PASCO – A close game midway through went sideways on the Tri-City Dust Devils (24-23) Wednesday night, with the visiting Spokane Indians (20-27) using a second surge of runs to take a 7-3 win at Gesa Stadium that evened up the week’s series at a game apiece.
The contest started well for Tri-City, with 1B Caleb Bartolero sending a pitch from Spokane starter Everett Catlett (3-3) over the left field wall for a leadoff home run and a 1-0 lead. The Woodstock, Georgia native delivered again an inning later with an RBI double to the base of the same left field wall that doubled the lead to 2-0.
Dust Devils starter Jose Atencio (0-1), making his Dust Devils debut, had little trouble in the first two innings but ran into a roadblock in the top of the 3rd. The bottom of the Indians order got to him, with a triple-single-home run stretch giving the visitors a 3-2 lead. The righty still did his job well, keeping his team in the game for five innings after arriving not even 24 hours earlier in the Tri-Cities. Atencio gave up only that three run, three hit stretch, striking out six and only allowing one free pass (a hit-by-pitch).
Still in the game through five, the top of the 6th ended up where things went awry for Tri-City. Spokane put together a four-run inning on five hits, sending all nine men to the plate and pushing their advantage to 7-2. The home side pushed one more across with help of a fielding error in the bottom of the 7th but could not put together a rally in their final two at-bats.
Caleb Bartolero went 3-for-5 with the home run and two doubles, scoring twice to lead the attack. The Troy University baseball alum has the highest batting average of any leadoff hitter at the High-A level with at least 75 at-bats (.360). As well, in his first plate appearance of a game Bartolero has hit .553 (8-for-15) with two leadoff home runs and three walks in 18 games.
Relievers Nick Jones (2 IP) and Sam Tookoian (1.1 IP) covered the final stretch of the game, giving up a combined two hits and posting zeroes in the final three innings.
A THURSDAY TILT
Tri-City and Spokane meet for game three of their six-game set at 6:30 p.m. Thursday night at Gesa Stadium. The Dust Devils have not announced a starting pitcher at press time, with the Indians sending left-hander Bryson Hammer (2-5, 6.54 ERA) to the mound.
Free broadcast coverage on the MiLB app and dustdevilsbaseball.com will begin with the Dust Devils Pregame Show at 6:10 p.m. Fans can also watch the games for free on Bally Sports Live, and via subscription on MLB.tv and the MiLB app.
Following the series the Vancouver Canadians come to town for six games, the second half of a 12-game homestand. For tickets for the Spokane and Vancouver series, as well as all 2026 Dust Devils home games, visit the official ticket site, dustdevilsbaseball.com.