9th Inning Push Comes Close, Falls Shy for Dust Devils
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Both scoring a run in the top of the 9th and getting the potential tying runs in scoring position, the Tri-City Dust Devils (21-26 2H, 56-57) exerted major pressure on the Vancouver Canadians (26-21 2H, 53-60) Saturday evening but the home team held on for a 5-3
VANCOUVER, B.C. – Both scoring a run in the top of the 9th and getting the potential tying runs in scoring position, the Tri-City Dust Devils (21-26 2H, 56-57) exerted major pressure on the Vancouver Canadians (26-21 2H, 53-60) Saturday evening but the home team held on for a 5-3 win at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium.
LF Gage Harrelson started the final-inning push for Tri-City with a one-out walk, with ball four coming on a pitch timer violation by Vancouver hurler Holden Wilkerson (7-7). Down to the team’s last strike, C Alberto Rios singled to center with two out to keep the game alive and RF Jorge Ruiz lined an RBI single to right-center to score Harrelson and get Rios to third. Ruiz would steal second with CF David Mershon at the plate to move to second as the potential tying run, but Wilkerson would get Mershon to ground out to shortstop to end the game.
Down 5-1 in the 7th a new Dust Devil, 1B Slate Alford, delivered a two-out RBI single the opposite way to right to score SS Kendrey Maduro after he had singled to lead off the inning. The team’s first run of the game came in the top of the 3rd after Mershon had singled with two out and stolen second. 3B Harold Coll legged out an infield single but the throw to get him ended up in the dirt and off the first baseman’s glove. Mershon, running the entire way with two out, scored easily to make it a 2-1 game at the time.
Starter Mason McGwire (0-1) went 2.2 innings and gave up three runs on five hits, taking the loss. The bullpen combined to allow only two more runs in the 5.1 innings they covered, keeping the team within striking range. The final man out of the pen, righty Brady Stuart, struck out two in a scoreless and hitless bottom of the 8th inning.
DUST DEVILS NOTES
-Righty Jaren Warwick covered 2.1 innings following McGwire, allowing only one hit and an unearned run in his first outing of the week. The righty has picked up a win and not allowed an earned run in his first three outings at the High-A level.
-A multi-hit game for 1B Ryan Nicholson (2-for-4) extended his hit streak to seven games. Nicholson has provided a steady presence in the middle of the order, hitting .389 (7-for-18) in the series and driving in five runs.
-On Saturday night in the Northwest League the Eugene Emeralds doubled up the Hillsboro Hops 8-4 at PK Park, clinching a winning week for the First Half winners. The Spokane Indians got in the win column with a 9-2 victory over the Everett AquaSox at Everett Memorial Stadium. Vancouver moved back into the top spot by themselves in the playoff race, clinching their first home series win with Saturday’s victory.
SUNDAY MATINEE
Tri-City and Vancouver face off for the final time north of the border in 2026 in the series finale at 1:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. Right-hander Chase Shores (3-2, 4.88 ERA) goes for his third straight win for the Dust Devils, while the Canadians send righty Troy Guthrie (2-2, 5.56 ERA) to the mound for his second start of the week.
Free broadcast coverage on the MiLB app and dustdevilsbaseball.com will begin with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 12:45 p.m. Fans can also watch the game for free on Bally Sports Live (Vancouver broadcast), and via subscription on MLB.tv and the MiLB app.
Tri-City comes back after Sunday’s game to host the Everett AquaSox for a six-game set beginning Tuesday, August 18. For tickets to the Everett series, as well as all 2026 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.