Spokane Indians notebook: Outfielder Jared Thomas pacing team early; Tri-City on tap at Avista Stadium this week

The Spokane Indians completed their seventh series of the season, including the truncated three-game opening weekend series, on Sunday, splitting six games with the Eugene Emeralds in a bit of an unusual manner.

The Indians took the first three games of the series, then lost the last three – scoring just one run in each of the losses. It’s the third three-game losing streak of the season and second time to the Emeralds.

Despite the streak, the Indians are in good shape in the Northwest League first-half standings. Entering play Tuesday for the start of a six-game homestand against Tri-City, the Indians are in second place in the league with a 20-19 record, three games behind the Hillsboro Hops (23-16).

There’s not much separation between the six teams in the league – last-place Vancouver is just six games out of first.

The Indians will be better off as soon as they can figure out their weekend blues – the team is just 2-12 on Friday and Saturday games this season.

This week: The Dust Devils enter play Tuesday in third place at 19-19, losers of their last two games and 4-6 in their last 10. The teams split a series in Pasco to close out April and kick off May where the Indians scored a total of 11 runs in the six games, winning a pair of 3-1 decisions and taking the Sunday game 1-0.

Tri-City is hitting just .220 as a team and is third in the league in homers (35) but last in runs (157) and RBIs (147). The Dust Devils collectively have given up the fewest runs (166) and have the most strikeouts with 384.

Early MVP: Outfielder Jared Thomas is off to a terrific start this season. He’s played in each of the team’s 39 games and is hitting .314/.410/.458 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 10 stolen bases.

Thomas played in just eight games last season for Low-A Fresno after being selected in the second round of the MLB draft, 42nd overall, by the Rockies last summer out of University of Texas. In those eight games, the left-handed hitter batted .333/.389/.545 with two homers, four RBIs and a stolen base.

Off and running: The Indians lead the NWL in stolen bases, edging Eugene 70-68 entering play Tuesday. Those two teams are lapping the field though – third-place Hillsboro has 46.

Third baseman Braylen Wimmer leads the Indians with 17 stolen bases, and has yet to be caught stealing. Oufielder Caleb Hobson is second with 15 and Thomas third.

The Indians led the circuit last season with 258 stolen bases, 26 more than second place Eugene.

Wimmer winning: The 24-year-old is off to a .291/.364/.790 start through 38 games with three homers and 18 RBIs. He’s been particularly good at the start of the series: on Tuesdays he’s hitting .409 (8 for 22) with a 1.135 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Wimmer was the Rockies eighth-round pick in the 2023 draft out of South Carolina.

‘Wel’ enough: Left-handed reliever Welinton Herrera has been a stabilizing force in the bullpen. He got into 23 games for the Indians at the end of last season and has been nothing short of dominant in this one, with a 0.49 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 18 1/3 innings with 10 saves in 11 tries.

He has struck out 12 batters and allowed just one walk over his past seven appearances and was named to the MLB Pipeline team of the week for the second consecutive week.

Show time: Left-handed pitcher Carson Palmquist, who was a member of the 2023 Indians, made his MLB debut with the Colorado Rockies last week. He became the 25th player to go from the Indians to the show during the organization’s affiliation with the Rockies.

There are 13 former Spokane Indians (not including injury rehab assignments) on the Rockies current active roster.