Asuncion providing consistency at the plate for Dust Devils

If you’ve been to a Tri-City Dust Devils game this season, then you’ve probably seen Luis Asuncion get a hit.

Asuncion has had a hit in all nine games he has played in, the second-longest such streak in the Northwest League this season.

Through Monday, the Dust Devils outfielder, who bats out of the bottom half of the order, hasn’t had a multi-hit game this season. But he does have the distinction of hitting Tri-City’s only home run this year.

Dust Devils manager Ben Fritz said Asuncion’s success is all in the preparation.

“He goes about things the right way,” Fritz said. “He’s a professional. He goes about his work the right way. What comes in the game is just a by-product of what he does to get ready.”

Despite being only 19, Asuncion is a veteran by Dust Devils standards. He played two seasons on the Padres’ Dominican Summer League team before arriving in the Tri-Cities, which Fritz said explains his professional work habits.

The 6-foot-4 Asuncion also could supply some much-needed power to a team that plays half of its games in the pitcher-friendly confides of Gesa Stadium.

“I’m going up there looking to make hard contact,” Asuncion said. “I’m trying to get my pitch, and I’m trying to hit my pitch. Sometimes you’re only going to get one pitch to hit in an at-bat.”

Counting the homer he hit Friday at Salem-Keizer, Asuncion has tallied seven dingers in his professional career.

WHITE ADDS STAR POWER TO OFFENSE

Fresh off a trip to the NCAA Division I Super Regionals with alma mater Texas A&M, Padres 10th-round draft pick Boomer White made his debut with the Dust Devils on June 21 and almost immediately made an impact.

In the Dust Devils’ series opener against Salem-Keizer on June 23 — White’s third professional contest — the former Aggie wore out the Volcanoes’ pitching staff to the tune of a 4-for-5 performance. He had three doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored to lead Tri-City to an 8-6 win.

“He truly is a gamer; you can just tell because of how he goes about his work,” Fritz said. “The game just comes to him, and I feel comfortable putting him in the three-hole.”

It hasn’t been all smooth sailing for White in his young professional career: He only has two hits in his other five games. But with the talent — and power — White has, Fritz doesn’t think the young third baseman is going to be held down for long.

“There’s not one guy in this clubhouse who hasn’t gone three games without getting a hit,” Fritz said. “He’s gone through it before, coming from a top-ranked, D-I program, so I’m not worried about how he deals with failure. He’ll be all right.”

DUST DEVILS TAKE RUBBER MATCH FROM SALEM-KEIZER

Emmanuel Ramirez had another strong turn at the top of the Dust Devils’ rotation to pick up his first win of the season, and Tri-City topped the host Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 7-2 on Monday night in the rubber match of their five-game series.

In his third start of the season, Ramirez (1-0) went six innings — his longest outing of the year — and pitched three-hit, one-run ball to drop his ERA to 1.20.

Ramirez got plenty of support at the plate as all nine Dust Devils (6-5) in the starting lineup checked in with at least one hit. Jose Savinon was in the leadoff spot and kept his mean streak at the dish going. He went 2-for-6 with a triple and a run scored to raise his batting average to .364.

Leading 2-1, the Dust Devils broke the game open with a two-run top of the third in which Kyle Overstreet, Mason Smith and Chris Baker led off the inning with base hits. Asuncion cashed in two batters later with a two-run single through the left side of the infield.

HOSTING VANCOUVER

After picking up their second series win of the season, the Dust Devils returned home Tuesday night to open a three-game set with the Vancouver Canadians (7-4).

Here are the probable starters for the series, with Vancouver’s pitcher listed first:

Tuesday: Dalton Rodriguez (1-1, 2.61 ERA) vs. Angel Mejia (0-0, 2.79 ERA).

Wednesday: Juliandry Higuera (1-1, 3.52 ERA) vs. Will Headean (1-0, 1.80 ERA).

Thursday: Patrick Murphy (1-1, 2.25 ERA) vs. Jordan Guerrero (1-1, 5.40 ERA).

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 8:57 PM with the headline "Asuncion providing consistency at the plate for Dust Devils."