellout crowd of 7,061 at Avista Stadium. Trevino hit his Northwest League-leading ninth homer and doubled twice as the Indians (4-7 second half, 29-20 overall) snapped a three-game losing streak and came within one out of their third shutout of the season. “We knew we had to get a win today,” Trevino said. “We knew we had to get something going today and I think everyone knew in the clubhouse that it’s time to get this thing rolling again.” Spokane had lost 12 of its previous 18 games and dropped three straight at home for the first time this season. The Indians are 17-7 at Avista. The Indians had their best-hitting night since July 19, when they also rapped out 15 hits. Their season high is 19, set against Tri-City on July 8. “We haven’t had that many (hits) lately, but even when we had a bad night we’d get seven, eight, nine hits,” Indians manager Tim Hulett said. “But tonight we got hits with guys on base and we got a couple of two-out hits, which we’d had a lot early in the first half.” “We got those hits that we needed,” Trevino said. “Those hits we got in the first half, we’re starting to get them again. A couple of games ago, they were getting caught. But now they’re starting to fall again.” Spokane is 3-3 for its eight-game homestand and 1-2 against the Hops (29-20, 7-4) for the series and season. The Indians’ task looked challenging as Hillsboro started Nick Baker, who entered with a 3-0 record and the sixth-best earned-run average in  the league (2.61). Baker also entered with no walks for 411/3 innings this season. Although Baker improved that streak to 461/3 innings, the Indians teed off for 10 hits in five innings against him. The second batter of the game, Luke Tendler, got it started with a long homer to right field, his sixth of the season. Trevino followed with a double to right-center and scored on Pepe Cardona’s two-out single to center. The Indians extended the lead to 4-0 in the second as Tendler roped a two-out RBI single to right and scored on Trevino’s 15th double of the season. “This is the game today that shows this team is not a fluke,” Trevino said. “We’re out here to play.” “We didn’t miss many fastballs tonight, early in the game especially,” Hulett said. “It was good to see Tendler get back on track and Trevino.” Spokane’s pitching also dominated. Austin Pettibone made his second start of the season and struck out five in three shutout innings. Reed Garrett (5-1) and Nick Dignacco followed with two shutout innings apiece, fanning a combined five, and Johnny Fasola struck out six in the final two innings while uncharacteristically allowing four hits. It didn’t matter, however, because Spokane led 10-0 after a five-run eighth. Seth Spivey had the big hit, a two-out, two-run triple to center after Hops third baseman Kevin Cron extended the inning by dropping Trevino’s pop fly.