Friday, Aug. 21, 2009

This time, no relief for Dust Devils

By Jack Millikin, Herald staff writer

The Tri-City Dust Devils have had the luxury of a virtually unstoppable bullpen through the first 54 games of the Northwest League season.

But Thursday night against the Spokane Indians, that same relief crew that has provided an embarrassment of riches for the first-place Dust Devils was just plain embarrassed.

Tri-City relievers Paul Bargas and Eric Federico allowed nine earned runs between them in four innings, opening the door to an 8-4 loss to Spokane at Gesa Stadium.

The bullpen, which had allowed just five earned runs in 67 innings through 14 games in August, blew a fifth-inning 3-1 lead.

"The bullpen has been outstanding all year long, but they gave up a lead today," said Dust Devils manager Fred Ocasio. "If we get a lead in the fifth, usually they come through in the next four innings."

Spokane right fielder Miguel Velazquez blasted a pair of home runs to left field, accounting for five RBIs to raise his team high total to 33. He tied the score at 3 with a two-run shot of Bargas in the fifth and then put the Indians ahead 6-4 with a three-run shot off Federico (3-2) in the seventh.

"I was looking for a fastball inside to drive in the runs. I was not looking to hit a home run," said Velazquez, a Puerto Rican native who missed all of last season after surgery on his right knee.

The Dust Devils (34-25) hold a six-game lead in the East Division, but Spokane (28-31) and Boise (28-31) don't plan on making things easy for Tri-City.

"I think there's enough energy in the tank for us. It's a matter of them giving some back," said Indians manager Tim Hulett, who guided Spokane to its eighth NWL championship last season. "They're one of the best 'struggling' offenses I've ever seen."

Tri-City had been fighting for runs at home, having gone scoreless in 25 straight innings -- all against Spokane -- at Gesa Stadium dating back to August 8. But the Dust Devils finally broke through in the fourth inning off starter Ben Henry, scoring three runs off an RBI double by Kevin Clark and RBI singles from Bo Bowman and Joey Wong to take a 3-1 lead.

But that lead didn't last long after Tri-City starter Dan Perkins left after four innings. Perkins pitched well enough, allowing just one run on three hits while striking out five. The 6-foot-4 right-hander lowered his ERA to 2.65 to remain fourth in the NWL.

"It's like (Rod) Scurry said earlier, we've been pitching well, and our pitchers still did all right," said Bowman, who led the Dust Devils with two hits to raise his average to .303. "I don't think we're concerned. We've played this team well in the past."

Indeed, Tri-City is 6-4 against Spokane with two games left in the season series. But the Indians have won four of the last five.

"I just tell them to go out and take them one game at a time," Ocasio said. "We'll put some wins together."

Jared Prince, the Texas Rangers' 34th-round pick out of Washington State, finished 3-for-4 to raise his average to .301.

Johnny Gunter (1-3) picked up his first professional win in relief for Spokane, tossing two scoreless innings of relief.

Notes: The Colorado Rockies made some moves, shifting first-round supplemental pick Rex Brothers to Low-A Asheville (N.C.). The left-handed pitcher out of Lipscomb University was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in eight games for Tri-City. He joins fellow reliever Carlos Luna, a second-year player out of Oral Roberts, who will fly into Asheville today. ... Three players -- LHP Matt Baugh, RHP Will Harris and INF Matt Sanders -- chose to return to school to pursue their college degrees.