AquaSox lose no-hit bid, bats go quiet in defeat to Spokane

EVERETT — Through five innings against the Spokane Indians at Funko Field on Sunday, the Everett AquaSox pitching staff was cruising in a 0-0 ball game.

Starter Teddy McGraw allowed just one walk in two innings of work, and Nick Payero carried the combined no-hitter into the sixth with three strikeouts. Through five innings, they felt untouchable.

“It was just getting ahead (in counts),” Payero said. “It didn’t matter what pitch I threw, but I got ahead early. It was a better at bat, easier to attack and get into finish counts, and throw my best stuff.”

After Spokane catcher Ben McCabe flied out to left field to open the sixth, it appeared as if it would quickly reach two outs when outfielder Max Belyeu sent a fly ball into center field.

However, AquaSox outfielder Jonny Farmelo misjudged the path of the ball, and it dropped below his glove and rolled to the wall as Belyeu ran to second base. An avoidable error, but the no-hitter was still intact. Payero walked Ethan Hedges on a full count — throwing two pitches below the zone after it reached 2-2 — to set up Spokane with two runners on.

AquaSox pitching coach Matt Carasiti stepped out of the dugout for a mound visit.

“I don’t really try to say much,” Carasiti said. “Just kind of stop things where they are and just get back to executing pitches. Make a couple good pitches, and we can get out of the inning.”

With Spokane’s three-hitter Aidan Longwell at the plate, Payero attacked, wanting to induce a ground ball that would lead to an inning-ending double play.

Longwell whiffed at a 1-0 pitch low in the zone and fouled off the next one down the middle before getting his bat on another outside pitch and singling to right field. The no-hitter was broken, but the throw from outfielder Curtis Washington Jr. held the runners and left the bases loaded.

With a crucial out needed, Payero couldn’t find the zone against Indians second baseman Blake Wright. He threw a four-pitch walk, and Spokane scored a run while keeping the bases loaded.

Then shortstop Andy Perez broke things open on the next pitch.

Payero threw the first pitch right down the middle, and Perez ripped it into the right field corner, clearing the bases with a triple and quickly boosting the lead to 4-0. The pitcher’s duel had quickly slipped firmly into the Indians’ favor.

“I think that the two walks were the ones that hurt me,” Payero said. “The error wasn’t so much the big deal. (If) I get the next guy out (and) the guy after that, inning’s over. But I let it snowball. We learn from that, and we move on next time.”

Payero retired the next batter before issuing another walk to put runners on the corners. Spokane attempted a double steal, but second baseman Carter Dorighi connected with catcher Matthew Ellis at the plate to prevent the run from scoring and ended the inning.

The AquaSox, who only had one hit at that point, needed their offense to pick up to get back in the game. Outfielder Tai Peete drove in a run with a triple in the seventh and hit a single in the ninth, but those were the only Everett hits for the rest of the game.

Ultimately, Spokane breezed to a 5-1 win, handing the AquaSox their third straight loss to end the six-game homestand.

“Just try to emphasize, ‘Just keep battling all the way,’” Everett manager Zach Vincej said. “There (were) times where we had some opportunities to get some runs in and came up short on that.”

Indeed, after a low-event start to the game, the AquaSox led off the third with back-to-back walks from Dorighi and third baseman Brandon Eike, while Washington Jr. executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance both runners. But the next two batters were retired to strand them.

It was a similar story in the fourth, when first baseman Charlie Pagliarini got the first hit of the game by legging out a triple with one out, but designated hitter Luis Suisbel struck out and Peete flied out to strand him.

McCabe added an extra run for Spokane with an RBI double off AquaSox righty Lucas Kelly in the top of the seventh to make it 5-0.

“I think our downfall today was just we couldn’t get ahead as much as we usually do,” Carasiti said. “This past week, we’ve been doing a really good job of that, even with the (losing) results. And then when we get to two strikes, we just weren’t executing, giving them too much plate.”

Peete’s RBI triple in the bottom of the frame scored Pagliarini from first base to cut it to 5-1, and Everett relievers Brock Moore and Gabriel Sosa prevented further damage in the eighth and ninth, respectively, but the AquaSox offense failed to get a comeback going.

At the end of the day, the AquaSox went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, leaving six men on base. Vincej believed there were moments where players were trying to force swings rather than waiting for the right pitch to hit.

“I think there was a little bit of chase going on,” Vincej said. “Expanding outside the zone a little bit, but for the most part, I mean, it’s going to happen, but it’s just something we need to improve on in the next couple weeks here.”