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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians pregame: Josh Javier looks to get on track against Vancouver

By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

The Spokane Indians (12-8) host the Vancouver Canadians (7-13) in the second of a three-game Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The Indians send lefty Josh Javier (0-0, 3.80) against Adam Kloffenstein (3-4, 2.72) for the Canadians.

Javier is looking to right the ship after a few rough outings. After posting a 1.31 ERA through his first five starts, the southpaw has given up nine runs and issued nine walks in just seven innings in his last three starts.

Kloffenstein, the Blue Jays 2018 third-round pick, has a string of five consecutive games of at least five innings pitched and has posted a 2.06 ERA over the span. He tossed five scoreless in win over Spokane on July 28.

Lineup: 1) Ovalles-LF; 2) Irizarry-2B; 3) Crim-1B; 4) Garcia-DH; 5) McReynolds-3B; 6) Ventura-C; 7) Ricumstrict-CF; 8) Hoover-SS; 9) Joseph-RF.

Weather: First pitch – Partly cloudy, 85. Final out – Clear, 71.

Player to watch: Jake Hoover. He’s 7 for 15 in his late four games and scored five times with three RBIs and a pair of doubles. The Hillsdale College product has raised his batting average from .208 to .246 since the all-star break.

Last game: Blaine Crim went 3 for 5 with two home runs and five RBIs, Alexander Ovalles provided the game-winning hit in the 10th inning and the Indians beat the Canadians 7-6 in 10 innings in the first of a three-game series at Avista Stadium on Wednesday.

It was the third walk-off win in the last six games for the Indians, who have won six of their past seven games.

With the bases loaded in the 10th, Ovalles ripped the first pitch he saw from reliever Mike Pascoe past the drawn-in Trevor Schecke at first base and into right field to plate Crim, who started the inning as the automatic runner at second.

With the graduation of Vancouver’s Yorman Rodriguez to Low-A Lansing earlier on Wednesday day, Crim assumed the lead in the league batting title race. He may have overtaken Rodriguez anyway, as his big night elevated his average to .361. Rodriguez was hitting .369 at the time of his promotion to full-season ball.

Crim, the NWL’s “Top Star” at last week’s All-Star game, has eight multi-hit games in his past nine and is hitting .472 (17 of 36) over the span. His six home runs are good for a fifth-place tie among active hitters in the league and seventh overall.