Spokane Indians shut out Tri-City 3-0, tempers flare in eighth inning

From staff reports

PASCO – The Spokane Indians and the Tri-City Dust Devils didn’t have to wait until the Fourth of July for fireworks. The teams made their own in the eighth inning on Wednesday.

Blake Adams struck out seven over six shutout innings and the Indians rode a three-run fifth inning to a 3-0 win at Tri-City. Spokane improved to 9-3 in the Northwest League second half – one game behind league-leading Vancouver – while the last-place Dust Devils fell to 1-11.

Adams allowed just two hits with no walks and lowered his ERA to 2.64. He threw 91 pitches, 64 for strikes. Adams was followed by Hyde, who threw two scoreless innings of relief, and Carson Skipper, who handled the ninth for his seventh save of the season.

Five players and a coach were ejected after an on-field confrontation in the eighth inning.

Indians outfielder Zac Veen, on a rehab assignment from Double-A Hartford, had walked to lead off the inning and was thrown out attempting to steal second. Veen and pitcher Leonard Garcia jarred at each other as Veen was leaving the field and the benched emptied. Both players were ejected, as were Tri-City first baseman Cam Williams and roving instructor Jobel Jiménez and Spokane outfielder Cole Carrigg and pitcher Braxton Hyde.

Veen finished 2 for 2 with two walks, two RBIs and a run before the ejection. Veen got the scoring started for Spokane with a two-run double in the fifth, and Kyle Karros followed with an RBI triple. Karros and Carrigg had two hits apiece for the Indians.

Spokane hosts Tri-City at Avista Stadium on Thursday at 7:05 p.m.