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Spokane Indians

Tri-City tops Spokane Indians 5-4 on 10th-inning home run

During a ran delay in the fifth inning a storm passed over Avista Stadium as the sun set in the west. This is a view from catwalk to the press box. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
During a ran delay in the fifth inning a storm passed over Avista Stadium as the sun set in the west. This is a view from catwalk to the press box. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)
By Whitney Ogden whitneyo@spokesman.com(509) 481-1067

The Indians gave up a pair of home runs, including a go-ahead homer in the 10th, and Spokane fell 5-4 to the Tri-City Dust Devils at Avista Stadium on Monday night after a lightning storm delay that stretched almost an hour.

It was the Indians’ seventh straight loss after being swept by Tri-City and Vancouver on the road last week.

With one out in the 10th, Tri-City’s Luis Asuncion launched a solo home run to right field, giving the Dust Devils a 5-4 lead. Tri-City closer Evan Miller retired the side in the bottom of the frame to seal a fourth straight win over the Indians (3-9).

Asuncion’s home run came shortly after Spokane’s Yohel Pozo tied the game with a two-run home run with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Later in the inning, the Indians could not get the winning run home from second base.

The home run in the 10th was the second go-ahead homer of the night for Asuncion. His fifth-inning home run had given Tri-City a 4-2 lead.

The Indians had a chance to take the lead early in the game. Right fielder Chad Smith knocked a slow roller to shortstop that snapped his bat in half. Smith barely beat out the throw and was called safe at first. Curtis Terry, who entered the game with a .129 batting average, followed Smith with a grounder that broke through to left field and put Smith in scoring position at second.

Smith eventually made his way to third, but was left on base after Melvin Novoa and Kobie Taylor struck out.

Tri-City (9-3) made its mark on the board in third inning behind Justin Lopez’s RBI single that bounced up the middle of the field.

Rain began falling in the beginning of the third and started pouring shortly after the Dust Devils’ first score. Fans ran to take cover, but Indians right-handed starter Tai Tiedemann kept throwing. He gave up another hit to left field and walked the next batter to load the bases with one out.

Ismel Lopez took over for Tiedemann, but the right-hander issued a second straight walk on four balls to force in Tri-City’s second run of the night. Spokane shortstop Cristian Inoa finally put an end to the inning after fielding a grounder and flipping the ball to second base for a double play.

Smith came in clutch again in the third when he shot a liner to right field. The drive sent home Yohel Pozo to Tri-City’s lead to 2-1. Smith attempted to extend his base hit to a double but was tagged out at second to end the inning.

The Indians tried for another rally in the fourth. Terry and Charles Leblanc hit back-to-back singles to put Terry in scoring position. Miguel Aparicio sent Terry home and tied the score at 2 on a grounder to center field.

The draw didn’t last for long. Tri-City took back its lead in the top of the fifth with Asuncion’s first two-run homer of the night to give the Dust Devils a two-run lead.

Pozo smacked a two-run homer to right field to tie the score at 4. Andretty Cordero followed with a double to right field, but was tagged out at third on Smith’s grounder to shortstop. Curtis Terry ended the inning in a tie with a fly to right field.

The Indians recorded 13 hits against the Dust Devils, who also had 13 hits. Smith went 4 for 5 for the Indians, including a pair of doubles, and had one RBI. Leblanc reached base in four at-bats on Monday, going 2 for 4 at the plate after reaching first on an error in the fourth and striking out in the 10th.

Tri-City’s Kelvin Melean went 4 for 5, recording four straight singles in four plate appearances.