Bears Open Homestand With 8-2 Win

The Yakima Bears defeated the Spokane Indians 8-2 Thursday night at Yakima County Stadium. The Bears have now won back-to-back games and need only one more win in the next two nights to snap a five-series losing streak.

The Bears fell behind early on two unearned runs against Bears starter Alex Carreras after two errors in the second inning. The second was the only rough inning for Carreras, who pitched a season-high seven innings and allowed only the two unearned runs on a total of three hits and one walk. Carreras also had six strikeouts in an effort that earned him his league-leading eighth win of the season. Behind Carreras, Jose Jose pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Blake Forslund finished the night with a scoreless ninth. The three pitchers combined to allow only three hits, one walk, and no earned runs

The Bears offense went to work after the early Indians lead. Ronnie Freeman was hit by a pitch to start the bottom of the second and eventually scored from third base on a two-out single from Michael Lang. Keving Medrano led-off the third inning with a single and eventually scored from third on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. The Bears took the lead with two runs in fifth inning, as Medrano reached on an error and Jacob House doubled to put both runners in scoring position. Those two would score on a Shaun Cooper RBI single and a Freeman double play ground out. After Mark Ginther doubled to lead-off the sixth inning and advanced to third on a single by Lang, Josh Parr plated Ginther with a fielder’s choice ground ball. The offensive effort was capped in the seventh inning when Ginther hit a three-run home run after Freeman had been hit by a pitch and Poma hit a single with two outs.

The Bears outhit the Indians 13-3. Josh Parr went 3-for-4, while Kevin Medrano, Jacob House, Danny Poma, and Mark Ginther all had two hits. House had a double and Ginther had a double and a home run. The hitters combined to go 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position and the Bears scored in five different innings.

The Bears continue the homestand Friday night with a 7:05 game against the Indians. Right-handed pitchers Derrick Stultz of the Bears and CJ Edwards of the Indians are the scheduled starters.