Blake Wright earns walk-off walk, Spokane Indians edge Tri-City in 10 innings 6-5
In the myriad ways to plate the winning run in a baseball game, a walk-off walk might not be the most exciting. But they all count the same.
Blake Wright watched four consecutive pitches miss the strike zone in the 10th inning, and the Spokane Indians edged the Tri-City Dust Devils 6-5 in the opener of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium.
In the top of the tenth, Tri-City’s Rio Foster launched a flyout to medium deep right, allowing automatic runner Cole Fontenelle to move over to third. Indians reliever Fidel Ulloa struck out Adrian Placencia and Randy De Jesus popped out to the catcher to strand Fontenelle.
Max Belyeu started the bottom half at second, then Ethan Hedges singled and took second on the throw. The Dust Devils walked Aidan Longwell intentionally to load the bases.
That brought up Wright, who walked on four pitches from Dust Devils reliever Kyle Roche to bring in the winning run.
The Indians played catch-up all game.
Starter Everett Catlett got off to a rough start, as Anthony Scull clobbered his first pitch of the game off the wall in right center for a double. Scull went to third on a flyout, and tried to score on a grounder to third, but Hedges threw him out at home.
It was a big out, because Rio Foster followed with a rocket off the scoreboard in right center for his eighth homer of the season and a 2-0 lead.
After the Indians went 1-2-3 in the bottom half, Randy De Jesus hit Catlett’s first pitch of the second inning well over the tall wall in left for his 17th homer of the campaign.
The next three batters singled to load the bases, which brought pitching coach Blaine Beatty out for a visit. A run scored on a flyout, but Catlett was able to get the next two in order to limit the damage.
Wright got the Indians on the board in the bottom half with a leadoff homer off the caboose in right center, his sixth of the season.
They rallied for two more in the third. Caleb Hobson reached on an error and went to second on a wild pitch. Belyeu was hit by a pitch, then the pair pulled off a double steal.
Hedges singled to knock in Hobson, and Belyeu scored later on a wild pitch to make it 4-3.
The Indians (27-28) loaded the bases with two down in the fifth on a double by Hedges and back-to-back walks, but Cole Messina grounded out to end the threat.
They came back to tie it the next inning. Tommy Hopfe walked, then Skyler Messinger doubled to the wall in left center and Hopfe scored without a throw.
In the seventh, three consecutive Indians batters recorded two-out singles, but Andy Perez was thrown out at home trying to score from second to keep the game tied.
Tri-City (26-29) broke the tie in the eighth off reliever Hunter Mann. Adrian Placencia led off with a walk, went to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Peter Burns. Mann came back to strike out the next two.
Messinger led off the Indians eighth with a double. Hobson tried to bunt him over and the pitch hit him, but home plate umpire Larry Pettis ruled Hobson swung. After a brief visit with trainers, Hobson ripped the next pitch down the left field line and into the corner for a game-tying RBI double.
Perez led off the ninth with a single off Tri-City Roche, then stole second on the next pitch. Messina grounded out to third on a 3-0 pitch, but the Dust Devils walked Hopfe intentionally. With two down Hobson walked to load the bases.
That brought up Belyeu, who grounded to second and it went to extra innings.
Catlett settled down after his early troubles. He finished six innings, throwing 59 of his 97 pitches for strikes. He gave up four runs on nine hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
The series continues Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.