Cole Carrigg falls double shy of cycle, Spokane Indians beat Everett 5-3

Lefty Sean Sullivan may not be as heralded as his rotation mate Chase Dollander, but the Colorado Rockies’ second-round pick in the 2023 draft (46th overall) has been just as effective to start the season.

Sullivan, a 21-year-old out of Wake Forest, entered Saturday’s game with a 1.64 ERA (two earned runs over 11 innings) and 0.91 WHIP with 19 strikeouts in two starts.

Saturday’s performance was just as impressive – at least until he took a hard liner off his glove hand in the fifth inning.

Cole Carrigg went 4 for 4 with a triple, homer and three RBIs and the Spokane Indians beat the Everett AquaSox 6-3 in a Northwest League game at Avista Stadium .

Carrigg’s homer, a solo shot, came in the seventh to give the Indians a two-run lead.

“I was just trying to hit the ball somewhere hard. I never really try to do (hit home runs) like that,” Carrigg said. “He left a change-up up and the bat did the rest of the work.”

Sullivan was thankful his teammates bailed him out after the rough way his day ended.

“You work so hard, and you feel like other games that could be a loss,” he said. “But, you know, it’s great to have a great offense and defense behind you.”

Spokane (11-3) built a 4-0 lead with a pair of two-run innings. In the third, Braiden Ward reached on an error, stole second and scored on Carrigg’s double. Carrigg later scored on Dyan Jorge’s RBI single.

The Indians doubled the lead in the fourth. Juan Guerrero doubled, Ward tripled him in then scored on Carrigg’s single.

Sullivan went through four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and a walk, and striking out four, but he got in trouble against Everett (3-11) in the fifth.

Sullivan tried to stab Andrew Miller’s hard liner, but the ball deflected out and ended up behind the mound for a single.

Sullivan retired the next two batters, but Bill Knight singled and Ben Williamson ripped one into the left-field corner for a two-run double. RJ Schreck singled to score the third run of the inning and knock Sullivan out of the game.

Sullivan allowed three earned runs on eight hits over 4⅔ innings, striking out four and walking one. He threw 90 pitches, 64 for strikes.

Spokane added a run in the bottom half when Kyle Karros singled, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.

Carrigg added some insurance in the seventh with his second home run of the season, a shot over the tall wall in left-center.

Sullivan had his right hand wrapped after the game but said, “It’s fine. I put some ice on it. Not worried about it.”

He said it affected him a little bit in the fifth, though.

“I had a couple of rough innings earlier in (the game) but got out of some jams,” Sullivan said.

“I think that last inning I got a little bit tired, and getting hit in the thumb kind of throws you off a little bit. You try not to let it affect you.”

Sullivan is encouraged by his terrific start to the season.

“I think tonight my off-speed was probably the best it’s looked so far,” he said. “I’m just happy with that. I think that’s something I can take away good from this game.”

Everett fell to 3-11. The series concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m.