Second consecutive walk-off spoiled by out on basepaths, Spokane Indians fall to Hillsboro 3-2

A second consecutive walk-off win was not in the cards Wednesday night for the Spokane Indians.

A ninth-inning comeback was cut short by a runner thrown out at third base and the Indians fell to the Hillsboro Hops 3-2 in a Northwest League game at Avista Stadium.

After beating Hillsboro Tuesday on Kyle Karros’ walk-off single, the Indians trailed by two coming into the bottom of the ninth Wednesday. Bryant Betancourt singled with one down and later scored on Jose Cordova’s two-out single.

EJ Andrews Jr. entered as a pinch-runner and tried to go from first to third on Jesus Bugarin’s single, but the throw by right fielder Gavin Conticello to third baseman Jose Fernandez beat Andrews for the final out of the game.

“That’s the type of guys we have on this team,” Indians third baseman Karros said.

“We’re never out of it, like you saw right there. Unfortunate he got thrown out at third, but I mean, if he’s safe there, we’ve got the tying run 90 feet away and the winning run at first.”

The Indians found all their offense in the latter innings after Hops starter Jose Cabrera (1-1) left the game. Cabrera went six shutout innings and allowed two hits, with two walks and five strikeouts.

“He’s got good stuff,” Karros said of Cabrera. “He had a fastball, one that kind of sank and one that kind of rode up.

“So that’s always difficult to kind of narrow in and sit on one of them versus the other. He was bringing it, and he was landing all his pitches.”

The Indians (23-9) maintained a four-game lead over Vancouver (19-13) for first place in the second half.

“We don’t really get caught up in, ‘We won the first half, we’re already set,’ or, ‘We’re in first place again in the second half,’ ” Karros said. “We’re just showing up every day putting in the work and trying to win games.”

Hillsboro (14-18) started the scoring in the second inning. With two on and two down, Manuel Pina hit a soft line-drive single to left and Jack Hurley beat the throw home for a 1-0 lead.

Cabrera kept mowing down Indians hitters. They went down 1-2-3 in the second and third innings, then put two on with two down in the fourth before a groundout ended the potential rally. The Indians went in order again in the fifth, capped by consecutive strikeouts .

The Hops doubled their lead in the sixth. Christian Cerda led off with a double of the base of the wall in left field and came around on Fernandez’s one-out single.

After Cabrera left the game, Betancourt led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk, moved up to second on a passed ball and took third on a wild pitch.

After Cordova walked, Bugarin lofted a medium-deep fly ball that allowed Betancourt to race home with the Indians’ first run.

Hillsboro retook a two-run lead in the next inning as Fernandez singled in Jack Hurley from third base.

Indians starter Blake Adams (6-3) went six innings. He gave up two runs on 10 hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.

The series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m.