Vancouver starter Grant Rogers shuts down Spokane Indians bat over 5 innings, Canadians win 10-1

Vancouver starter Grant Rogers held Spokane’s lineup in check over five innings, and the Canadians’ offense broke through against the Indians’ bullpen, rattling off nine runs between the fifth and seventh innings of Friday’s Northwest League game at Avista Stadium.

The visiting Canadians leaned on their pitching initially, then their batters shut the door on the Indians, who absorbed a 10-1 loss on a comfortable spring evening in front of 4,291 spectators.

Rogers (3-0), a 6-foot-7 right-hander who is having somewhat of a breakout year in his second minor league season, surrendered one unearned run on four hits and two walks, and struck out seven.

Rogers sat the Indians down in order in the first and fifth innings. He worked out of two threats – he escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third and stranded one Spokane runner in the fourth with back-to-back strikeouts.

Vancouver (15-16) broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning, when outfielder Sean Keys ripped a low-flying, two-run home run just over the right-field foul pole. Canadians catcher Aaron Parker hit an RBI triple in the sixth to extend the lead to 4-1, then Vancouver erupted for six runs in the seventh to bury any comeback hopes for Spokane (15-16).

Eddie Micheletti Jr. launched a two-run homer to left-center field to open the scoring in the seventh. Adrian Pinto followed with a two-out RBI single, and Parker capped the game’s scoring, belting a 3-1 pitch deep over the center-field wall for a three-run homer.

The Indians scored their lone run in the fourth inning, when an errant pickoff attempt by Rogers sailed into the outfield, opening a path from second base to home plate for Spokane’s EJ Andrews Jr.

Vancouver outhit Spokane 11-8. Parker went 3 for 5 with four RBIs to lead the visitors. Jean Perez and Braylen Wimmer both went 2 for 4 for Spokane.

Indians starter Jordy Vargas pitched two innings, striking out three while allowing one run (unearned) on one hit and one walk. Spokane seems to be playing it safe with the highly regarded pitching prospect, who missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The righty has made six starts but hasn’t pitched more than two innings in a game this year.

Austin Becker (0-1) took the loss, allowing two runs on three hits over 2⅔ innings in relief of Vargas. Becker was replaced in the fifth inning by Hunter Omlid, who gave up six runs on five hits and two walks.

The series, even at two games apiece, continues at 6:35 p.m. Saturday.