Crim's Grand Slam Makes the Difference

SPOKANE, Wash. - It's never a bad option to have the Northwest League leader in RBIs up with the bases loaded. Blaine Crim took full advantage of that opportunity in the 8^th inning, crushing a grand slam to help lead the Indians to an 7-4 victory against the Hillsboro Hops on Sunday for Augtoberfest presented by Samuel Adams and ALT 96.1.

TOP PERFORMERS

• Blaine Crim went just 1-for-5 on Sunday, but his one hit was a big one. His 8^th inning grand slam was his eighth home run on the season and gives him an NWL-best 44 RBI.
• Scott Kapers finished 1-for-3 and reached base on a walk. His fourth inning single brought home two runs for Spokane and gave them a 3-1 lead. The catcher has five RBI in his last three games.
• Justin Slaten had his best start as a Spokane Indian. The former New Mexico Lobo threw two hitless innings and hasn't allowed a run in his last two starts.
• Luis Rosario was strong in relief once again. The right-hander struck out six batters over five innings, while only allowing two earned runs. He received the win to move his season record to 4-1.

BY THE NUMBERS

• The Indians are 5-1 against Hillsboro in six games this season. Against the NWL South Division, Spokane sports a 19-8 record, including a perfect 7-0 mark against the Boise Hawks.
• The Indians finished just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Fortunately one of those two hits was a grand slam.
• Blaine Crim is a definite contender for the NWL Triple Crown. He current leads the league in batting average (.351) and RBI (44), while his eight homers are just one behind Boise's Michael Toglia for the lead amongst active players in the NWL.

KEY MOMENT
With two outs in the 8^th inning, Kellen Strahm drew a walk to load the bases. That allowed Blaine Crim to step to the plate for his fifth at-bat. With a 1-0 count, Crim was looking for a fastball and took Eduardo Herrera's offering deep to left-center field for the grand slam. The home run gave Spokane a 7-2 lead at the time, and proved necessary for the win after Hillsboro plated two runs in the 9th
AROUND THE LEAGUE
Everyone in the NWL North Division won on Sunday, so the standings remain the same. Spokane still leads Tri-City by two games and Everett by four games in the North Division with seven games to play. If the Indians were to win the division for the second half, the playoff berth would be awarded to the NWL North team with the best overall winning percentage in the second half of the season.
NEXT GAME AT AVISTA STADIUM
The Hops and Indians conclude their four-game series on Monday for Bark in the Park Night presented by University of Washington and 95.3 KPND. Bring your favorite canine companion to a game! Fans and dogs alike will receive the special group rate of $5.00 per ticket. Fans that bring their dogs will get to sit in a special pet only section and all proceeds from the dog tickets will be given to the local animal shelters. Stick around after the game and join the Puppy Parade on the field! Gates open at 5:30 PM with first pitch at 6:30 PM. Tickets for all Spokane Indians home game are available to purchase at the Avista Stadium Ticket Office or at SpokaneIndians.com. Reserve your seats today by calling (509) 343-OTTO (6886) or TicketsWest at 1-800-325-SEAT.