Indians lose ground
As Spokane manager Tim Hulett aptly expressed it, Monday night’s 9-1 drubbing at the hands of Tri-City means that the Indians no longer control their own fate in what has now become a three-horse race for the Northwest League East Division title.
“We don’t control our own destiny anymore because we’re a game-and-a-half back now, so we have to hope someone else beats Tri-City for us,” Hulett said.
With the win, the Dust Devils (32-35) now sit atop the NWL East standings, with a one game lead over Boise –which beat division cellar dwellers Yakima 10-4 Monday – and a 1 1/2-game lead over the third-place Indians (30-36).
“This game helped us out a bundle, because now we play Yakima, and the two teams trailing us, Spokane and Boise, play each other,” Tri-City pitching coach Doug Linton said. “We just hope those two teams split the series and that we can win at least four out of six against Yakima.”
Linton’s pitching staff was a big factor in the Dust Devils’ win.
Starter Fabian Robinson went seven innings, fanning six and allowing only five hits.
Robinson gave up Spokane’s only run of the night when Victor Barrios scored on a Julio Borbon grounder in the fifth.
But by that point Tri-City was already up 4-1, and the Dust Devils offense went right back to work thereafter, scoring a run in the sixth, and then two each in the seventh and eighth.
The Dust Devils also benefited from home runs by Josh Banda and former Gonzaga University standout Darin Holcomb.
“This was one of the biggest games we’ve played all year,” said left fielder Kevin Clark, who went 3 for 5 including two doubles and two RBIs. “I mean, playing Spokane and taking two out of three, this was a big, big series.”
Tri-City outhit the Indians 12-5, and normally reliable hitters such as Matthew Lawson, Renny Osuna, Ian Gac and Jonathan Greene combined for a dismal two hits in 16 trips to the plate.
“If Lawson or Osuna don’t get something, we don’t get something generally,” Hulett said. “Everybody was swinging the bat good in Eugene, now all of a sudden we’re back home and everybody’s kind of hit a skid at the same time.”
Spokane’s lack of offense was a problem, but the Indians’ usually solid defense also seemed to implode under the pressure of Tri-City’s attack.
Neftali Feliz, Andres James and Lawson were charged with an error apiece.
The Indians now go on the road for a regular season-ending six-game series against Boise.
Notes
The Indians’ public address announcer Brad Moon will not be returning for a sixth season with the team. Spokane is holding auditions for a new PA announcer, and interested individuals are urged to contact Indians vice-president Otto Klein at 509-535-2922.