EJ Andrews, Spokane Indians walk off Everett for fifth in a row; Rockies select Charlie Condon No. 3 overall in MLB Draft
As hot as it was on Sunday at Avista Stadium, EJ Andrews Jr probably didn’t mind the Gatorade bath at the end.
Andrews’ bunt in the 10th inning was misplayed by Everett reliever Jason Ruffcorn, allowing the winning run to score, and the Spokane Indians edged the AquaSox 9-8 in the finale of a six-game Northwest League series.
The Indians (16-5) won their fifth in a row and remained tied with Vancouver atop the second-half standings. Everett fell to 10-11.
Carson Skipper (7-1) retired Everett 1-2-3 in the top of the inning. With pinch-runner Juan Guerrero at second as the automatic runner, Andrews put down a perfect bunt in front of Ruffcorn. The pitcher rushed his throw to third, and instead threw it down the left field line, allowing Guerrero to race across home plate without a throw.
“It’s a good team to be around,” Andrews said. “We’ve got guys that no matter what we’re going to keep going to the end of the game. We never feel like we’re out of the game, whether we’re down one run, five runs, whatever. We still feel like we’re still in the game.”
Andrews only had two sacrifice bunts in his four-year minor league career entering play.
“That’s what it takes to win these types of games,” he said. “That’s playoff baseball. I mean, any way we can help the team win, we’re gonna do it.”
Jose Ordonez went 3 for 5 with a home run, and GJ Hill added a two-run homer.
Hill has six hits in his last 16 plate appearances. “When I can get on base, I can cause some havoc out there. So, I just do my best to get on base and see what happens.”
The Indians opened the scoring in the second inning. Jack Blomgren drew a one -out walk and scored from first on a double into the left -field corner by Jose Cordova. Cordova (2 for 4, two RBIs) moved to third on an infield single by Ordonez then scored on Andrews’ groundout to first.
They doubled the score in the third. Cole Carrigg led the inning off with a double, then Hill went the other way with a fly ball that carried over the fence in left field for his third home run of the season.
“He threw it over the plate, and I hit it,” Hill said.
The Indians loaded the bases with one out in the fourth on consecutive singles by Jesus Ordonez, Andrews and Jean Perez. That brought up Carrigg, who worked the count full before drawing a walk to force in a run. But the rally ended there as Hill and Kyle Karros struck out.
Indians starter Mason Green cruised through four innings, but three straight Everett hitters reached to start the fifth. Green hit Michael Arroyo to bring in a run, then he balked to bring in another. Josh Hood’s check-swing ground-out plated the third Everett run of the inning and a wild pitch allowed Arroyo to hustle home and make it 5-4.
Green was lifted for the sixth. He allowed four runs on four hits and three walks with six strikeouts. He threw 87 pitches, 55 for strikes.
Reliever Luis Amoroso took over and the first two batters in the sixth reached on a single and throwing error by Amoroso, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Andrew Miller grounded out to bring in the tying run.
Ordonez took the lead back, leading off the bottom half with a homer to left center, his third of the season. The Indians added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
But Everett came right back in the eighth against reliever Welinton Herrera. Gabriel Moncada dumped a run-scoring single into left field, then Miller cranked a two-run double to straightaway center to put the AquaSox up 8-7.
Condon to the Rockies: In the MLB draft, the Colorado Rockies selected Charlie Condon with the No. 3 overall pick. Condon, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-6 outfielder out of University of Georgia, won the Golden Spikes Award and SEC Player of the Year this season, leading NCAA Division I in batting (.433), slugging (1.009), OPS (1.565), homers (37), extra-base hits (58) and total bases (233).