May 21—The Spokane Indians (5-10) host the Everett AquaSox (10-5) in the fourth of a six-game High-A West League series at Avista Stadium on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
Starters
Indians: LHP Helcris Olivarez (0-3, 6.23 ERA). It’s been a tough start for the No. 7 ranked prospect in the Rockies system. The 20-year-old has suffered losses in each of his three starts. He gave up a season-high four earned runs last time out.
AquaSox: RHP Stephen Kolek (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Kolek gets the start after George Kirby was scratched. The righty has yet to allow an earned run in three appearances for Everett. He threw one-third of an inning in Tuesday’s game.
Lineup
1) Diaz-2B
2) Decolati-RF
3) Doyle-CF
4) Toglia-1B
5) MacIver-C
6) Datres-3B
7) Stovall-LF
8) Lewis-DH
9) Hatch-SS
Weather
First pitch — Cloudy, breezy, 63. Final out — cloudy, 55.
Player to watch
C Willie MacIver. MacIver is on a five-game hit streak, with homers in three of them. He leads Spokane this series with three RBIs and four runs.
Last game
Willie MacIver homered in the seventh to tie the game, then the Indians scored in the eighth without a base hit and beat the AquaSox 3-2 in the third of a six-game series at Avista Stadium.
It was the Indians (5-10) third win in a row against the first-place AquaSox (10-5).
“It feels great,” Indians manager Scott Little said. “I don’t think in the 10 games we played prior to that there was one time we went out and quit or felt like we were defeated. I think we’ve scratched and clawed.”
Seattle Mariners top prospect Julio Rodriguez, the No. 3 prospect in baseball according to MLB.com, led off the ninth with a single against Indians reliever Boby Johnson.
During the next plate appearance, Rodriguez got too big of a secondary lead at third and MacIver picked him off. Johnson then picked up pair of strikeouts to earn the save.
“In my mind, runners at second and third nobody out, we had to make a play,” MacIver said. “We had to make something happen if we could.”