Thon-der storm at Avista
It stands to reason that, since the Spokane Indians have used their offense to reach first place in the Northwest League’s weak East Division, they could stay there with the same formula.
Throw in some clutch starting pitching, and they become a threat for much more than a division title.
Broc Coffman threw five strong innings and Freddie Thon drove in six runs to lead another Spokane comeback victory, an 8-4 win over West Division-leading Vancouver in front of 3,862 at Avista Stadium.
With the win, Spokane (25-30) is two games up on Boise, Tri-City and Yakima.
Thon provided the big hit in this one – if only figuratively.
With Vancouver (36-19) ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth and runners on first and second, the Canadians brought in left-hander Bradley Davis and his 0.35 ERA to face the left-handed hitting Thon.
Thon got out in front of a first-pitch curveball, lofting it a little beyond the Grotto fence in right field, 296 feet away, for his eighth homer of the year.
“We’ve just got a lot of good hitters. Every day, it’s somebody different,” said Thon, who added a two-run single in the fifth and an RBI single in the eighth that ricocheted hard off the right-center field fence, traveling about 50 feet further than his go-ahead homer.
“If we just get a couple guys on base, we have a chance to win the game.”
Spokane is batting .257, fourth in the NWL, but with a slugging percentage of .412 and 48 homers, the Indians have turned that into the second-most runs (274).
On the mound, Indians manager Greg Riddoch isn’t going to put any extra pressure on his young arms – he isn’t here to win games, but to develop baseball players.
Coffman and the staff know the importance of their role, though.
“We do have a good offense, and keeping us in the game like that is going to give us a good chance to win,” said Coffman, who received a no decision but lowered his ERA to 3.50, allowing three hits and one unearned run.
“What are we, two up or three up? Every start from now on, all of us are looking for the same thing, to play (Vancouver) in the championships at the end. We’ve just got to keep us in the game and keep these guys swinging the bats.”
Spokane starting pitchers, outside of staff ace Doug Mathis, had compiled a 6.53 ERA in the Indians’ first 54 games, a figure that has been improving since the emergence of Coffman and David Smith in the rotation.
“The staff has been better lately,” Thon said. “Basically, right now, all five guys in the rotation are doing a good job every time they throw. They’ve had some rough outings, but most of the time they give us quality innings.”
Cain Byrd (2-1) picked up the win despite blowing a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth, and Spokane’s lights-out bullpen combo of Nathan Fogle and Jon Wilson combined to allow one hit and one walk and strike out five in three innings.
•Indians outfielder Steve Murphy, Texas’ 14th-round pick in 2005, was named the TOPPS trading card company’s Northwest League player of the month for July. During the month, Murphy hit .353 with six homers and 23 RBIs.