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NWL Tri-City Dust Devils

Big Flies Big Factor in Tri-City Falling to Vancouver

August 10, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release


Tri-City Dust Devils at bat
Tri-City Dust Devils at bat
(Tri-City Dust Devils)

Just four hits went up on the Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium scoreboard for the Vancouver Canadians (26-12 2H, 64-39) Wednesday night, but the Tri-City Dust Devils (16-22 2H, 50-54) saw their offense slowed by their hosts in a 4-2 defeat.

The first run of the game went to Tri-City, in the top of the 4th inning. CF D'Shawn Knowles singled to center to open the inning, then stole second and advanced to third on a balk. LF Joe Stewart, seeing Knowles 90 feet away, hit a fly ball to deep right for a sacrifice fly that scored Knowles for a 1-0 lead.

Early on it seemed that Dust Devils starter Sammy Natera, Jr. (2-7) would have a start like his brilliant seven innings last week, facing the minimum nine batters in his first trip through the order and getting 14 outs in 14 batters. Vancouver 1B Peyton Williams, though, had other plans, launching a low, inside pitch over the right field wall to end a nascent no-hitter and tie the game at 1-1 with two out in the bottom of the 5th inning.

Canadians LF Gabby Martinez followed with a double to left, moving up to third on a wild pitch. He then scored on a looping grounder hit by DH Ryan McCarty on the left side of the infield that went in and out of the glove of a charging 3B Andy Blake, who was given an error on the play. The play ended Natera, Jr.'s night after 4.2 innings in which the long lefty gave up two runs on two hits, striking out six and walking one.

A 2-1 Canadians advantage grew to 4-1 in the bottom of the 6th on a strange pair of back-to-back home runs off Dust Devils reliever Will Christophersen. CF Dasan Brown hit a high fly ball to center in dusky skies, the ball lost at its apex. Knowles put his arms out to signal he did not know where it was and Brown hit the jets, cruising to an inside-the-park home run and a 3-1 lead. 3B Alex de Jesus then clubbed a ball to left that Stewart could not see until it landed in the bullpen for Vancouver's sixth home run in two nights, making it a 4-1 game.

Tri-City clawed a run back in the top of the 8th via another sac fly. 2B Adrian Placencia opened the inning with a double, his team's first extra-base hit of the series. He advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a deep Knowles fly ball to center, tagging up and scoring for the final 4-2 margin. The Dust Devils then attempted to mount a comeback charge, getting runners aboard in both the 8th and 9th innings, but the Canadians bullpen closed the door to give their squad a second straight win to open the series. Ryan Boyer (3-0) got the win in relief.

Both Placencia and RF Alexander Ramirez had multi-hit nights for Tri-City on a night when two players made their Dust Devils debut (3B Andy Blake and LHP Nick Horvath). Blake, the former Ivy League Player of the Year, made a couple of nice plays at the hot corner including starting a double play. Horvath came in in the 8th and pitched a scoreless inning in his Tri-City debut.

Game three of six between Tri-City and Vancouver is scheduled for a 7:05 p.m. start Thursday night at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. Right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks (2-3, 2.45 ERA) has been selected for the start for the Dust Devils, and righty Devereaux Harrison (5-2, 2.57 ERA) the same for the Canadians.

Broadcast coverage will begin with the pregame show at 6:45 p.m., both here and at the MiLB First Pitch app.

Tri-City returns to Gesa Stadium on Tuesday, August 22 for a six-game series with the Everett AquaSox. Tickets for both the Everett series and all games 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 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).

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Tri-City Dust Devils at bat
Tri-City Dust Devils at bat
   



Northwest League Stories from August 10, 2023


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