Kyle Datres combined with Javier Guerara for back to back singles in the eighth.  From second base, Kyle Datres scooted all the way home on Guerara’s RBI single.  All of this on two outs.  An ironic end considering the game started with power.

First Inning Power Pack

The first inning started off with a bang.  Jorge Barrosa’s lead off triple got the ball rolling.  Andy Yerzy soon followed with his first home run of the night.  Bang!  Bang! The Hops took a 2-0 lead before Spokane starting pitcher Mitchell Kilkenny could regain control.  In between Barrosa’s triple and Yerzy’s home run, Mitchell almost had the inning in hand.

When Yerzy came to the plate, Mitchell had just struck out two Hops batters.  All he had to do was strike out Yerzy and the threatening triple to start the inning would evaporate.  But, Yerzy had other plans.  With the Hops’ lead power hitter, Eduardo Diaz, called up to the next level, Andy was ready to fill the vacuum.  Counting his home run from last night and the two homers tonight, Yerzy is now up to twelve home runs so far.  Just two behind the departed Diaz.

After the first inning, Kilkenny settled in.  Six Hops retired in order over the next two innings.  The fourth looked like it would follow suit.  Kilkenny already had one out.  He just needed to get two more outs.  Again, Andy Yerzy had other plans.  Yerzy swung and sent his second home run out of the park.

Andy Yerzy Puts Team on Back

It seemed that Yerzy was applying for the role of nemesis for the Indians’ pitcher.  Remove Yerzy from the game, Kilkenny would still be holding onto a shutout.  Again, he settled down and retired the next two to get out of the inning.  Kilkenny’s last two innings, sixth and seventh, proved as economical as the second and third.  Instead of his eight strikeouts and eight Hops retired in a row at one point, the number three loomed larger on the scoreboard.  After 97 pitches, Mitchell retired for the night with the game tied at three.

Kyle Datres Caps Scoring

The Spokane bats were not sitting idly by while the Hops took the 2-0 lead.  It wasn’t until the third inning but the Indians tied the game with back to back singles and an errant throw from Hops’ catcher Axel Andueza.  After Yerzy’s second home run gave the Hops the lead again, Cade Harris’ lead off triple in the fifth tied it back up with help from Hunter Stovall’s RBI single.

At that point, the Indians’ bullpen was ready to carry through the rest of the game.  After starter Kilkenny retired six more batters.  Stephen Jones (W, 3-1) and Dugan Darnell (S, 9) did their job.  After the fifth inning, the Hops would have just one more hit.  Ronny Simon’s two-out single in the eighth.  That also set the stage for Kyle Datres and his run scoring go ahead run to win the game.

Standings

The win gained another game on Eugene for the Spokane Indians (47-44).  Consequently, they are now within six games of second place.  However, the loss contributed to the four game losing streak for the Hillsboro Hops (42-49).  In other words, they have fallen to five games back from the third place Indians.  Meanwhile, Vancouver won tonight and are knocking on the door for the Hops’ fourth place spot, only one game away.  Another Hops’ loss and a Canadian win will result in a tie with momentum going against the Hops.

After that, both teams meet again Friday night for game three of the weekly series.  Spokane currently leads 2-0.

Box Score

By

Greg Stoker

@GDStoker