Spokane Indians hit three home runs – but little else – in series-opening loss to Tri-City
How hot was it at Avista Stadium on Tuesday? So hot, the grounds crew turned on the hoses in the middle of the third and fifth innings and sprayed anyone brave enough to be sitting on the aluminum bleachers down the left field line.
Towns across the Pacific Northwest broke all-time heat records on Tuesday, not just for the day, but ever. Spokane and the ballpark were no exception – game-time temperature was 109 degrees, a record for professional baseball in Spokane, under clear but hazy skies.
Tuesday was also the first day the Spokane Indians were allowed to increase attendance to 5,000 capacity, and the paid attendance was 1,553. A decidedly smaller in-person crowd braved the oppressive heat to take in the game, and the club set up misting stations and water coolers – in addition to the grounds crew’s hoses – to try to help folks stay cool.
Despite the uncomfortable heat, there was still a baseball game to be played.
Jordyn Adams drove in a pair early, Gareth Morgan smacked a three-run shot in the ninth and the Tri-City Dust Devils topped the Indians 7-3 in the first of a six-game High-A West series.
The Indians hit three solo home runs – two by Cade Harris and one from Niko Decolati – and just two more hits, both singles. Tri-City pitching did not issue a base on balls.
[BOX SCORE courtesy MILB.com]
“We did nothing offensively all night except the three home runs and we were right in that game to the end, so there’s a little bit of open,” Indians manager Scott Little said.
Will Ethridge, the Colorado Rockies’ fifth round pick in 2019, made his third start for the Indians. He entered play having allowed 11 earned runs over eight innings of work in High-A. Between Low-A Fresno and Spokane, Ethridge had a 45-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 39 2/3 innings.
He continued both streaks. Ethridge (0-3) struck out four and did not issue a free pass, but he allowed four earned runs on nine hits over five innings.
“I thought he gave up a lot of contact,” Little said. “He got behind and he didn’t walk any, but they put the barrel on a couple and put together a couple of, they weren’t huge rallies, but, you know, just enough to keep us out of range.”
The Dust Devils got back-to-back singles to open the second inning. Ethridge picked up two outs, but Keinner Pina reached on an infield single and a run scored.
T-C went back to work in the third. Brendon Davis hit a one-out double and scored on a single by Adams, the Los Angeles Angels’ No. 3 prospect. Consecutive singles plated Adams and the Indians trailed 3-0.
Harris got the home team on the board in the bottom half with a solo home run, his third of the season, and added his fourth homer in the fifth inning.
Decolati made it a one-run game with a solo shot in the seventh inning, his seventh of the season.
Willie MacIver, who is tied for the league lead in homers with Michael Toglia, was promoted to Double-A Hartford on Monday.
Harris said everyone has to pick up the slack.
“I mean those are hard shoes to fill, but it actually felt good to contribute tonight,” he said.
“He did a good job of battling in counts,” Little said of Harris. “He barreled up a couple of baseballs.”
Morgan, the former Seattle Mariners prospect who was the 74th overall pick in 2014 now in the Angels system, hit a three-run homer in the ninth to seal it.
Spokane struck out 15 times – eight looking.
“We can’t be guessing with two strikes,” Little said. “And then it seemed like when we did swing, they were at balls in the dirt. So we didn’t have a very good night offensively.”
Indians leadoff hitter Isaac Collins extended his hitting streak to nine games with a first-inning single.
Around the league
Eugene 8, Hillsboro 2: Ismael Munguia had a two-run single in a four-run eighth inning and the visiting Emeralds (31-17) topped the Hops (19-28). Armani Smith went 2 for 5 with two RBIs for Eugene.
Everett 15, Vancouver 10: Connor Hoover delivered a two-run double in a four-run seventh and the AquaSox (29-17) outlasted the visiting Canadians (26-22) in a wild one. Vancouver hit three home runs, one each from Cameron Eden, Ryan Gold and Spencer Horwitz.