We had the reappearance of some familiar faces from last year's team. Ryan Royster was in centerfield and Gebbers was back with the team (though not starting tonight). We also saw a new face at third base - Mickey Wiswall (who was drafted as a first baseman - so his appearance at third made for something to watch).
The game was a tightly played contest until the 5th inning when the Aquasox picked up two runs thanks to an error and a homerun by Wiswall. As the 6th inning started I said to Bob, "This is where we give those runs back..." Unfortunately, I was right...
Our starter Anthony Fernandez had kept the Indians at bay with a variety of off-speed pitches through the first five innings. His fastball reached 89mph but he was throwing an off-speed pitch for every fastball. He had 4 strikeouts and 1 walk through 5 innings while giving up 4 hits - but was also saved by a couple double plays (especially a nifty 1-6-4-3 gem to end the 5th inning with the bases loaded. He seemed in control.
But, as is their pattern this year after getting the lead, the Aquasox suddenly got generous and let the Indians back into the game. Fernandez gave up a double, got an out, and then walked two to load the bases. During those 4 hitters he also gave up a stolen base and uncorked a wild pitch that Steve Baron managed to stop with his throat to keep the runner at third. Bases loaded and 1 out.
Then bad things started to happen. A single to right was misplayed by Kevin Rivers to allow an extra run to score and a runner to advance. Tied game.
A hot ground ball was stopped in a nice diving play by Wiswall at third (to save a sure double down the line) that scored another run. A double steal (with a strong, but poorly aimed, throw by Steve Baron that Wiswall dived to keep from going down the third baseline) and a sacrifice fly scored the Indians 4th run of the inning.
The Aquasox then brought in Ogui Diaz to pitch. Ogui was a shortstop with the Aquasox a few years ago and progressed as far as AA ball before they decided that his bat just wasn't good enough. So he is converting to a pitcher. Ogui had a 12.00 ERA coming into the game and left with a 15.43 ERA - so you get an idea of how things went. He immediately gave up a run (Fernandez is charged with this one) on a single to center and then managed to pick the runner off first to end the inning.
Indians 5 and Aquasox 2.
The Frogs got two runs back in the 6th inning on no hits when they were the beneficiaries of a walk, out, hit batter, another walk, another walk, a ground out to the pitcher and then the inning ended with two runners on when Evan Sharpley struck out swinging. Had Sharpley been a hero like the night before and hit a home run in this spot the Aquasox would have been two runs ahead.
When the Indians came up to bat against Diaz in the top of the 7th more bad things happened. A single, a strike out and a walk followed by a fly out followed by another walk loaded the bases with two outs. Diaz then got two strikes on the Indian's #5 hitter Andrew Clark - one more strike and the Aquasox are out of the inning with no damage. Instead, with the 0-2 count Clark lined a hit into centerfield and the score went to 7-2. A walk lead to the end of Diaz's rough night and when Austin Hudson came in with the bases loaded he promptly gave up a single up the middle to score 2 runs (that counted against Ogui Diaz's total).
Indians 9 - Aquasox 4
Bob and I commented on the swing in fortunes. Had Sharpley gotten the big hit in the 6th and Diaz managed to get the big pitch in the 7th the score could easily have been Aquasox 7 and Indians 4...
Nothing else of note happened and the game ended 9-4.
A few notes on players...
Mickey Wiswall played well at third base and certainly didn't look like a first baseman playing horribly out of position.
Steve Baron did a great job stopping balls in the dirt and saved several wild pitches. His throws were strong, but not especially accurate. At the plate he looked as bad as advertised. He seemed to be lunging at balls and always off balance. He was 0-4 with one strikeout and one hard hit liner that the Indian's shortstop Jurickson Profar caught.
Speaking of Jurickson Profar, he's only 17 years old and looks like an excellent defensive shortstop. He also hit a double down the line (while going 1-4) and is a switch hitter (though the program says he bats right handed). At 17 in this league he's probably one to watch.
Another Spokane Indian to watch is 18 year old Jacob Skole who was a 15th pick overall in the 2010 draft. He hasn't been doing too well in his first 28 at bats hitting just .138.
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