Spokane Indians’ rally comes up short in 10-9 loss to Everett AquaSox

Austin O’Banion is certainly not afraid to take one for the team, especially if it means taking a few steps outside of his comfort zone.

Near the end of Spokane’s 15-0 loss to the Hillsboro Hops last week, Indians manager Matt Hagen made a move that had the whole dugout amused. He pulled O’Banion from his usual spot in left field and sent him to the pitcher’s mound to close the game.

O’Banion’s presence on the mound gave the Indians a chance save their bullpen in a game that wasn’t going to get much better for Spokane. The Indians just gave him one rule to follow.

“I wasn’t allowed to throw over 65 (mph),” O’Banion said. That way, the left fielder wouldn’t injure himself. “I was just lobbing … trying to get outs.”

O’Banion finished the inning with two hits, a walk and three earned runs. Not too bad, considering the left fielder hadn’t thrown from the mound since his freshman year in high school.

“It was kind of nerve-wracking,” O’Banion said. “All of them (the fans) were looking at me. It was nerve-wracking. But I did OK.”

On Tuesday, O’Banion was back in his comfort zone out in left field. But the outfielder said he would be more than happy to try and improve his ERA if the Indians were ever in dire need of his lob balls again.

“If we ever get in that situation again, yeah, I’d be up for it,” O’Banion said.

The Indians nearly found themselves in another blowout situation on Tuesday when Spokane fell eight runs behind before falling to the Everett AquaSox 10-9.

The Indians finally brought out their bats in the sixth inning when the AquaSox had a 10-2 lead. Kobie Taylor started the rally with two outs, launching a triple off the center-field wall. He scored on Yonny Hernandez’s grounder to center.

Aparicio followed Hernandez with another single to right field. Matt Whatley sent home both runners on a three-run homer, cutting Everett’s lead to 10-6.

Indians designated hitter Clay Middleton followed with another long shot that left the cleared the left-field wall.

The Indians kept fighting down the stretch, scoring two more runs in the eighth inning. With two on, Middleton smacked a sacrifice fly to center field. The shot sent home Spokane’s Aparicio and Whatley scored on a wild pitch to pull the Indians within a run.

“We almost fought back enough, but not quite,” Hagen said. “We just looked like we weren’t quite locked in at the beginning of the game.”

Spokane’s struggles on Tuesday ensued immediately in the first inning behind Alex Speas. The right-handed starter allowed only one hit in the first, but the Aquasox still scored four runs.

Speas started the inning with six balls in a row before fighting the second batter into a 3-2 count and striking him out. But Speas was far from gaining any sort of control.

The righty allowed Eugene Helder a double to center field, driving in Everett’s first run of the game. Speas then walked the next two batters to load the bases with one out and Helder scored on a wild pitch.

Speas finally forced a second out with a bouncer to shortstop, but the grounder allowed enough time for another run to score.

Speas allowed just one more run when he was called for a balk in the middle of Troy Dixon’s at-bat, giving Onil Pena a free ride home from third. The righty caught Dixon on the next pitch to strike him out and end the inning.

The Indians fell far behind as the AquaSox proceeded to pile on six more runs, gaining a 10-2 lead that lasted into the sixth inning.

Everett scored in the second inning on only one hit again. Ronald Rosario launched a 2-1 pitch over the right-field fence to improve the Aquasox to a five-run lead.

The Indians served up two more runs in the third inning before right-hander Argenis Rodriguez came into relieve Speas.

Helder led the inning with a short line drive to O’Banion, who misgauged the shot and dropped the ball. The error allowed Helder to move to third base on what should have only been a single.

O’Banion followed with another error when he bobbled a slow roller to left field. The error scored Helder, giving the AquaSox a 6-0 lead.

Everett scored again on an infield grounder down the first, Speas’ last run allowed before heading to the dugout.

The new arm didn’t seem to have any bearing on Everett’s power at the plate in the fourth inning. They Aquasox worked behind four singles to improve their run count to 10.

Roasario started the inning with a line drive to center field and teammate Joseph Rosa followed with a single to left. Rosario stole third base when Indians catcher Whatley bobbled the pitch at the plate, and the right fielder eventually made it home on Helder’s single to center.

Rosa and Helder crossed the plate for Everett’s final runs of the night on a grounder to left field.

The Indians managed to get themselves on the board in the third inning, beginning with Hernandez. He drew a leadoff walk on a 3-1 count and Aparicio followed with a single to right field. O’Banion sent both runners home on a blooper to right field.

The Indians outhit Everett 16-10 on Tuesday. O’Banion and Aparicio led with three hits apiece.

Helder led the Aquasox at the plate, going 3 for 5, including a double, and driving in two runs.