Rooster Tails Get Big Head Start, Hold on to Beat Canadians
August 2, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sandy Gaston as a Rooster Tail
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
PASCO - This week's see-saw series continued Friday night at Gesa Stadium, with the Tri-City Dust Devils (18-16 2H, 48-52) accepting five walks and a hit batter from the Vancouver Canadians (17-17 2H, 54-46) in a three-run 1st inning that provided the foundation for a 4-3 victory that evened the series at two games apiece.
Playing as the Columbia River Rooster Tails in honor of last week's hydroplane races, the home nine worked 90 feet at a time on Vancouver starter Edinson Batista (5-4) as he struggled to find his control. DH Anthony Scull and SS Capri Ortiz walked to begin the bottom of the 1st, and 2B Adrian Placencia walked with one out to load the bases. RF Randy De Jesus then came up and took the first pitch to his left shoulder, an RBI hit-by-pitch that gave Tri-City a 1-0 lead. CF David Calabrese drew a bases loaded walk behind for an RBI, doubling the lead to 2-0. Batista did not make it through the 1st inning, getting two outs in 33 pitches before getting replaced by lefty Johan Simon. C Peter Burns then drew another walk with the sacks full, making it 3-0 through an inning.
The run that ended up the difference came in in the bottom of the 2nd inning, after the Canadians got a run back in the top of the 2nd. Ortiz lined a one-out single and moved to second on a balk, giving 3B Cole Fontenelle the opportunity to single the opposite way and bring him in for a 4-1 lead. Vancouver scored runs in the 3rd and 4th, but the tying run was cut down at the plate by a strong throw from De Jesus and a deft tag from Burns to get the third out.
Reliever Sandy Gastón (4-1) got the win, posting zeroes in the 5th and 6th innings after starter Ryan Costeiu's four-inning outing. Jake Smith threw two scoreless frames behind and Roman Phansalkar pitched a perfect 9th for his first Dust Devils save of 2025.
ROOSTER TAILS REPORTS
-Cole Fontenelle's RBI hit in the 2nd extended his hitting streak to four games and his on-base streak to six games. While going 0-for-3, Anthony Scull's walk converted his 10-game hit streak to an 11-game on-base streak. Capri Ortiz (11 games) and Peter Burns (eight games) also kept on-base streaks going.
-Tri-City had just two baserunners after the 2nd inning, with David Calabrese singling in the 6th inning and Adrian Placencia walking in the 8th. The early runs held up, though, not only due to the bullpen's effort but with the help of a couple of double plays. The first came on appeal after Calabrese caught a fly ball next to the center field wall in the 6th for the second out. Vancouver C Edward Duran tagged and went to third, but Dust Devils 1B Caleb Pendleton suspected Duran left early. Placencia, who caught the throw in from Calabrese, threw to Pendleton at second base and Duran was ruled out.
-The alternate identities of Pasco, Kennewick and Richland's Northwest League franchise have fared pretty well in 2025. Tonight's win moved the Rooster Tails to 4-2 for the season, and Viñeros de Tri-City sit at 4-1 to make the Tri-City alternates 8-3 overall. Three Rooster Tails games and one Viñeros game remain on the schedule.
A PIVOTAL GAME FIVE
Tri-City and Vancouver collide in game five of their six-game series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday night at Gesa Stadium, continuing the Rooster Tails weekend. Not only will there be the usual postgame fireworks, presented this week by Teamsters Local 839, but there will also be a special pregame ceremony in conjunction with a 30-year reunion of members of the inaugural 1995 Tri-City Posse ballclub that opened what is now Gesa Stadium.
Right-hander Yeferson Vargas (0-0, 4.61 ERA) will take the ball for the Rooster Tails, squaring off against Gage Stanifer (1-4, 4.30 ERA) of the Canadians.
The Dust Devils Pregame Show takes the digital airwaves at 6:45 p.m. both on the video side in Bally Sports Live's MiLB Zone and audio-only at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB app.
For tickets to this weekend's games with Vancouver, and all 2025 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils pitcher Sandy Gaston as a Rooster Tail |
Northwest League Stories from August 2, 2025
- Giants Win First Half Title, Clinch Playoff Berth - Eugene Emeralds
- Hops Surrender Seven-Run Second Inning in Saturday's 7-1 Loss - Hillsboro Hops
- Nimmala's Big Night, Stout Bullpen Lead C's to Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Catlett Deals, Hobson Homers in Spokane's 7-1 Win - Spokane Indians
- Charlie Szykowny Tallies All 4 RBI's as Ems Win 2nd Straight against Everett - Eugene Emeralds
- Rooster Tails Get Big Head Start, Hold on to Beat Canadians - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Six Hops Have Multi-Hit Games in 4-2 Win - Hillsboro Hops
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