Robert Calaz scores walk-off winner on wild pitch, Spokane Indians edge Tri-City 7-6 in 11 innings | NWL baseball
Looking at the statistics, the Spokane Indians probably shouldn't have expected to be in the game Saturday night. They were outhit, committed two errors and allowed three home runs in one inning.
They went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base. They even had two runners thrown out at home in extra innings.
But they don't ask how, just how many.
Robert Calaz, who went 0-for-5 in the game, scored on a bases loaded wild pitch in the 11th inning and the Spokane Indians edged the Tri-City Dust Devils 7-6 in the fifth of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium.
With one down in the top of the 11th, Tri-City shortstop David Mershon stole third base then Randy De Jesus's long fly to center brought him in to put them up by one.
Jacob Humphrey led off the bottom half with a single to right, but it was hit too hard and automatic runner Jack O'Dowd had to hold at third. Humphrey stole second, but Calaz grounded to second and O'Dowd was thrown out easily for the first out.
Jacob Hinderleider walked to load the bases then Alan Espinal popped out, but reliever Max Gieg walked Kelvin Hidalgo to force in the tying run. Kevin Fitzer pinch-hit for Tommy Hopfe, and on a 1-1 count Gieg threw a wild pitch and Calaz slid headfirst under the tag for the win.
Justin Loer (2-3) picked up the win with three innings of solid relief. He allowed one unearned run on one hit and a walk.
Roynier Hernandez staked the Indians (4-4) to an early lead with a two-run double in the third inning.
But Indians starter Bryson Hammer ran out of gas in the fifth inning and the Dust Devils (4-4) took full advantage. Kevin Bruggeman reached on an error by Ethan Hedges at third, then No. 9 hitter Alberto Rios launched his first home run of the season to left center to tie it 2-2.
Hammer picked up a strikeout, but Adrian Placencia hit his third homer of the week and fourth of the season a batter later to give Tri-City the lead.
Indians manager Tom Sutaris went to the bullpen for Tyler Hampu and the righty got De Jesus - the league's home run leader with 15 - to ground out, but Matt Coutney followed with a high fly to right that Hopfe leaped for at the wall, but just missed and it went for Coutney's fourth homer of the year and a 4-2 lead.
The Indians went hitless from Hernandez's double in the third through the seventh inning as Tri-City starter Peyton Olejnik cruised. The 6-foot-11 right-hander went seven innings and allowed two runs on four hits and no walks with six strikeouts.
Indians reliever Ismail Luciano got himself into hot water in the eighth, allowing a single and stolen base and a pair of walks to load the bases with two down for Placencia. After a visit from pitching coach Blaine Beatty, Luciano walked Placencia on four pitches to force in a run.
Reliever Benny Thompson took over for the Dust Devils in the eighth and allowed a one-out single to Hopfe and then walked Hernandez and Hedges to load the bases. That brought up O'Dowd, and he drew a third consecutive walk to force in a run.
Tri-City called on NWL saves leader Sam Tookoian to get out of the jam. Humphrey's flyout to medium-deep center was enough to plate Hernandez and move Hedges to third and make it a one-run game. On a 2-2 pitch to Calaz, Tookoian uncorked a wild pitch and Hedges raced home to tie it.
Loer came on for the Indians in the ninth. With one down he hit Harold Coll, then Jorge Ruiz lofted a double to the wall in right. Hopfe gathered the ball from the base of the wall and fired a strike to Hernandez, whose one-hopper to catcher Espinal was in plenty of time to get Coll for the second out. Loer then got Capri Ortiz to fly out to keep the game tied.
With two down in the bottom of the ninth, Hidalgo's slow grounder to shortstop went under Mershon's glove and into short left field, and Hidalgo hustled to second on the play. But Hopfe tapped one back to Tookoian and it went to extras.
Bruggeman's fly to right leading off the 10th was enough to move automatic runner Ortiz to third, then Rios walked. Mershon missed on a suicide squeeze attempt on a low pitch and Espinal tagged Ortiz for the second out, then Loer struck out Mershon for the final out.
Tevin Tucker pinch-ran for Hopfe as the automatic runner in the bottom of the 10th, then the Dust Devils walked Hernandez intentionally to bring up Hedges. Tucker stole third on a 1-1 count, his 22nd of the season, then Hedges struck out. O'Dowd lined out to shallow center, and Ortiz made a perfect throw to nail Tucker for an inning-ending double play.
The series concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
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