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Spokane Indians

Major League Baseball playoffs have local flair with former Spokane Indians on Boston Red Sox roster

Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland stretches to get Cleveland Indians Jose Ramirez out in the first inning Sept. 23 in Cleveland. (Tom E. Puskar / AP)
Boston Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland stretches to get Cleveland Indians Jose Ramirez out in the first inning Sept. 23 in Cleveland. (Tom E. Puskar / AP)
By Dave Nichols daven@spokesman.com(509) 459-5441

With the completion of the supplemental regular season and MLB wild-card games on Tuesday, the meat of the postseason commenced on Thursday with the American League and National League Division Series.

The MLB playoffs will have a somewhat local flair, as a pair of former Spokane Indians are employed by a postseason favorite.

Boston Red Sox first base Mitch Moreland made his professional debut with the Indians in 2007 after he was selected in the 17th round of the MLB Draft that summer by the Texas Rangers out of Mississippi State.

Moreland, a nine-year MLB veteran, played 27 games in Spokane that season and hit .259/.308/.398 with two home runs and 15 RBIs in 118 plate appearances. He progressed rapidly through the Rangers’ system and made his MLB debut in 2010.

Moreland hit .245/.325/.433 with 15 homers and 68 RBIs in 124 games for the Red Sox this season.

The other Indians alum in the postseason is Red Sox second baseman Ian Kinsler.

Kinsler, a 13-year MLB vet, was acquired by Boston in a midseason trade with the Los Angeles Angels. The 36-year-old hit .240/.301/.380 with 14 home runs and 48 RBIs this season between the two clubs.

Kinsler made his pro debut with the Indians in 2003 after being selected by the Rangers in the 17th round of that season’s MLB Draft. He played 51 games for the Indians and hit .277-.352/.410 with one homer, 15 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 216 plate appearances.

The four-time MLB All-Star made his big league debut with the Rangers in 2006.

Two other former Indians qualified for the playoffs but have been eliminated. Kyle Hendricks took the loss in relief for the Chicago Cubs in the N.L. wild-card game on Tuesday. He went 1 1/3 innings and allowed a run on three hits in the 13th inning.

Hendricks went 14-11 with a 3.44 ERA in 33 starts for the Cubs this season. He pitched in 20 games for the Indians in 2011 and went 2-2 with a 1.93 ERA.

Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. was on the Cubs’ roster but did not pitch in the wild-card game. He started 10 games for Spokane in 2012, going 2-3 with a 2.11 ERA.