SPOKANE VALLEY – Starter Nate Snead completely shut down the Spokane Indians (11-19) Thursday night, dealing out six perfect innings in what ended up a 2-1 win for the Tri-City Dust Devils (17-13) at Avista Stadium that got the visitors on the board in the six-game series.
Snead (2-3) faced the minimum 18 batters in his brilliant performance, retiring them all in a brutally efficient 58 pitches. The Tennessee baseball alum kept Spokane off-balance the entire time he was on the mound, striking out six and inducing nine groundball outs. He also got some help from his defense, receiving deep outfield catches from both RF Randy De Jesus and LF Gage Harrelson as well SS Capri Ortiz charging a groundball and firing a strike across the diamond to keep the perfect game bid intact through six innings. The righty ended up completing the first perfect start for Tri-City of five innings or longer since lefty Nick Mondak threw five perfect frames at Vancouver on August 5, 2022.
Tri-City got on the board in the top of the 3rd to give Snead support. 2B Kevin Bruggeman legged out an infield single up the middle to get aboard with one out and advanced to second on a soft groundout by 1B Caleb Bartolero. That brought C Juan Flores up, who pounded a grounder up the middle and through for an RBI single that scored Bruggeman for a 1-0 lead. Bartolero came up two innings later to face Indians starter Everett Catlett (2-3) and smashed a ball over the left field fence for a solo home run, with his second homer of the year making it a 2-0 game.
Lefty Dylan Phillips came in in relief in the bottom of the 7th and SS Tevin Tucker, just happy to see someone other than Snead on the mound, sent the first pitch to shallow left-center to end the combined perfect game and no-hitter bid. Tucker then stole second with 2B Roynier Hernandez, Wednesday’s walk-off hero for Spokane, at the plate. Hernandez lined a ball to left field, but Harrelson positioned himself for the possibility and made the catch. Tucker did not see where Harrelson had set up, racing home in the belief it would be a hit. By the time he heard otherwise it was too late, and he was tagged out by Ortiz in a 7-6 double play.
The Indians got a run across in the bottom of the 8th, which began with a single by 1B Kevin Fitzer, and a two-out double by 3B Kelvin Hidalgo off reliever Kyle Roche put the tying runs in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Ethan Hedges came up and watched Roche throw a wild pitch that allowed Fitzer to score. The throw to get Fitzer got away from the plate, and Hidalgo sprinted frantically for home. Dust Devils 3B Jake Munroe smartly backed up the throw, sending it back to Roche who tagged Hidalgo out to preserve the lead. Spokane threatened one more time in the 9th, getting the tying run to third, but Roche got the final two outs for the save.
1B Matt Coutney had a three-hit game, one-third of the team’s nine hits on the night. The Albertan has hit safely in 11 straight games and reached base in 16 consecutive contests.
TRYING TO EVEN THINGS UP
Tri-City and Spokane collide in game four of their six-game series at 6:35 p.m. Friday night at Avista Stadium. Right-hander Peyton Olejnik (1-2, 5.60 ERA) heads to the hill for the Dust Devils, countered by righty Brody Brecht (0-2, 6.28 ERA) of the Indians.
Free broadcast coverage on the MiLB app and dustdevilsbaseball.com will begin with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 6:15 p.m. Fans can also watch the games for free (Spokane broadcast) on Bally Sports Live, and via subscription on MLB.tv and the MiLB app.
Tri-City then returns home for a series with the league-leading Eugene Emeralds beginning Tuesday, May 12 on a Coca-Cola Tuesday. For tickets for the Eugene series, as well as all 2026 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.