Tri-City Splits Doubleheader, Clinches Series Win
On a night with just about everything the Tri-City Dust Devils (19-18) split a doubleheader with the Vancouver Canadians (18-16) Friday night, clinching the series with a rare 8-6 road victory at Gesa Stadium in the nightcap. The Dust Devils played in their road grays and batted first in the
On a night with just about everything the Tri-City Dust Devils (19-18) split a doubleheader with the Vancouver Canadians (18-16) Friday night, clinching the series with a rare 8-6 road victory at Gesa Stadium in the nightcap.
The Dust Devils played in their road grays and batted first in the second game of the twin-bill, the result of an April 16 rainout in Vancouver that needed to be made up before the end of the first half of the Northwest League season.
Being the road team suited Tri-City, who scored multiple runs in three innings in a row. The first two came home in the 2nd inning, when LF Steven Rivas followed a sacrifice bunt by RF Alexander Ramirez with a double down the left field line, scoring 2B Arol Vera and SS Osmy Gregorio for a 2-0 lead.
The Canadians, in their home whites, answered in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Aided twice by hazy and dusty skies that made fly balls harder than usual to catch, Vancouver scored three times to take a one-run lead at 3-2.
The lead did not last long. 3B Werner Blakely opened the top of the 3rd with a single through the right side to get aboard and bring 1B Gabe Matthews up. The powerful lefty sent a Rafael Sanchez (0-1) pitch over the right-center field fence, a two-run home run to give the Dust Devils the lead back at 4-3.
Vera followed with a double, on the way to a 4 for 4 performance. He scored on an RBI single up the middle by Gregorio, who himself scored when Ramirez doubled down the left field line. Four runs scored in the top of the 3rd, giving Tri-City a 6-3 lead.
Game two starter Nick Mondak then posted a scoreless bottom of the 3rd, and the bats got to work in the top of the 4th. Two more runs came in, on RBI singles by Vera and Gregorio, to push the Dust Devil lead to 8-3. The Canadians got one back in the 4th but Mondak held the line there for an 8-4 lead through four innings.
The lefty handed the baton to the newest Tri-City reliever, righty Erik Martinez (1-0). Vancouver got the West Colina, California native for two runs in the 5th inning on consecutive RBI groundouts, but Martinez, striking out two in a perfect 6th inning.
Newly appointed closer Nick Jones came in and got the final three outs, working around an infield hit by Canadians SS Josh Kasevich, who also went 4 for 4 with a double, for his second save in as many nights. Matthews ended the game by chasing down a high pop on the warning track to make an over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory.
Of note in the game was the ejection of Dust Devils manager Jack Howell, whom home plate umpire Tatum Littleton removed after a long argument involving a call on a double steal attempt in the top of the 4th inning. First base and defensive coach Trevor Nyp took over managing dutings after Howell gave Littleton the remainder of his thoughts on the matter and headed back to the clubhouse, the crowd saluting him as he left.
The game two win put Tri-City back above .500 and 1.5 games back of first place just past the midway point of the Northwest League’s first half of the 2023 schedule, helping them rebound from a 9-0 loss to Vancouver in game one of the doubleheader.
Lefty Sammy Natera, Jr. (1-2) got the loss, though he gave up only two runs in four innings of work. The Canadians held the Dust Devils offense to just three hits in the opener and blew the game open in a seven-run 7th inning to break Tri-City’s three-game winning streak. Reliever Justin Kelly (1-0) got the win for the visitors from north of the border.
Having rebounded to win the nightcap, the Dust Devils lead the series four games to one. Game six of the seven-game set takes place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night at Gesa Stadium, with postgame fireworks presented by First Step Community Counseling Services. Tri-City sends right-hander Chase Chaney (2-1, 3.86 ERA) to the mound, and Vancouver has selected young righty Dahian Santos (1-1, 3.98 ERA) for the start.
Broadcast coverage begins with the pregame show at 6:10 p.m. both here and at the MiLB First Pitch app.
Tickets for the weekend's games and Sunday’s Youth Baseball Clinic, presented by Dutch Bros., are on sale now. Also, 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, call the team office at (509) 544-8789, or visit the team office (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on game nights, or Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. otherwise).