Tim Hagerty/ Sportingnews.com
The Dust Devils headed to Eugene for a 7-game set in 6-days against the Eugene Emeralds, the High-A affiliate of the SF Giants. The Dust Devils headed down to PK Park from Funko Field in Everett, Wa, for the 2nd half of their road trip.
Game 1 saw SP Nick Mondak take the hill for Tri-city against RHP Wil Jensen of the Emeralds. The Emeralds jumped all over Mondak in the first, scoring 5-runs off of three singles, one double, and one sac flies to jump out in front. Mondak finished his afternoon with 5IP, 7H, 5ER, 1BB, and 4K and RHP Kyle Molnar and LHP Connor Higgins were able to work 3IP with 0ER, 0H, and 2K. Jensen was good for the Emeralds going 5IP, allowing 3H, 0ER, 4BB, and getting 9K. The Dust Devils attempted to come back in the 7th with an RBI fielders-choice that scored C Kyle Lovelace, 1B Gabe Matthews followed it up in the 8th with a solo HR, his 10th. Ultimately the Dust Devils could not overcome the early deficit as Emeralds' closer RHP Nick Avila earned his 9th save of the season.
Wednesday brought us the double header of this series as Dust Devils Landon Marceaux took the hill for the team against Emeralds' RHP Ryan Murphy. It was a pitcher's duel in game one of the two-game sets. Emeralds OF Hunter Bishop had Marceaux's number in this one, hitting an HR in the first to put the Emeralds up 1-0 and again delivered a single in the 6th to put his squad up 2-0. Marceaux did his best in this one going 6IP with 5H, 2ER, 1BB, and 3K. The Dust Devils' offense was quiet in this one as they went 0-4 with RISP and had 4LOB in this game. The pitching was excellent from the Emeralds as Murphy with 6IP allowing just 2H, 2BB, and getting 5K. The Dust Devils dropped game 2 of the series 2-0.
Game 3 of the series and game two of the double header saw the Dust Devils go with a bullpen game which meant Zac Kristofak got his normal open in this one against Emeralds RHP Mason Black. The combined effort of Kristofak, RHP Jake Smith, RHP Glenn Albanese, and RHP Nathan Burns allowed just 1ER through the first six frames of this contest. Black was just an impressive through 6IP, allowing 4H, 1ER, 2BB, and 3K. The 1ER is coming from a Gabe Matthews HR in the 6th, his 11th season. The Dust Devils looked to break through with their first win of the series in this game as they got a 2-1 lead in the top of the 7th off a Jose Guzman RBI single that socred Osmy Gregorio. It was up to RHP Emilker Guzman in the bottom of the 7th to win it. Guzman started the frame off with a K; an HR followed that from 2B Carter Aldrete, his 11th of the season to tie the game 2-2; a double by 3B Luis Toribio, followed by a K by C Max Wright, looked to be shaping up the game to send it to extras. However, a wild pitch by Guzman placed Toribio on 3rd with two outs, and a soft grounder by OF Najee Gaskins to SS Knowles scored Toribio, and the Emeralds won this one 3-2 and took a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Into Thursday night, the Dust Devils needed a win, and Tri-City SP Robinson Pina certainly did his part in the first 7IP. Pina was excellent, allowing 2H, 0ER, 2BB, and earning 13K, Kyren Paris provided an offensive spark in the 3rd with a 2R HR, and C Kyle Lovelace was able to get an RBI single in the 9th to extend the lead 3-0. RHP Hayden Seig goes the call in the 9th to earn a save. However, Emeralds 3B Luis Toribio was able to get an RBI single to make it a 3-1 game. Before we knew it, the game was tied off an INF Ghordy Santos reached on a throwing error by SS Paris that allowed 2 to score and made the contest a tie at 3-3. The Dust Devils regained the lead in the 10th off a Kyren Paris 2RBI single and a Gabe Matthews sac-fly to go up 6-3.
The Emeralds weren't going to go down without a fight. After a BB and an HBP allowed by Sieg, the Dust Devils turned to Dakota Donovan. Donovan came on and quickly got Carter Aldrete to ground into a forceout that scored a runner, making it a 6-4 game. Donovan was able to get another GO by Najee Gaskins, that scored another running making the game 6-5. However, an intentional walk and K later, the Dust Devils were able to win this one and make this a 3-1 series heading into Friday.
