The Tri-City Dust Devils (26-28 2H, 56-64) fought hard but dropped five of six to the Vancouver Canadians (31-23 2H, 68-52) in a tough road series at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium. The week featured tight pitching duels, late-inning heartbreak, and one wild walk-off, but Vancouver’s balance proved too much as Tri-City slipped further back in the Northwest League standings.
Game 1 – Canadians Blank Devils
Tri-City got men on early but couldn’t crack Vancouver starter Gage Stanifer, who shut down the lineup over six innings in a 5-0 Canadians win. Yeferson Vargas retired the first 11 batters he faced but unraveled in the 4th, where five straight hits put Vancouver ahead for good. RF Rio Foster drew three walks, extending his on-base surge, while relievers Bridger Holmes and Keythel Key turned in scoreless outings.
Game 2 – Vancouver Bats Break Late
The Dust Devils led 4-1 through seven behind Adrian Placencia’s three-run homer and Chris Clark’s stellar six-inning start (8 Ks, 3 H, 1 R). But the bullpen faltered, giving up six runs across the final two innings in a 7-4 loss. C Peter Burns reached base three times, while recent call-up Lucas Ramirez collected his first High-A hit. Manager Dann Bilardello was ejected in the 3rd inning disputing a would-be Placencia homer down the right field line.
Game 3 – Devils Rally in the 8th
Tri-City broke through late to claim its only win of the series, 3-2. Cole Fontenelle and Rio Foster reached to open the 8th, and C Peter Burns tied the game with an RBI single. RF Randy De Jesus followed with a slow roller that plated Foster with the go-ahead run. The bullpen was lights-out: Sandy Gastón, Kyle Roche, and Sam Tookoian combined for 6.2 scoreless innings, with Tookoian striking out four in a two-inning save.
Game 4 – Bats Silenced Again
In the second game of Friday’s double dip, Vancouver pitching again dominated in a 4-0 shutout. Tri-City managed just two hits—one each by Rio Foster and Dario Laverde—while Chris Cortez turned in his longest outing since mid-July (5.1 IP, 2 ER). Fran Oschell III made his Dust Devils debut, striking out three in an inning despite allowing a solo homer.
Game 5 – Walk-Off Stings Tri-City
The Dust Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead on RBI knocks by Capri Ortiz and Cole Fontenelle, capped by Fontenelle’s two-run homer in the 3rd. Ryan Costeiu followed opener Ryan Johnson with six strong innings, leaving with a 4-3 lead. But Vancouver’s Sean Keys launched a walk-off two-run homer in the 9th off Keythel Key, giving the Canadians a 5-4 win. Ortiz, Fontenelle, and Ramirez all had multi-hit games.
Game 6 – Final Rally Falls Short
Tri-City nearly stole the finale, rallying in the 9th but falling 4-3. Caleb Pendleton tied the game in the 5th with a two-run homer, his second of the year, but back-to-back Vancouver RBIs in the 6th put the hosts back ahead. In the 9th, RBI singles by Cole Fontenelle and Rio Foster pulled the Dust Devils within one, but the tying and go-ahead runs were stranded in scoring position. Relievers Gastón, Espinosa, and Tookoian kept the game within reach with 3.1 scoreless frames.
Series Takeaways
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Close margins, tough breaks: Three of the six games were decided by one run, all losses for Tri-City.
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Pitching battles: Chris Clark and Ryan Costeiu gave the Dust Devils quality starts, but bullpen struggles haunted the club.
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Shutout struggles: Tri-City was blanked twice, underscoring offensive inconsistency.
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Only one win: The Dust Devils’ lone victory came via a late rally in Game 3.
Sidebar: Dust Devils Spotlight
🌟 Adrian Placencia – Power Bat
The second baseman belted a three-run homer Wednesday, giving him 16 on the year and highlighting his ability to spark the lineup. His patience at the plate also broke up a potential perfect game in Sunday’s finale.
🌟 Cole Fontenelle – Clutch at the Plate
Fontenelle delivered big hits all week, from a go-ahead RBI single in the opener to a two-run homer Saturday. He finished with multiple multi-hit games, steadying the middle of the order.
🌟 Peter Burns – On-Base Machine
The catcher extended his on-base streak to 13 of his last 14 games, coming through with key RBI singles in both Thursday’s win and Sunday’s near-comeback.
🌟 Sam Tookoian – Rookie Shines Again
The Angels’ 20th-round pick out of Ole Miss continues to impress, tossing 3.0 perfect innings with seven strikeouts across the series. He has yet to allow a run through his first seven professional innings.
What’s Next
The Dust Devils head to Spokane for their final road series of the year, a six-game clash with their Inland Northwest rivals, the Spokane Indians, August 26–31. They return home September 2 to host Hillsboro and close the 2025 regular season at Gesa Stadium.