Tri-City Shuts Out Spokane, Splits Series
Alexander Ramirez went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI singles and reached base four times for the Tri-City Dust Devils (5-9) Sunday afternoon, keying a consistent offensive attack that backed a five-pitcher, 6-0 combined shutout of the Spokane Indians (6-6) at Gesa Stadium. 1,766 fans, including over 150 young ballplayers
Alexander Ramirez went 3 for 3 with 2 RBI singles and reached base four times for the Tri-City Dust Devils (5-9) Sunday afternoon, keying a consistent offensive attack that backed a five-pitcher, 6-0 combined shutout of the Spokane Indians (6-6) at Gesa Stadium.
1,766 fans, including over 150 young ballplayers taking part in the first Youth Baseball Clinic of the season presented by Dutch Bros, enjoyed the Dust Devils’ most complete effort of the season. Tri-City had 11 hits, the most in a game so far this year, alongside the team’s first shutout of 2023. The win secured a series split
DON’T MESS WITH THE KOCHAN
Dust Devils starter Jack Kochanowicz (pronounced coe-HAHN-o-witz) provided four scoreless innings of work for the second time this season, stringing four hits along and striking out four. Chase Chaney (1-1), who covered the 5th and an out in the 6th, got the win.
ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Tri-City RF Alexander Ramirez finished the Spokane series with a flourish, going 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 RBI and a run scored. Over the six-game set the San Cristobal, Dominican Republic native hit .348 (8-23) with two doubles, a triple and 3 RBI. Ramirez also had an outfield assist in Thursday’s 2-1 win, throwing out a runner at home plate to momentarily keep the Indians off the board.
PEN PALS
Dust Devils relievers Willian Suarez and Nick Jones both got out of bases loaded, one-out jams in the later innings. Suarez took over for Chaney in the 6th, getting a strikeout and flyout to strand Indians’ runners on the basepaths. When Suarez lost his command, loading the bases with three walks in the 7th, Jones came in. He threw one pitch, inducing an around-the-horn double play to extinguish the threat.
BASE CAMP(ERO)
Tri-City C Gustavo Campero also had a strong day at the plate, going 2 for 4 with both an RBI single and a 6th inning double. From second base the Lorica, Colombia native committed grand larceny on the basepaths, completing a straight steal of third base and swiping home on a double steal for the Dust Devils’ last run of the day. Campero also made his 2023 debut behind the Gesa Stadium plate, catching both the shutout and a runner attempting to steal.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Dust Devils begin a two-week, 12-game road trip Tuesday night in the Silicon Forest, where the team will take on the Hillsboro Hops in the opener of a six-game series at 6:35 p.m. at Ron Tonkin Field. Lefty Sammy Natera, Jr. (0-0, 0.00) will get the start for Tri-City, fresh off four scoreless, no-hit innings against Spokane last Wednesday. Righty Yilber Diaz (0-1, 9.00) will start for Hillsboro.
Broadcast coverage begins with the pregame show at 6:15 p.m. both here and the MiLB First Pitch app.
The Dust Devils return home for a two-week homestand beginning Tuesday, May 9th, against the Eugene Emeralds. It’s another Coca-Cola Tuesday, with 21 oz. Coke products for $2 all night.
Tickets for the upcoming homestand are on sale, with special ticket rates are 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).