Spokane Indians drop first game of road series in Vancouver

From staff reports

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Steward Berroa went 2 for 4 with a two-run home run and the Vancouver Canadians edged the Spokane Indians 4-3 Tuesday to open a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Nat Bailey Stadium.

The Canadians scored two runs in the first off Indians starter Mike Ruff on back-to-back RBI doubles by Leo Jimenez and Addison Barger.

Vancouver (21-21) added two more in the fourth on Berroa’s homer, his second of the season.

Spokane (24-20) got on the board in the fifth. Braiden Ward ripped a two-out, two-run double off the base of the wall in left-center, and Zac Veen singled home Ward to make it 4-3.

Ruff (4-3) allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk over four innings. Austin Kitchen tossed four innings of hitless relief, striking out six and walking one.

On the move

Outfielder Daniel Montano was named Northwest League Player of the Week after leading the league in batting, on-base percentage and slugging last week. He was then promoted by the parent club Colorado Rockies to Double-A Hartford.

Montano, 23, hit .500 (9 for 18) with four doubles, a triple, a home run and eight RBIs in five games against Everett last week.

He hit .321 with a homer and 22 RBIs for Spokane this season.

In corresponding moves, Ward, infielder Nic Kent and catcher AJ Lewis were added to Spokane roster from Low-A Fresno.

Ward, a 16th round pick of the Rockies out of University of Washington in the 2021 draft, hit .367 with four homers and 19 RBIs in 39 games with Fresno.