Nic Kent, Ryan Ritter pace offense; Spokane Indians take series from Vancouver 8-5
From staff reports
VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Spokane Indians offense came to play on Sunday.
Nic Kent went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, Ryan Ritter knocked in three and the Indians beat the Vancouver Canadians 8-5 in the finale of a six-game Northwest League series at Nat Bailey Stadium on Sunday.
The Indians (25-27) took four of six from first-place Vancouver (35-19). It’s the first time this season the Canadians have lost a home series.
Spokane remains 51/2 games behind Everett (31-22) for the second-half playoff spot with 12 games remaining. The Indians face the AquaSox for a six-game series at Avista Stadium starting Tuesday.
Indians starting pitcher Robinson Hernandez (1-0), who was assigned to Spokane on Aug. 22, made his first appearance for the Indians this season after spending all of 2022 on the roster. He went five innings and allowed two runs on six hits and a walk with four strikeouts.
The Indians got to work in the first inning. Braiden Ward was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Juan Guerrero. Ritter reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Kent, and Kent came in on Robby Martin Jr.’s two-out double to make it 3-0.
Spokane added four runs in the second inning – all with two outs. Ward and Benny Montgomery singled, then pulled off a double steal. Guerrero walked, then Ritter clubbed a double to center to clear the bases. Ritter made it 7-0, scoring on a double by Kent.
Josh Kasevich hit a solo homer in the bottom half to put Vancouver on the board, but the Indians got that one back in the third after Ben Sems reached on an error, stole second and later came in on a sacrifice fly.
Vancouver’s Gaby Martinez hit a solo homer, his 11th of the season, in the fourth to make it 8-2.
The Canadians loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against reliever Cullen Kafka, but Peyton Williams flied out to left to end the threat.
Kafka issued a one-out walk to Dasan Brown in the eighth to load the bases again and Indians manager Robinson Cancel went to Luis Amoroso. A run came in on a fielder’s choice, then Lyle Lin delivered a two-out RBI single.
Amoroso walked Devante Brown to load the bases for the second time in the inning, but Garrett Spain flied out to right to end the inning.
Indians closer Angel Chivilli came out for ninth and gave up a long home run on his first pitch to Williams, his sixth of the season. Vancouver put runners at second and third with two outs, but Chivilli struck out pinch-hitter Ryan McCarty to end it.