Zach Kokoska homers in seventh inning, Spokane Indians edge Vancouver 7-6

The Spokane Indians offense has been in a bit of a slump in the season’s second half. They entered play on Wednesday batting only .249 as a team in July after hitting a combined .281 in the season’s first three months.

Zach Kokoska, one of the league’s top hitters in the first half, is batting .224 for the month. But Wednesday night he broke out in a big way.

Kokoska connected on a long two-run home run in the seventh inning and the Indians beat the Vancouver Canadians 7-6 in a High-A Northwest League game at Avista Stadium on Wednesday.

Kokoska finished 2 for 4 with four RBIs.

The Indians improved to 10-10 in the second half. The first-place Canadians dropped to 14-6.

After the Indians fell behind in the top of the seventh, Nic Kent started the two-out rally with a single up the middle. Kokoska, who had homered once in his last 17 games, crushed one over the fence in straight center to put the Indians up 7-6.

It was his 16th homer of the season, the league leader for active players.

“I was just sitting dead red fastball down the middle and I got it,” he said. “I put my best swing on it and connected.”

He’s not concerned with his batting slump – or the team’s.

“We’re not focused on that,” he said. “We’re just focused on helping the team win anyway we can. We’ll always bounce back.”

The Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning on a pair of walks and a hit batter by Canadians left-handed starter Adam Macko.

Ryan Ritter, who entered hitting .154 in nine games since his promotion from Low-A Fresno, drew a full-count walk to force in the first run of the game.

With one down, Kokoska popped it up to short left field and Dasan Brown’s diving attempt was in vain. It went for a two-run single and 3-0 lead.

Ritter led off the third with his second walk of the game, went to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a long fly out by Nic Kent.

Indians starter Victor Juarez cruised through the first three innings, but pitched himself into a jam in the fourth. He loaded the bases on a pair of walks and line-drive single, then walked the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, Kekai Rios and Estiven Machado, to bring in two runs.

Brown’s two-run single down the right field line plated two and tied it 4-4, ending Juarez’s evening. A fielder’s choice brought in another run, closing the book on the Indians starter.

Indians pitching coach Ryan Kibler said Juarez fell back into some bad habits in the fourth.

“I thought he got off to a pretty good start, but kind of showed that he needs to kind of adjust his approach a little bit,” Kibler said.

“Four walks with a four-run lead can’t happen,” Kibler said. “Makes it obvious that he’s pitching around contact and maybe thinking about his own numbers instead of pitching to the scoreboard.”

All told, Juarez allowed five runs on five hits and four walks. The 20-year-old struck out five and threw 41 of his 76 pitches for strikes.

The Indians conducted a two-out rally in the bottom half. Consecutive singles by Benny Montgomery, Brendan Rodgers and Sterlin Thompson resulted in a run – but Thompson was picked off to end the inning.

Vancouver’s Michael Turconi broke the tie in the seventh with a line-drive homer to the short porch in right field.

Kokoska provided the lead, then Angel Chivilli tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his league-leading 15th save.

Kibler said Chivilli is growing into his role as closer.

“Mentality. Aggressiveness. ‘This is important.’ ” Kibler said. “He’s taking it as it’s important and just learning the game a little bit and what that role entails.”