Friday night lights were filled with strikeouts as the Emeralds, and Dust Devils combined for 25. LHP Jose Salvador got the nod on the mound for Tri-City. It was a short outing for Salvador as he could only go 3.1IP, allowing 4H, 5ER, 4BB, and 8K. The most damaging blow against Salvador came on a Grand Slam by Emeralds OF Hunter Bishop in the 3rd. The Emeralds followed it up in the 4th with an RBI single by 2B Simon Whiteman to extend it to 5-0. Emeralds LHP Nick Swiney could use the lead to his advantage as he went 6IP, allowing 2H, 1R, 2BB, and 12K. The Dust Devils' lone run against Swiney came on a throwing error by C Robery Emery that allowed Knowles to score. The Dust Devils almost were able to fight back in the 9th, but it proved to be too little, too late. OF Edwin Yon hit an RBI triple to bring the game to a 5-2, and INF Christian Molfetta hit his first double of the season that scored Yon and pushed it to 5-3. However, that was all the offense could muster in the 9th as they dropped the Friday night contest 5-3. The Emeralds hold a commanding 4-1 lead in the series.
The Dust Devils were back at it again on Saturday night with RHP Ryan Costeiu on the mound against RHP Randy Rodriguez. The Dust Devils got out to an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd off an RBI single by C Kyle Lovelace. However, the lead didn't last long as Emeralds ING Luis Roibio hit his 9th HR of the season to tie the game 1-1. The Emeralds weren't done adding to the lead in the 4th: RBI double by INF Casey Schmitt, 2R HR by C Patrick Bailey pushed the lead to 4-1. The Dust Devils couldn't answer back against RHRP Ty Weber, who took over in the 3rd for Rodriguez and went 4IP, with 1H and 5K. Schmitt added to the lead in the 6th with a 2R HR to push the lead to 6-1. The Dust Devils played ALL 27 outs in the one, the 7th inning; we saw the Dust Devils storm back: as INF Christin Molfetta hit an RBI double, OF Jordyn Adams hit a 2RBI double, and 1B Gabe Matthews hit a 2RBI double to tie at 6-6 going into the 8th. OF Mike Peabody gave his team the lead in the 8th with a sac-fly, and in the 9th, INF Osmy Gregorio provided an insurance run for the Dust Devils, pushing the lead to 8-6. RHRP Kyle Molnar came on in the 7th of this contest and could go the distance with 3IP allowing 0H, 0HR, 1BB, and 2K earning the win for the club and bringing the series to 4-2 going into the Sunday finale.
Sunday afternoon saw the Dust Devils go with RHP Dylan King as the opener for the bullpen game for the finale against RHP Wil Jensen of the Emeralds. The Emeralds jumped on King in the 1st as Smitt hit a 2RBI double to give his club an early 2-0 lead. Dust Devils OF Edwin Yon answered with an RBI single to bring the score to 2-1. The Emeralds were able to answer in the bot 2nd with an RBI single by OF Vaun Brown and RBI ground out by Hunter Bishop to bring their lead to 4-1. Emeralds OF Najee Gaskins added another one on the board with a sac-fly in the 3rd to push the lead to 5-1. Jensen got the job done for the Emeralds going 5.2IP, allowing 7H, 1R, 0ER, 1BB, and 3K. The Dust Devils once again began to fight back late in the 7th. Knowles could reach on a throwing error, advance to 2nd, and allow Guzman to score. OF Adams followed up with an RBI single to bring the score to 5-3. Emeralds OF Jairo Pomares answered in the bot 7th with a fielders choice to bring the score to 6-3. Knowles again provided some more offense for the Dust Devils with an RBI single in the 8th to bring the score to 4-6. The man Hunter Bishop answered in the bottom of the 8th with a 2RBI triple to bring Emerald's lead to 8-4, and Dust Devils RHRP Dakota Donovan allowed Bishop to score on a wild pitch to bring the score to 9-4 and force the Dust Devils into a loss to close the road trip and lose the series 5-2 and drop to 30-36 on the season.
The Dust Devils have one major problem this season, leaving RISP(Runners in Scoring Position) and team LOB. G1- 0/8 & 10LOB, G2- 0/4 & 4LOB, G3- 1/4 & 5LOB, G4- 3/14 & 6LOB, G5- 2/11 & 7LOB, G6- 5/13 & 7LOB, G7- 3/12 & 10LOB. That is a total of 14/66 with RISP and 49LOB; that is a staggering number and adjustment that needs to be made by the hitters.
The Dust Devils return home for a 4th of July week/weekend series against the Hillsboro Hops!
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