Vancouver snaps Indians win streak at three games

Vancouver’s Matt Morgan went 2 for 2, including a pair of walks with a run and an RBI, and the Canadians blanked the Spokane Indians 5-0 in front of a sold out holiday crowd in the first of a two-game midweek Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Tuesday.

The loss snapped Spokane’s three-game winning streak.

Indians starter Cole Ragans started the game with a 1-2-3 first inning, including two called strikeouts. But the Indians (7-13) didn’t respond with a big bat in the bottom of the frame, as they were retired in order to end the inning in a scoreless tie.

In the second, Vancouver’s Kacy Clemens capitalized on an Indians error after first baseman Andretty Cordero misjudged a bouncer that popped out of his glove. Clemens then went to third base on Deiferson Barreto’s single drive to right field.

Morgan knocked in Clemens on a hard grounder to Charles LeBlanc at third base. LeBlanc’s off-target toss to first made Cordero stretch too far, and the first baseman pulled his foot off the bag.

The Canadians (13-7) nearly scored again on another error in the fourth as Cullen Large attempted to steal second. Indians second baseman Kole Enright missed the throw from catcher Yohel Pozo, sending the ball to right field. Large rounded second and held up at third, despite the Indians still fumbling with the ball in outfield.

Ragans issued a walk and a strikeout, and Enright made up for his error when he tossed out Vancouver’s Norberto Obeso on a grounder to end the inning with no score.

Vancouver scored again in the seventh on Kevin Vicuna’s RBI single to right field. Vicuna stole second and then went to third on Pozo’s throwing error.

Vicuna eventually scored on a wild pitch by right-handed reliever Luis Lopez.

The Canadians stretched their lead to 5-0 in the ninth, beginning with a single to center and a walk – Spokane’s eighth free pass of the night.

Large hit an RBI single to right field and right-fielder Chad Smith pulled up on the roller, allowing Large to take second and sending home another run for the Canadians.

The Indians never got more than four at-bats in an inning, but they recorded only one strikeout on Tuesday – Smith in the first inning.

Spokane pitchers, on the other hand, combined for 15 strikeouts. Ragans (0-1) finished the night with eight strikeouts, four walks and only two hits against.

Cordero led the Indians with a pair of base hits and a walk in the seventh.

Vancouver reliever Dalton Rodriguez (2-2) allowed four hits and one walk over seven innings.

Spokane’s Curtis Terry, who was voted the Northwest League’s Offensive Player of the Week last week, notched a single in three at-bats.