Juan Guerrero lines go-ahead single in 8th, Spokane Indians edge Everett 6-5
It was another close one at Avista Stadium on Thursday, with the home team emerging victorious for the second night in a row.
Outfielder Juan Guerrero delivered a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning, and the Spokane Indians edged the Everett AquaSox 6-5. The Indians (13-5) remained one game behind first-place Vancouver in the Northwest League’s second half.
Davison Palermo handled the ninth inning for his first save of the season.
Cole Carrigg got the offense going early for the Indians with a long leadoff homer to right in the bottom of the first inning, his eighth of the season and third in his past four games.
Everett (9-9) tied it up in the third on Gabriel Moncada’s double and Michael Arroyo’s RBI single. Josh Hood crushed one over the fence in straight center in the fourth, his 10th of the campaign, to make it 2-1 Everett.
With two down in the fourth, Indians starter Connor Staine got nailed with a line drive off Moncada’s bat, and the ball ended up back near the first-base line. Staine recovered to make the play for final out of the inning but was in considerable pain coming off the field.
In his four innings , Staine allowed two runs on four hits, walking one and striking out three.
He was relieved by Sergio Sanchez in the fifth, and the AquaSox jumped on him. Sanchez hit leadoff batter Colin Davis, who went to third on Arroyo’s double. RJ Schreck grounded out, but Davis scored and Arroyo moved to third on the play.
It could have been worse, but Jesus Bugarin made a circus catch in right on a Lazaro Montes liner for the third out of the inning.
Back-to-back homers by Kyle Karros – a two-run shot – and Jake Snider gave the Indians a 4-3 lead in the sixth.
The AquaSox rallied in the eighth off reliever Luis Amoroso in his second inning. A pair of singles from the bottom of the order brought up Arroyo, who bounced one through the left side for an RBI single to tie the game.
Manager Robinson Cancel turned to lefty Felix Ramires, who was greeted by Schreck’s line-drive single off the right-field wall to make it 5-4.
In the bottom half, Karros walked and went to second when Snider did the same. But catcher Freuddy Batista threw down to second and the ball went through to center field, allowing Karros to take an extra base.
That brought up Guerrero, who lined a single to center on a 3-2 count to score both runners and give the Indians a 6-5 lead.