Asuncion’s two homers power Tri-City to extra-innings win

Luis Asuncion homered twice, including a one-out, solo shot for the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning to lift the Tri-City Dust Devils to an extra-innings victory over the Spokane Indians on Monday night at Avista Stadium.

The victory snapped a two-game skid for the Northwest League-leading Dust Devils (9-3) and handed the Indians (3-9) their seventh straight loss, a streak that started June 20 at Gesa Stadium. Tri-City and Spokane played the middle game of their three-game series Tuesday.

Spokane wiped out an early Tri-City lead with runs in the bottom of the third and fourth innings to tie the game at 2-2 when a 1-hour, 10-minute weather delay hit before the start of the fifth. When the rain, rain finally went away, Asuncion put the Dust Devils back on top with a two-run jack to left that scored Kelvin Melean, who hit a lead-off single.

Including the one he hit on Opening Night against Salem-Keizer, Asuncion has mashed three home runs this season after hitting just one in 199 at-bats last year with the Dust Devils. His most recent performance earned him NWL Player of the Night honors.

Asuncion became the first Dust Devil to hit two homers in a game since Carlos Belen on July 21, 2015, according to a Tweet by Dust Devils play-by-play announcer Chris King

Reliever Chasen Ford held the Indians quiet through the seventh, pitching three innings of two-hit, shutout ball, but Evan Miller (2-0) blew the save in the ninth when Yohel Pozo ripped a two-run dinger of his own with one out and Miguel Aparicio on base.

Miller finished out the game for Tri-City to pick up his second win of the season, allowing two runs on four hits over three innings.

Melean and Justin Lopez each went 3-for-4 for Tri-City. Melean scored two runs and Lopez hit a double, scored a run and recorded an RBI.

ROSTER MOVES

After catchers Chandler Seagle and Jalen Washington joined the fold last week, another 2017 San Diego Padres draft pick out of the college ranks was added to Tri-City’s roster Tuesday.

Left-handed relief pitcher Fred Schlichtholz (Round 13, Fresno State) was originally assigned to the Arizona League after signing with the Padres on Friday, but earned the promotion to Tri-City before making his pro debut.

Schlichtholz had a fairly successful freshman campaign at Fresno State, but redshirted during the 2015 season and made just three appearances in 2016. This year, in his redshirt junior season, he led the team in appearances (31 with two starts) while posting a 4.82 ERA over 61 2/3 innings.

Earlier Tuesday, Mark Zimmerman (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 4 IP in three 2017 Tri-City appearances) was promoted to the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, San Diego’s full-season Class A affiliate.

First baseman Luis Anguizola, drafted in the 25th round out of Loyola University New Orleans in the 2016 draft, was promoted to Tri-City from the AZL on June 24, but is 0-for-13 with six strikeouts through his first three games as a Dust Devil.

-47-Ran for Cordero in the 9th.

E–Almanzar (6). LOB–Dust Devils 7; Spokane 11. 2B–Lopez (4); Smith 2 (5). HR–Asuncion 2 (3) off Kuzia; Pozo (2) off Miller. RBIs–Lopez (6); Carter (7); Asuncion 3 (6); Smith (4); Aparicio (3); Pozo 2 (9). RISP–Dust Devils 2-for-9; Spokane 1-for-12. Runners left in scoring position–Carter 2; Asuncion 2; Taylor; Inoa 2; Terry 2. GIDP–Anguizola; Almanzar; Aragon; Novoa. DP–Dust Devils 1; Spokane 3.

Hernandez pitched to 2 batters in the 4th.

GS–Hernandez 40; Tiedemann 38. HBP–Taylor (Guerrero); Leblanc (Ford). Pitches-strikes–Hernandez 55-34; Guerrero 9-5; Ford 52-38; Miller 37-27; Tiedemann 46-27; I.Lopez 16-7; Kuzia 52-36; D.Beltre 30-21. WP–Tiedemann. Inherited runners-scored–Guerrero 2-1; I.Lopez 3-1; D.Beltre 1-0.

T–3:07 (1:10 delay). A–3,925.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 5:58 PM with the headline "Asuncion’s two homers power Tri-City to extra-innings win."