Cole Carrigg continues hot streak; Spokane Indians roughed up by Everett in series finale 9-5
The Spokane Indians hoped their offensive momentum from Saturday night would stick around for the series finale on Sunday.
Alas, except for one especially hot player, it did not.
Cole Carrigg had three hits, giving him seven hits in his last nine plate appearances. The rest of the team managed just three more hits before a four-run ninth-inning rally, and the Spokane Indians fell to the Everett AquaSox 9-5 in the finale of a six-game series at Avista Stadium on Sunday.
The Indians (27-20) remained two games ahead of Eugene (26-33), which was rained out, for first place in the Northwest League first half with 17 games to play.
Following his 4 -for -4 game Saturday, Carrigg added hits in his first three plate appearances Saturday. He is hitting .425 (17 for 40) over his last nine games.
Everett (23-27) got home runs from RJ Schreck and Bill Knight, and Victor Labrada went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.
Indians starter Connor Staine produced a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 first inning, but Schreck greeted him rudely leading off the second with a line -drive homer to left, his sixth of the season – one off the league lead.
The AquaSox roughed up Staine in the third. Hunter Fitz-Gerald hit a one-out double and Brock Rodden walked, setting up Labrada for a two-run double. Josh Hood followed with an RBI single and Everett led 4-0.
The Indians got on the board in the bottom half. Jean Perez and Carrigg hit consecutive singles, and a double play left Perez at third. Kyle Karros cashed in the run with a two-out RBI single.
But Staine allowed three doubles over a four-batter span for two runs in the fourth and was removed from the game trailing 6-1.
Staine allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Reliever Braden Carmichael was called upon to make his season debut for Spokane in the fourth. The lefty, who was added to the roster earlier in the week, made 12 appearances for Low-A Fresno this year covering 11 innings with a 4.91 ERA. He pitched in two games for the Indians last season.
Carmichael got out of the fourth unscathed, but Everett added on to its lead in the fifth.
Hood led off with a single, stole second and scored on a throwing error. Knight followed the error with a no-doubt homer to left, his fourth of the season, to make it 9-1.
Meanwhile, Everett starter Brandyn Garcia cruised. The lefty went six innings and allowed one run on five hits and a walk with three strikeouts.
Spokane rallied for four hits and two walks in the ninth inning against two Everett relievers. But with two on and two down, Robby Martin Jr flied to left to end the game.
The Indians start a six-game series against Hillsboro on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. at Avista Stadium.