Bears in a World Cup frame of mind?

• When a team wins the first two games of a three-game series, the thought of fans bringing brooms to the finale typically enters one’s mind.
• But in the case of the Bears, who tonight will try to beat Tri-City for the third straight time and move above .500 for the season at 10-9, brooms might also prove useful in cleaning up debris left by Yakima and the Dust Devils over the last two evenings.
• After having shown themselves to be perhaps the Northwest League’s best defensive team early this season, the Bears have committed 10 errors in their last three games — including seven in their two triumphs over Tri-City.
• That Yakima won 7-5 Monday night should be considered a minor miracle. The first of its four errors, coming in the first inning, gave the Dust Devils an unearned run when second baseman Tom Belza misplayed a potential double play ball.
• The second, coming when shortstop Zach Walters deflected a grounder into left-center field, gave Tri-City another unearned run in the fifth.
• Relief pitcher Robbie Andrews contibuted mightily to his own hardship in a two-run seventh, first throwing away a pickoff attempt and then, with two outs,  tossing errantly to first baseman Yazi Arbelo on a slow roller up the line.
• But of course it was later Arbelo to the rescue, hammering a two-run homer to cap a three-run Yakima eighth that won it.
• Only one of the Dust Devils’ five runs was earned. But the Bears, too, benefited from some largesse, scoring two unearned runs off two Tri-City boo boos. A two-base throwing error, after all, had preceded Arbelo’s bomb.
• Oh well. As teams have hitting and pitching slumps, they have fielding slumps, too.
• Or maybe the Bears have simply gotten into the spirit of the World Cup, given all the balls they’ve kicked lately.
• In all fairness, they’ve made some spectacular plays, too, such as center-fielder Ender Inciarte’s full-out diving catch of a Sunday night drive that was not only slicing away from him in right-center, but was also being carried by a strong breeze. It was as good a catch as you’re likely to see at any level.