Spokane Indians can’t overcome series of base-running blunders, Vancouver wins third straight 8-6
Left-hander Everett Catlett has been very good since joining the Spokane Indians in late July, allowing just three earned runs over four starts. But he wasn’t his sharpest on Thursday, and his teammates got him off the hook.
But in a close game throughout, the Indians made a series of base-running blunders – five thrown out on the bases, three at home – and ended up taking their third loss of the week.
Aidan Longwell went 2 for 3 with a homer, double, three runs and three RBIs, but the Indians couldn’t overcome their mistakes and lost to the Vancouver Canadians 8-6 at Avista Stadium.
The Indians fell to 21-24 and the Canadians improved to 24-21.
The base-running gaffes started in the second. Blake Wright led off the inning with a double and went to third on a groundout. He then tried to score on a grounder to first but was thrown out easily. Skyler Messinger reached on the fielder’s choice and made his was to third. He tried to score on a wild pitch, but catcher Jacob Lojewski fed pitcher Austin Cates for the tag.
It stayed scoreless until the bottom of the fourth, when Longwell lined one on to the short porch in right for his 15th homer of the season. It was his second homer of the month – in which he’s hit .184/.273/.316 with three extra-base hits.
The lead didn’t last. Catlett walked the leadoff hitter in the fifth, then surrendered back-to-back run-scoring doubles to JR Freethy and Eddie Micheletti, Jr., which ended his outing.
Hunter Omlid entered and got two outs, but Nick Goodwin bounced an RBI single through the middle to make it 3-1.
Catlett gave up just three runs, but they came on five hits, three walks and a wild pitch over five-plus innings. He struck out four and threw 50 of his 94 pitches for strikes.
It’s the first time in five starts since his promotion to Spokane on July 22 that Catlett failed to go at least six innings or allowed more than one earned run.
Jesus Bugarin led off the Indians’ fourth with a double and with two down Ethan Hedges walked. That brought up Longwell, who clubbed a double off the wall in left center to tie it. Wright followed with a single through the box to put the Indians up 4-3.
But again, the lead didn’t hold past the inning break.
Jay Harry and Lojewski hit back-to-back singles leading off the sixth, then Carter Cunningham ripped a double down the right field line to tie it. With one down Omlid balked in the go-ahead run, then hit Eddie Micheletti, Jr. to put runners at the corners.
Arjun Nimmala’s soft line out to right was enough to get Cunningham home from third to make it 6-4.
The Indians put runners at the corners with one out in the bottom half. They attempted a double steal, but Lojewski threw behind Tommy Hopfe at third and the Canadians got him out after a rundown.
Trail runner Jesus Bugarin took a wide turn at second, and he was thrown out after the rundown for a 2-5-2-6-8 rally-killing double play.
The Indians loaded the bases in the seventh on a single, walk and hit by pitch. Canadians reliever Edinson Batista uncorked a wild pitch, and this time Tevin Tucker was able to race home to make it a one-run game.
Batista was injured on the play and was replaced by Irv Carter, who walked Andy Perez on a wild pitch and Longwell scored from third without a play to tie it 6-6.
Cunningham walked against reliever Cade Denton to lead off the eighth, stole second and went to third on a flyout. Micheletti hit a flyout to medium center, but Tucker – playing his first career game, college or pros, in the outfield – double-clutched on the throw and Cunningham scored without a play.
Nimmala doubled and walked Sean Keys intentionally, then Goodwin delivered an RBI single to make it 8-6.
Hedges walked with one down in the ninth, then Longwell was hit by a pitch. Wright was called out looking, but Andy Perez was hit to load the bases with two down and Max Belyeu pinch-hit for Messinger.
Belyeu worked the count full but swung through an 89-mph fastball to end it.