Tri-City Rallies to Force Extras, Falls to Spokane in 11

A four-run rally in the bottom of the 9^th inning gave the Tri-City Dust Devils (1-4) a chance to complete an epic comeback Wednesday night, but the Spokane Indians (5-0) weathered the storm and came away with a 5-4, 11-inning victory at Gesa Stadium.

Tri-City 2B Caleb Ketchup got things started in the 9^th, with his team down 4-0, by sending a double down the left field line, putting pressure on Spokane reliever Sergio Sanchez. The righty then struggled to find the zone, walking three Dust Devils including 1B Matt Coutney, whose two-out bases loaded walk scored Ketchup and ended the Indians’ shutout hopes.

Spokane reliever Zach Agnos (1-0) came in to try and get the final out to save what was, at the time, a 4-1 game. It turned quickly into a 4-3 game, though, on the power of CF Werner Blakely’s two-run double into the gap in left-center, scoring RF Joe Stewart and DH Will McGillis and moving Coutney to third. C Alberto Rios came up, and Agnos delivered a wild pitch into the dirt. Coutney ran home to score the tying run and put Blakely, the potential winning run, at third. Rios would strike out, though, sending a 4-4 game to extra innings.

Neither team scored in the 10^th inning despite the automatic runner starting at second base. In the 11^th, the Indians would get their man home from second, SS Dyan Jorge, via a passed ball and a wild pitch from Tri-City reliever Dylan Phillips (0-1). The Dust Devils could not reply in the bottom of the frame as Spokane reliever Carson Skipper (1) finished the game and got the save.

Tri-City had been thwarted offensively for the majority of the game, held to two hits in the first eight innings of play. The Indians, meanwhile, ended the night with 11 hits but left 16 runners on base, giving the Dust Devils a lifeline they used to get back in the game late. The home team had been charitable in its own right, its three errors contributing to three unearned runs, but its late rally perhaps gave fans a sign of things to come.

Game three of the Inland Northwest rivals’ six-game set takes place at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night at Gesa Stadium, where it will be the first Thirsty Thursday of the season. Fans can enjoy $3 domestic and $4 premium 12 oz. beers during the game as well as $3 21 oz. Coca-Cola products.

Right-hander Joel Hurtado (0-0, 0.00 ERA), who threw five scoreless innings on Opening Night last Friday night, goes to the mound for Tri-City. Righty Connor Staine (10-5, 5.25 ERA for Single-A Fresno in 2023) will make his High-A debut for Spokane.

Broadcast coverage will begin with the pregame show at 6:10 p.m. Thursday night, both here and on the MiLB app. Video coverage, via MiLB.tv, will begin shortly before the scheduled 6:30 p.m. first pitch.

Tickets for the Spokane series, including the first Rooster Tails game of 2024 on Saturday, April 13, are on sale now with special ticket rates 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 the team’s official ticketing site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.