Flashback: September in the Northwest League
With the 2005 season in the books, MiLB.com takes a month-by-month look back at the biggest stories of the year in each league.
Sept. 2 -- Salem-Keizer picked up their eighth straight victory, beating Everett, 4-3 in 10 innings, putting them in a first-place tie with Vancouver.
Sept. 2 -- The Boise Hawks grabbed a 3-2 win over the Spokane Indians in an unusual way. Boise scored two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth after a fielding error by second baseman Joseph Batten loaded the bases. Chris Gaskin brought in the tying run with a walk and Johnny Defendis won the game with a walk-off single.
Sept. 5 -- Boise played the spoiler role with a 9-6 victory against Spokane, costing the visitors a chance to win the Eastern Division title outright. The Hawks came from behind with a six-run eighth inning, highlighted by a two-run single from Johnny Defendis.
Sept. 6 -- The Eugene Emeralds snapped a season-worst 11-game skid by beating the Everett AquaSox, 6-2, thanks in part to a three-run first inning.
Audio: Chad Steiner's homer gives Eugene a 6-2 lead
Sept. 6 -- Boise's Brandon Taylor and Vancouver's Michael Madsen picked up the Northwest League's final Offensive Player and Pitcher of the Week awards of the season. Taylor collected two hits in five straight games from Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, including three doubles and two home runs. Madsen picked up the award by pitching brilliantly over his last two games, including a 10-strikeout performance Aug. 31 against Everett.
Sept. 8 -- Vancouver right-hander Joey Newby rediscovered his slider and tied a season high with seven strikeouts as he helped lead the Canadians to a 7-1 win over the Spokane Indians in Game 1 of the Northwest League Championship Series.
Sept. 9 -- David Smith turned in five strong innings and three relievers combined to pitch the final four frames as the Spokane Indians beat the Vancouver Canadians, 6-1, in Game 2 of the NWLCS, tying the series at 1-1.
Sept. 10 -- Michael Madsen, who led the league with a 1.69 ERA, was dominant through 7 1/3 innings, retiring the first 13 batters he faced and striking out nine as Vancouver shut out Spokane, 6-0.
Sept. 11 -- Spokane forced a decisive Game 5 against Vancouver thanks to Freddie Thon's two-run single as the Indians beat the Canadians, 2-0. Indians starter Broc Coffman allowed just two hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings as he struck out six.
Sept. 12 -- Riding the momentum from their tight 2-0 victory from the previous night, the Spokane Indians became the 2005 Northwest League Champions when they beat the Vancouver Canadians, 8-3, giving the Indians their
second title in three years.
Listen to the championship-clinching call