Doug Taylor- Voice of the Dust Devils
After a trip home for Dust Devils that saw them go against the Hillsboro Hops, the team headed on a road trip to Spokane. This trip was different, and a first for some players as the team had a game scheduled on the 4th of July, a Monday, the typical day off for the players. They packed up Sunday night and headed to Spokane to prepare for the Monday night holiday game.
Nonetheless, the Dust Devils played the Monday game without INF Kyle Kasser, who was moved up to AAA Salt Lake ahead of the Monday contest. The Holiday started with Nick Mondak on the mound for the Dust Devils, who went up against Andrew Quezada for the Indians. The scoring was back in forth in this game as INF Eddy Diaz got Spokane on the board in the first with a solo HR. OF Mike Peabody got the score back even in the 2nd with an RBI single. OF Steven Rivas added on in the 3rd for the Dust Devils with a 2 RBI triple, putting the Dust Devils up 3-1. OF Zac Veen brought the Indians back within in the 2 with an RBI single. The 4th inning was only one of two innings in this game that didn't have a run scored. OF Steven Rivas gave the Dust Devils a 4-2 lead with a solo HR. However, INF Julio Carreras could tie the game off a 2RBI single, followed by an RBI double by INF Warming Bernabel to put Spokane up 5-4. Rivas wasn't done fighting for his squad, delivering a 2RBI single in the 7th, that OF Edwin Yon followed up with an HR in the 8th to put the Dust Devils up 7-5. Often as it goes in the bottom of the 9th, with two runners on all, it can take one pitch and one swing to win the game, and Carreras did just that with a 3run HR to win the game 8-7 with two outs in the 9th.
Tuesday was this week's day-off for the team, and the team made a few moves ahead of Wednesday's game:
LHP Brent Killam was sent down from AA Rocket City.
CF Mike Wilson was called up from the ACL Angels.
INF Kenyon Yovan was sent to the ACL Angels.
Wednesday's matchup on the mound featured Landon Marceaux against RHP Mike Ruff. On Wednesday, Marceaux was his excellent self going 7IP, allowing 4H, 2R(unearned), 1BB, and 6K. The lone runs allowed while Marceaux was on the mound came in the 4th off an error by 2B Osmy Gregorio that allowed Drew Romo and Julio Carreras to score and put the Indians up 2-0. The Dust Devils' offense came to life in the 5th and 6th with HRs by OF Mike Peabody and Steven Rivas to put the club up 3-2. The Indians tied in the 8th off a Romo RBI single to bring it to 3-3 into the 9th. 1B Gabe Matthews delivered for the Dust Devils in the 9th with a 2RBI single to put the team up 5-3. The Indians didn't go without an effort for another walk-off with a Colin Simpson HR to bring the game to a 5-4 team; however, Glenn Albanese was able to get the save, and the Dust Devils evened the series 1-1.
We look to Thursday, and what a fun game it was for the Dust Devils coming off a win and back-to-back 5+ runs scored. Robinson Pina got the nod for Tri-Cities against LHP Evan Shawver. Pina again excelled, going 6.2IP, allowing 3H, 1ER, 2BB, and 6K. The Dust Devils scored and scored in this contest. The scoring started in the 1st, with INF Kyren Paris scoring on a balk. In the 2nd, Peabody notched an RBI single. In the 3rd C, Christian Molfetta added a 2RBI single. In the 4th, INF Osmy Gregorio RBI double. In the 5th, Peabody was caught stealing, allowing Edwin Yon to score on the play. The 6th inning was the only inning without offense for the Dust Devils. The 7th brought an Indians 2B Nic Kent fielding error that allowed Rivas to score. Spokane got one back with two outs in the 7th on a wild pitch by Pina to bring the score 7-1. In the 8th, INF Mitch Nay hit a 2R HR, and in the 9th, Peabody also hit a 2R HR to bring the game to an 11-1, and Jake Smith ended the game on the mound for the Dust Devils to seal the deal.
Let's jump into the Friday matchup of LHP Jose Salvador against RHP Will Ethridge for the Indians. Ethridge was excellent in this contest against the Dust Devils, going 6IP, allowing 3H, 0ER, 2BB, and 5K. Salvador wasn't as sharp, and his High-A career is still off to a rough start as his ERA went up to 7.83 after going 5IP, allowing 8H, 4ER. However, he did get 9K's. Spokane dominated the scoring in this game for the first eight innings. In the 1st, INF Zac Veen stole his 34th base and scored on throwing errors by C Podara and OF Gregorio. In the 2nd, C Ronaiker Palma scored a run on a throwing error by Salvador. In the 3rd, Veen got an RBI single, and Carreras got an RBI double. In the 5th, IF Eddy Diaz got an inside-the-park HR. In the 8th, Palma delivered an RBI single. Going into the 9th, the Dust Devils trailed 6-0. However, the Dust Devils didn't go without a fight as Nay ended the shutout with an RBI single. Rivas followed with an RBI double, Peabody followed with a sac-fly RBI, and INF Jose Guzman used a keen eye to walk home a run to bring it 6-4. However, a strikeout by Gregorio ended this contest and evened the series 2-2.
Saturday night, RHP Ryan Costeiu got the nod for Tri-cities while LHP Joe Rock took the mound for Spokane. The Indians struck early, with a 3R HR by Bernabel that put Spokane up 3-0, and Rock was able to go to work with a lead from there. Rock, well, he rocked for the Indians going 6IP, allowing 3H, 0ER, 1BB, and 5K. The Indians added on in the 5th with an RBI sac-fly by Diaz and a double by Carreras to go up 5-0. The Dust Devils were outmatched in the 7th and 8th by RHRP Adam McKillican, allowing 0H, 0ER, and getting 5K in 2IP. The Indians added on a little more in the 8th with an RBI fielder's choice by Bernabel, an RBI sac-fly by Simpson, and an RBI single by Palma to give the Indians an 8-0. RHP Anderson Bido came on to pitch a clean 9th inning to give the team a 3-2 series lead ahead of the finale.
The Sunday finale featured LHP Brent Killiam back with Tri-Cities for the 1st time this season after opening and spent the 1st half with the AA club. LHP Mason Green was the starter for the Indians. The Dust Devils got the first runs in this one on the board in the 3rd with 3R HR by Nay. The Indians got one back in the bottom of the 3rd with an RBI single by Carreras. The Dust Devils added on in the 4th with an RBI single by Paris and an RBI double by Gregorio. The Indians did what they have done all series and got back in the bottom of the 4th with a solo shot by C Hunter Goodman to bring it the 5-2 score. The Indians catcher hit an HR, so Dust Devils C Podaras hit a solo shot in the 6th; a passed ball allowed Wilson to score to bring the score to 7-2. In the bottom of the 6th, Bernabel his a solo HR to bring the score to 7-3. That was the last run on the board in this one as the Dust Devils head back home, splitting the series 3-3.
Up next: Everett Aquasox at home for six starting 7/12.