Tri-City Oat-Slugged by Vancouver
June 8, 2025 - Northwest League (NWL)
Tri-City Dust Devils News Release
Tri-City Dust Devils at bat
(Tri-City Dust Devils)
PASCO - The Tri-City Dust Devils (26-29) ordered up an early 3-1 lead on Saturday night, skimming 2nd inning RBI hits to go ahead but ultimately getting scalded by the heavy hitting of the Vancouver Canadians (28-28) in a 7-4 defeat at Gesa Stadium.
DH Ryan Nicholson answered the leadoff homer of Vancouver's Victor Arias with a two-out bomb to right field in the bottom of the 1st inning, tying the game at 1-1. Tri-City, playing their yearly game as the Malmö Oat Milkers, then hopped in front via two-out RBI singles from 3B Ben Gobbel and CF Anthony Scull in the 2nd for their two-run lead. The Canadians answered back at their next opportunity, though, with a three-run homer off starter Ryan Costeiu (0-3) capping a four-run inning and giving the visitors a 5-3 lead. Vancouver reliever Aaron Munson (1-2) and the bullpen held the line all the way to the bottom of the 8th inning, but there the Dust Devils cut the deficit in half. Nicholson drew a one-out walk and 1B Matt Coutney doubled down the right field line, putting the potential tying runs in scoring position. RF Randy De Jesus's RBI groundout brought Tri-City within a run at 5-4 but that would be as close as the Dust Devils would get. Back-to-back solo home runs to lead off the 9th shoved the lead out to 7-4 and, while the home nine would get two on to bring the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 9th, the Canadians got the final out needed to take the ballgame.
OAT MILKERS NOTES
-Ryan Nicholson's night continued what has been the best series for the 2024 10th round Los Angeles Angels draft pick since his amazing April that earned him Northwest League Player of the Month honors. The lefty masher has hit .353 (6-for-17) against Vancouver this week, hitting two home runs with 6 RBI and a pair of doubles. Nicholson has also reached base in six consecutive games.
-Ben Gobbel's 9th inning double gave him a third multi-hit game for the series and his second in as many nights. The infielder has reached base in all five games, hitting .389 (7-for-18) with a home run and 4 RBI (one in each of the last four games).
-Reliever Sam Ryan threw two scoreless innings of relief, working around four hits to keep Tri-City in the ballgame. The righty, a former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand who once pitched for the Canadians, has not given up a run to his former team in three outings against them this year (5 IP) and has held his opponents off the scoreboard in five straight times to the hill.
A PHOTO FINISH...TO THE HOMESTAND
Tri-City takes on Vancouver in the finale of their six-game series at 1:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon at Gesa Stadium where the first 500 fans will take home the 2025 Dust Devils team photo, thanks to AutoZone. Right-hander Austin Gordon (3-3, 5.90 ERA) takes the mound for the Dust Devils, with righty Fernando Perez (3-3, 4.43 ERA) going for the Canadians.
Free broadcast coverage, available audio-only at dustdevilsbaseball.com and the MiLB app and with video in the MiLB Zone of Bally Sports Live, begins with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 1:10 p.m.
For tickets to Sunday's game with the Canadians, and for all 2025 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.
Gesa Stadium, home of your Tri-City Dust Devils, has been nominated as Best Single-A Ballpark in America by Newsweek! VOTE HERE now to help bring home another award for our beloved ballpark!
Images from this story
 Tri-City Dust Devils at bat |
Northwest League Stories from June 8, 2025
- Tri-City Oat-Slugged by Vancouver - Tri-City Dust Devils
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
