Spokane Indians lose second straight Northwest League game to Vancouver Canadians

VANCOUVER, B.C. – Two batters hit by pitches started off a three-run, tie-breaking rally, and the Vancouver Canadians beat the Spokane Indians 6-3 Friday to take the rubber game of their three-game series.

The loss left Spokane in a two-way tie with Vancouver for second place in the second-half Northwest League North Division standings, 6 1/2 games behind Everett.

The Canadians took a 5-2 lead in the fourth after starter Tyler Phillips (3-6) hit consecutive batters and Vancouver followed with a run-scoring double and a two-run single. Phillips also hit a batter in the second inning.

The Indians took a 1-0 lead after Leody Taveras led off the game with the first of two doubles he hit Friday and scored two outs later on a double by Seth Spivey.

The Canadians came back with two runs, one unearned, in the bottom of the first on a pair of singles, an error by right fielder Chad Smith and a ground out.

The Indians tied the score with a run in the fourth on consecutive one-out singles by Smith, Stephen Lohr and Anderson Tejeda.

Three straight singles gave Vancouver a 6-2 lead in the sixth before the Indians added their final run in the ninth after Todd McDonald led off with a single moved to third on a double by Taveras and scored on Darius Day’s ground out.

Phillips, the first of four Indians pitchers, went five innings and gave up seven hits and four earned runs while striking out four. The Indians gave up 10 hits but walked none.

Taveras, Smith and Tejeda had two hits each for the Indians, who had nine total but were only 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine.

Mike Ellenbest, Andy Ravel (3-0) and Griffin Glaude split the pitching duties for Vancouver with three innings each, giving up a run apiece.