Southpaw Sluggers Thwack Tri-City Past Spokane
May 25, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils' Matt Coutney on game night
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
SPOKANE VALLEY - 8th inning solo shots by 1B Ryan Nicholson and DH Matt Coutney turned Saturday evening around for the Tri-City Dust Devils (22-21), providing just enough offense for the visitors to snatch a 3-2 victory away from the Spokane Indians (22-22) at Avista Stadium and secure at least a road split.
Tri-City trailed 2-1 going to the 8th inning, scoring its first run in the 6th inning on an RBI double off the left field wall by 3B Ben Gobbel that tied the game at 1-1 at the time. Nicholson's shot came first, leading off the 8th by sending a pitch from Spokane reliever Alan Perdomo (2-2) deep to right and off the premises to tie the game at 2-2. Coutney came up two batters later and displayed his usual pole-to-pole power by lining a ball over the left field wall for the winning margin. Max Gieg pitched the final two innings for the save, fighting through five Indians reaching base by getting all six outs via strikeout. Carlos Espinosa (2-0) got the win by pitching two relief innings and giving up one run on one hit with a pair of punchouts.
DUST DEVILS NOTES
-Dust Devils starter Chris Cortez offered up another stellar start, giving up a run on three hits and striking out six. The Angels' 2nd round 2024 draft pick has made five starts in the month of May, receiving a decision in none with an ERA of 2.00 (6 ER in 27 innings). The Las Vegas, Nevada native has gone at least five innings in all but one of his nine professional starts.
-Tri-City hitters were tied up in the first five innings by Indians starter McCade Brown, who racked up a career-high 11 strikeouts and allowed only one hit and a pair of walks. Brown has allowed only one run on one hit in a combined 9.1 innings of work against the Dust Devils in his two starts against them this year.
-Every player in Dann Bilardello's lineup reached base at least once, with seven of nine putting a hit on the board. Ryan Nicholson (2-3, HR, BB) put together a second straight multi-hit game which, despite his incredible April that earned him Northwest League Player of the Month honors, marked the first time the lefty has accomplished the feat in 2025.
WIN A GAME, WIN A SERIES
Tri-City and Spokane collide in the series finale of their six-game set at 1:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Avista Stadium. The pitching matchup pits Tuesday morning's starters against one another for the second time this week, with Dust Devils right-hander Ryan Johnson (0-0, 4.15 ERA) facing Indians left-hander Michael Prosecky (3-3, 3.23 ERA).
Broadcast coverage, available for free at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB app, begins with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 12:45 p.m.
The Dust Devils return after the game for a Memorial Day off at home before starting a two-week homestand beginning Tuesday, May 27th. The Eugene Emeralds come to town first for a six-game series, going through June 1st, before the Vancouver Canadians return for six starting June 3rd.
For tickets to games on the upcoming homestand and for all 2025 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils' Matt Coutney on game night |
Northwest League Stories from May 25, 2025
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