Struggling Spokane Indians bats silenced in loss at Eugene

EUGENE – Jake Slaughter went 2 for 3 with four runs batted in and the Eugene Emeralds beat the Spokane Indians 9-2 in the finale of a four-game Northwest League series at PK Park on Thursday.

The Indians (5-5 second half) had just three batters reach second base before the ninth inning. They have scored 15 runs in their last seven, going 3-4 in the stretch.

Pedro Martinez went 3 for 5 with two runs and an RBI for Eugene (5-5), while Grayson Byrd added two hits in four trips and three RBIs. Zach Mort, the second Eugene pitcher of the night, struck out six without a walk over five innings and allowed just three hits.

The Emeralds scored all the runs they needed in the first inning against Indians starter Justin Slaten (0-1). With two down, Darius Hill tripled, then Slaughter brought him in with a bloop double that popped out of second baseman Jake Hoover’s glove in a diving attempt in short right.

Zac Taylor then walked on a full count, ending Slaten’s evening. Luis Rosario entered and allowed a double by Byrd, which drove in both runners for a 3-0 lead.

In the third, Martinez singled, stole second and scored on a sacrifice fly by Slaughter, who added a two-run single in the fifth.

David Garcia broke up the shutout with a line-drive single with two on in the ninth. Blaine Crim followed with a single to load the bases, then Luis Asuncion plated another run with a ground-ball single up the middle.

The Indians start a three-game series with the Everett AquaSox on Friday and are scheduled to face veteran Seattle Mariners starter Felix Hernandez, who was placed on the Everett roster on a rehab assignment.