NWL Tri-City Dust Devils

Everett Trips up Tri-City to Take Finale, Series

June 19, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release


Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sammy Natera, Jr.
Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sammy Natera, Jr.
(Tri-City Dust Devils)

Two days after the Tri-City Dust Devils (32-31) took advantage of Everett AquaSox (31-32) mistakes to win a ballgame, the visitors turned the tables in a 5-1 win Sunday night at Gesa Stadium that gave Everett the series win.

Everett got the first run on the game by capitalizing on a Tri-City throwing error that scored DH Harry Ford from second base with two out in the top of the 1st inning. The error was the first of three in the game for the Dust Devils, all of which came back to haunt the home nine.

Tri-City also took advantage of an Everett error following SS Arol Vera's leadoff single to start the bottom of the 2nd. Shortly after, AquaSox starter Jimmy Joyce threw over to first to try to pick Vera off, but the ball got away. Vera got to second on the error and then to third on an infield hit by 3B Werner Blakely, putting him in position to score on a sacrifice fly by LF Gustavo Campero to tie the game at 1-1.

It would stay that way until the 5th inning when Everett LF Blake Rambusch broke the tie with an RBI single down the right field line off Dust Devils starter Sammy Natera, Jr., (1-4) that scored C Andrew Miller, who singled to lead off the inning. Rambusch was a factor in the game defensively as well, throwing out Vera at the plate in the bottom of the 6th on a potential game-tying single by Blakely.

The game unraveled for Tri-City in the top of the 7th when the team gave up three unearned runs to the AquaSox. SS Axel Sanchez and 3B Ben Ramirez singled back-to-back off reliever Emilker Guzman to start the inning, and an error by RF Alexander Ramirez gave Sanchez the chance to move up to third. Miller then hit a grounder to Vera, who looked to set up a double play, but the usually sure-handed shortstop bobbled it. Sanchez scored to make it 3-1, and Ramirez and Miller scored on a two-out, two-run single by 1B Hogan Windish to cap the scoring.

Though he got the loss, Sammy Natera, Jr., gave his team a solid five innings, giving up two runs on only two hits and striking out six while walking only two. Relievers Roman Phansalkar, Nathan Burns and Nick Jones each threw an inning of scoreless relief to keep the Dust Devils within range.

DH Joe Stewart had another good night at the plate, going 2 for 3, reaching base four times and adding two stolen bases to his tally to tie Eugene OF Grant McCray for the league lead with 27. Both Arol Vera and Werner Blakely also had multi-hit games for Tri-City, but the team left 11 men on base and went 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

Everett reliever Luis Curvelo (3-1) pitched a scoreless 5th inning for the win. The season series between the Dust Devils and AquaSox sits even at 6-6, with each team winning a series on the road four games to two.

After 18 straight games at Gesa Stadium, Tri-City will hit the road for a six-game series with the Spokane Indians beginning at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday night at Avista Stadium. The first three games will close out the First Half, and the second three will kick off the Second Half race to join the Vancouver Canadians in the Northwest League Championship Series in September. Vancouver clinched the First Half title with a win Sunday afternoon over Hillsboro.

Broadcast coverage of the series opener with Spokane will begin with the pregame show at 6:15 p.m. both here and at the MiLB First Pitch app.

Tickets for the Dust Devils' next home series, June 28-July 3 against the Hillsboro Hops, 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).

Check out the Tri-City Dust Devils Statistics




Images from this story

Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sammy Natera, Jr.
Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sammy Natera, Jr.
   



Northwest League Stories from June 19, 2023


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