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Spokane Indians

Spokane Indians pregame: Jen-Ho Tseng scheduled for first appearance in Texas Rangers organization

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

The Spokane Indians face the Tri-City Dust Devils in the finale of a three-game Northwest League series at Avista Stadium at 6:35 p.m.

The Indians (9-4, first in North) will send right-hander Jen-Ho Tseng (no record) against RHP Ignacio Feliz (0-1, 4.32) for the Dust Devils (6-7, T-2nd in North).

Tseng will make his first start as a member of the Teas Rangers organization. The 24-year-old made appearances with the Chicago Cubs in 2017 and ’18. In eight innings in the big leagues, Tseng allowed eight earned runs (three home runs), struck out 11 and walked two.

Last season Tseng went 2-15 with a 6.27 ERA for the Cubs Triple-A affiliate in Iowa.

Feliz, a 19-year-old from Santo Domingo, DR, was acquired via trade with the Cleveland Indians in exchange for RHP Walter Lockett last November. Ignacio signed with the Indians as an international free agent in July 2016. In parts of three minor league seasons he’s struck out 102 in 109 innings against 56 walks and has compiled a 7-8 record with a 3.80 ERA in 25 games (24 starts).

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

Weather: First pitch – Mostly cloudy, 69. Final out – partly cloudy, 61.

Player to watch: Tseng. Despite his troubles last year in AAA, he’s put together a fairly impressive minor league resume over five seasons. In 113 games (111 starts) over 619 innings, he’s racked up 478 strikeouts and put together a 3.85 ERA. It’s a little unusual to see a player with his resume sent all the way back down to short-season. Seems like the plan with him is to get his confidence back one step at a time.

Last night: A couple of defensive miscues in the middle innings proved huge Wednesday night and the Spokane Indians fell to the Tri-City Dust Devils 5-2 in the second of a three-game Northwest League series on Wednesday. The game was delayed 40 minutes due to rain.

A fluky play in the fifth inning on a foul pop-up to third allowed one run to score. In the sixth, a stolen base, throwing error and wild pitch led to another.

Justin Slaten, the Texas Rangers’ third-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft and a 6-foot-4, 200-pound 21-year-old native of Texas and an All-Mountain West second-team selection, made his pro debut. He didn’t make it out of the first inning as he allowed three hits and two walks, recording two outs. He was the victim of a botched defensive play on a first-and-third double-steal that could have gotten him out of the inning but instead led to a run against.

Ex-Indians news: Hickory SS Jax Biggers went 2 for 3 with his first home run of the season and is hitting .323/.384/.431. Biggers, 22, was the Rangers’ eighth-round pick in the 2018 Draft out of Arkansas and hit .260/.341/.331 in 39 games for the Indians last season.