Published: Sunday, July 17, 2011
AquaSox let Spokane rally in ninth for win
EVERETT -- Jorge Alfaro wasn't even supposed to play Saturday night.
The Spokane Indians catcher spent most of the game against the Everett AquaSox parked in the Indians' bullpen, his main duties for the evening to help Spokane's relief pitchers warm up to enter the game.
But circumstances dictated that Alfaro enter the game, and he saved the game for the Indians.
Alfaro's clutch pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning proved the difference as the Indians topped the AquaSox 7-5 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
With one on and one out in the top of the ninth, the score tied 5-5, Spokane catcher and clean-up hitter Brett Nicholas was due to come to the plate. However, Nicholas suffered a hip pointer during a collision at the plate with Everett's Marcus Littlewood in the previous half inning and was unable to bat.
Therefore, Alfaro was summoned from the bullpen. The 18-year-old Colombian needed extra time just to limber up, and the change meant the right-handed Alfaro was facing right-handed pitcher Nolan Diaz, instead of the left-swinging Nicholas.
But Alfaro turned convention on its head. He clubbed a 1-1 pitch deep to center, the ball carrying just over the fence to give Spokane a two-run lead.
"He wasn't going to get into the game," Spokane manager Tim Hulett said of Alfaro. "Nicholas went up there on deck and couldn't go at all, and our other catcher was already DHing. So I didn't have many options, but I'm glad he was the option.
"Actually, his first hack was a pretty good hack, too," Hulett added. "Then he got a ball up, and he has a lot of power for a young kid."
Alfaro's heroics rescued the Indians, who nearly squandered a five run lead. Spokane, behind starting pitcher Will Lamb's four no-hit innings, led 5-0 going into the sixth. However, the Sox chipped away, thanks in large part to Spokane's defense, which committed five errors over the final four innings.
Zachary Cone went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI to lead Spokane's offense.
Lamb showed why he was a second-round pick in the June draft. The lanky lefty from Clemson used an overpowering fastball to throw four no-hit innings. He walked four and struck out four, but even though he left with the Indians leading 5-0 he did not make it far enough into the game to be eligible for the win.
Reliever Jose Monegro picked up the win and Kyle Hendricks nailed down the save for the Indians, who pulled back over the .500 mark at 15-14.
Jharmidy De Jesus, Mario Yepez and Jarrett Burgess each had two hits to lead Everett (12-17). Diaz suffered the loss.
Everett starter Jordan Shipers had a roller-coaster outing as he struggled with his control out of the gate and tired late. However, the left-hander was dynamic in between, striking out nine in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up five runs -- four earned -- on four hits and four walks, but he continues to search for his first professional win as he fell to 0-5.
Everett scored 11 runs combined in the first innings of the previous two games, but this time it was Spokane that struck early. Shipers struggled with his command early, walking the first two batters of the game. Then Cone stepped up and sent a three-run homer to left, staking the Indians to a 3-0 lead.
The Indians added two more in the fifth, an RBI single by Edwin Garcia and a run-scoring groundout by Brett Nicholas increasing Spokane's lead to 5-0.
The Sox finally broke up both the no-hitter and the shutout in the bottom of the sixth. Everett got a lot of help as the Indians committed three errors and a balk in the inning. That allowed a sacrifice fly by James Wood, a run-scoring error by third baseman Drew Robinson, and an RBI single by Jarrett Burgess to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Everett then clawed within one in the seventh on Jabari Blash's RBI triple into the right-field corner.
The Sox tied it up in the eighth, but squandered the opportunity to take the lead. Danny Lopez dumped an RBI single into right to tie it up and put runners at the corners with one out. However, an unusual pickoff move by Monegro caught Lopez between first and second, and in the ensuing chaos Littlewood was gunned down at the plate, and it remained 5-5.
The Spokane Indians catcher spent most of the game against the Everett AquaSox parked in the Indians' bullpen, his main duties for the evening to help Spokane's relief pitchers warm up to enter the game.
But circumstances dictated that Alfaro enter the game, and he saved the game for the Indians.
Alfaro's clutch pinch-hit home run in the top of the ninth inning proved the difference as the Indians topped the AquaSox 7-5 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
With one on and one out in the top of the ninth, the score tied 5-5, Spokane catcher and clean-up hitter Brett Nicholas was due to come to the plate. However, Nicholas suffered a hip pointer during a collision at the plate with Everett's Marcus Littlewood in the previous half inning and was unable to bat.
Therefore, Alfaro was summoned from the bullpen. The 18-year-old Colombian needed extra time just to limber up, and the change meant the right-handed Alfaro was facing right-handed pitcher Nolan Diaz, instead of the left-swinging Nicholas.
But Alfaro turned convention on its head. He clubbed a 1-1 pitch deep to center, the ball carrying just over the fence to give Spokane a two-run lead.
"He wasn't going to get into the game," Spokane manager Tim Hulett said of Alfaro. "Nicholas went up there on deck and couldn't go at all, and our other catcher was already DHing. So I didn't have many options, but I'm glad he was the option.
"Actually, his first hack was a pretty good hack, too," Hulett added. "Then he got a ball up, and he has a lot of power for a young kid."
Alfaro's heroics rescued the Indians, who nearly squandered a five run lead. Spokane, behind starting pitcher Will Lamb's four no-hit innings, led 5-0 going into the sixth. However, the Sox chipped away, thanks in large part to Spokane's defense, which committed five errors over the final four innings.
Zachary Cone went 4-for-5 with a homer and three RBI to lead Spokane's offense.
Lamb showed why he was a second-round pick in the June draft. The lanky lefty from Clemson used an overpowering fastball to throw four no-hit innings. He walked four and struck out four, but even though he left with the Indians leading 5-0 he did not make it far enough into the game to be eligible for the win.
Reliever Jose Monegro picked up the win and Kyle Hendricks nailed down the save for the Indians, who pulled back over the .500 mark at 15-14.
Jharmidy De Jesus, Mario Yepez and Jarrett Burgess each had two hits to lead Everett (12-17). Diaz suffered the loss.
Everett starter Jordan Shipers had a roller-coaster outing as he struggled with his control out of the gate and tired late. However, the left-hander was dynamic in between, striking out nine in 4 1/3 innings. He gave up five runs -- four earned -- on four hits and four walks, but he continues to search for his first professional win as he fell to 0-5.
Everett scored 11 runs combined in the first innings of the previous two games, but this time it was Spokane that struck early. Shipers struggled with his command early, walking the first two batters of the game. Then Cone stepped up and sent a three-run homer to left, staking the Indians to a 3-0 lead.
The Indians added two more in the fifth, an RBI single by Edwin Garcia and a run-scoring groundout by Brett Nicholas increasing Spokane's lead to 5-0.
The Sox finally broke up both the no-hitter and the shutout in the bottom of the sixth. Everett got a lot of help as the Indians committed three errors and a balk in the inning. That allowed a sacrifice fly by James Wood, a run-scoring error by third baseman Drew Robinson, and an RBI single by Jarrett Burgess to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Everett then clawed within one in the seventh on Jabari Blash's RBI triple into the right-field corner.
The Sox tied it up in the eighth, but squandered the opportunity to take the lead. Danny Lopez dumped an RBI single into right to tie it up and put runners at the corners with one out. However, an unusual pickoff move by Monegro caught Lopez between first and second, and in the ensuing chaos Littlewood was gunned down at the plate, and it remained 5-5.
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