Victor Juarez goes five strong innings, Spokane Indians use homers to edge Everett 3-1 to even series

Victor Juarez is the youngest player on the Spokane roster. He’s not pitching like it. 

Juarez, who won’t turn 20 until June, allowed one run over five innings with seven strikeouts and the Spokane Indians edged the Everett AquaSox 3-1 in a Northwest League game at Avista Stadium on Friday. 

Spokane’s Benny Montgomery went 2 for 4 and extended his hitting streak to 13 games, Jordan Beck homered for the second time in as many nights and Braxton Fulford provided a late insurance run on his fourth home run of the season for the Indians (8-8).

Juarez, a native of Monterrey, Mexico, allowed six hits and one walk. He threw 57 of his 89 pitches for strikes.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Indians pitching coach Ryan Kibler said. “He competes. The intangible stuff is well beyond 19 years old. He is not afraid, and he knows exactly what he wants to do.”

Adael Amador and Montgomery led off the bottom of the first inning with back-to-back infield singles. Amador stole third base then trotted home on Sterlin Thompson’s line-drive single to right.

Jordan Beck homered for the second night in a row with a solo shot in the second. Beck started the season in an 0-for-18 slump but has hit .290 (9 for 31) since.

“Just a little bit of an approach change, and then some stuff we’ve been working on in practice,” Beck said. “I mean, nothing really too complicated, just trying to keep it simple right now and hunt heater and adjust to off-speed.”

Juarez cruised through the first three innings with six strikeouts. He found his first hot water in the fourth when he hit Alberto Rodriguez and Tyler Locklear’s grounder got through the right side for a single. 

With one down Hogan Windish lined one into the right field corner to plate a run, but Fernandez threw Windish out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Everett (10-8) had two on with two down in the fifth. Rodriguez singled to right, but Fernandez picked up his second outfield assist of the game with a strong throw to home to nail Jonatan Clase trying to score from second to keep it at 2-1. 

It stayed a one-run game through the middle innings as Angel Chivilli gave the Indians two perfect innings of relief.

“In a tight, tight game late like that, you just watched (Chivilli’s) body language and watch the delivery,” Kibler said. “It was free and easy, and that’s when he’s at his best. Ball was jumping out of his hand.” 

Evan Justice got out of a one-out, two-on jam with a pair of strikeouts in the eighth.

“A slow start for Justice, but to get two punch outs in that inning – that is gutsy,” Kibler added

Montgomery led off the eighth with single and Thompson lined one to center that Clase made a diving catch on. Clase dropped the exchange but Montgomery though it dropped and he advanced to second. After a long discussion, Montgomery was ruled out at first on appeal.

Fulford rocked the next pitch down the line in left for a solo shot and a two-run lead.

“There was a bunch of commotion right before that with the runners getting thrown out and whatnot,” Fulford said. “I think it was a great turn of momentum for us. You know, we were kind of feeling down because we got two runners out, but then got a little insurance.”

Tyler Ahearn took over and provided a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts for the save. 

“He looks like a different animal when the game is on the line in the ninth inning,” Kibler said. “That was special.”