Dusty’s Dozen Helps Dust Devils Take Series from AquaSox

RF Steven Rivas’s 1st inning grand slam set the tone Sunday night for the Tri-City Dust Devils (16-26 2H, 45-60), who scored early and often in a 12-3 win over the Everett AquaSox (19-23 2H, 50-57) at Gesa Stadium.

Rivas launched a 0-1 pitch over the fence in right center field with two out in the bottom of the 1st off AquaSox starter Logan Rinehart (0-2), giving the Dust Devils a 4-0 lead. SS Kyren Paris (single), LF D’Shawn Knowles (single), and 1B Gabe Matthews (walk) all scored on the team’s second grand slam of the season.

Tri-City added a run on the 2nd inning. Paris singled again, then Knowles hit a fly ball to left that was dropped for an error. Paris scored from first base to make it 5-0.

The Dust Devils put up crooked numbers in the 5th, 7th and 8th innings to stretch the lead further. 2B Osmy Gregorio led off the 5th with a single, scoring on a double by Matthews for a 6-0 lead. DH Casey Dana singled later in the inning to drive in Matthews to push the lead to 7-0.

The middle of the order struck in the 7th, with Gregorio sending another single out to lead off the inning. Matthews walked, and CF Joe Stewart followed with a double down the right field line to score Gregorio to make it 8-0. RBI groundouts by Rivas and Dana gave Tri-City a 10-0 lead.

An 8th inning RBI single by Matthews followed by a Stewart RBI groundout closed the Dust Devils scoring. All the scoring was more than enough for Tri-City starter John Swanda (2-0), who threw five scoreless innings for his second straight win. The Iowan righty gave up four hits, struck out four and walked one.

The Dust Devils’ pitching staff came within an out of a shutout, with Everett scoring three times with two outs in the 9th to break up the shutout. The nine-run win clinched the series for Tri-City, who took the six-gamer four games to two. The Dust Devils also took the season series from Everett, winning 18 games to the AquaSox’s 12.

Tri-City heads up U.S. Highway 395 to take on the Spokane Indians in a six-game set beginning at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at Avista Stadium.

The game broadcast begins with the King Beverage Budweiser Pregame Show at 11:50 a.m. at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB First Pitch app. Chris King, the longtime voice of the Dust Devils, returns to call the week’s action and to give Doug Taylor a break before the final three weeks of the season.

Tickets for Tri-City's next home series, August 23-28 against Eugene, and all games are on sale now. Ticket packages are also available and start at just $99, and special ticket rates are available for groups of 20 or more. For more information on Dust Devils single game, season, mini-plan (11, 22, 33) and group tickets, visit dustdevilsbaseball.com or call 509-544-8789.