Spokane Indians drop back-and-forth affair to Hillsboro 6-5

HILLSBORO, Ore. – After a back-and-forth affair, Angel Ortiz’s RBI single in the eighth inning proved to be the difference and the Hillsboro Hops edged the Spokane Indians 6-5 in the fourth of a six-game High-A Northwest League game at Hillsboro Ballpark on Friday.

After winning the first two games of the series by a combined 16-4, the Indians (6-7) have lost two straight one-run games to the first-place Hops (9-4).

The Indians took the early lead in the first when Braylen Wimmer doubled and later scored on pitcher John West’s throwing error.

Hillsboro tied it in the second on a groundout with runners at the corners.

Wimmer launched a two-run homer in the third to put Spokane up 3-1, but the Hops got two back in the bottom half on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and groundout.

Skyler Messinger knocked in Wimmer with a single in the sixth, and the Hops evened it again on a flyout with runners at the corners.

They traded runs again in the seventh.

The Indians put two on with two down and Jared Thomas singled on a ground ball to score EJ Andrews Jr, but Demetrio Crisantes delivered a sacrifice fly in the bottom half to knot it at 5.

Hillsboro took the lead in the eighth off Indians reliever Francis Rivera. With one down, Cristofer Torin drew a walk. After a flyout, he went to second on a walk to Ryan Waldschmidt. Ortiz followed with a single to center and Torin scored.

Indians starter Jordy Vargas, in his third start back after missing all of 2024 to injury, used 41 pitches to cover 1⅓ innings. He allowed one unearned run on one hit, walking two and striking out two.

Wimmer went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and three runs.