Bullpen falters late, Spokane Indians walked off by Eugene 3-2

From staff reports

EUGENE – Ronaldo Flores scored on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning, and the Eugene Emeralds beat the Spokane Indians 3-2 in the second game of a six-game Northwest League series at PK Park on Wednesday.

With one out in the ninth, Flores doubled to right against Indians reliever Anderson Pilar. Carter Williams singled to right, but Flores was held at third with Zac Veen firing a strike to home.

It wouldn’t matter. The next batter, Ghordy Santos, lofted a fly ball to center deep enough that Flores jogged home with the winning run.

The Indians (27-24) fell 2½ games behind the first-place Emeralds (28-20) with 13 games remaining in the first half.

Spokane got on the board in the top of the first. Eddy Diaz hit a one-out single, went to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Drew Romo.

Luis Toribio snatched the lead for Eugene with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season, in the second inning off Indians starter Tony Locey.

It stayed that way until the seventh. Romo (2 for 4, .313) led off with a double, went to third on a single by Colin Simpson and came around on a single by Julio Carreras.

The Indians still had runner at first and second with one out, but Nic Kent flied out then pinch-runner Bladimir Restituyo was picked off at third by catcher Patrick Bailey on an attempted double-steal.

Locey went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and three walks with five strikeouts. Robinson Pilar provided two innings of scoreless relief.

The series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m.