NWL: Rested Dust Devils return to the diamond

With only two scheduled days off during the Tri-City Dust Devils’ 76-game regular season — not counting the All-Star break — Tuesday seemed a perfect time for the players to have their first day without baseball since the season started.

The Dust Devils (14-11) just finished an eight-game trip away from Gesa Stadium in which they dropped three of five to the Hillsboro Hops and then managed to salvage the third and final game of another losing series up in Vancouver. Getting away from the diamond for a day should help refocus the young Tri-City roster, manager Ben Fritz said.

“Guys were getting a little tired, not surprisingly,” Fritz said. “They’ve been busting their butts, so it was a well-needed, well-deserved off day.”

What’s more, the Dust Devils opened a five-game series Wednesday with the Eugene Emeralds (17-8) — the top team in the Northwest League who have yet to lose a series. The Emeralds are 6-2 in July and just won four of five against the Everett AquaSox, who trailed the Dust Devils by a game in the North Division entering play Wednesday.

Heading through one of the rougher patches of the schedule, Fritz said it’s important that his players keep putting in the same hard work and preparation that earned them the division lead.

“It just takes reminders here and there. I mean, it’s easy in a long season with games every day to have your ups and downs,” Fritz said. “It’s easy sometimes just to go through the motions when you’re so used to the grind. It just takes a little wake up call, and you hope it comes before things get too bad.”

WELCOME THE CHAMP

Every week, new players and highly touted prospects join the fold for the Dust Devils. But the latest one to get added to the roster is the only one that’s a reigning world champ.

Padres 31st round draft pick G.K. Young was an integral part of the Coastal Carolina University squad that won the College World Series two weeks ago for the first time in school history. Young hit a double and a home run in the Chanticleers’ series-clinching, Game 3 win.

Young was born and raised 10 minutes from Coastal Carolina’s campus in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and said winning a title for the Chanticleers was unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

“That’s my hometown, (and) just to have that title under my name and know that I was a part of it is a great feeling,” Young said. “Those guys are some of my best friends, and I’ll never forget the time we spent together.”

Young started at first and batted sixth for the Dust Devils on Wednesday. He said he was excited to get his professional career underway.

ROTATING ARMS

New personnel and excelling bullpen arms allowed manager Fritz to change up the starting pitching rotation over the road trip, and he said the new order of the starters likely will be the norm for the foreseeable future.

Tim Berry made his second start in the Padres organization Wednesday night after being acquired via free agency a couple weeks ago, and fourth-round pick Joey Lucchesi made his first career start against Vancouver on Monday.

Berry’s first start had a rough beginning as he gave up a run on three hits to kick off the game against Hillsboro on July 8, but settled down and allowed just one more hit and a walk in the remainder of his three-inning appearance.

Lucchesi’s start on Monday against Vancouver was abbreviated, but he continued to show the dominance he has displayed out of the bullpen as he allowed just one base runner over three shutout innings to kick off a 4-1 win for Tri-City. Lucchesi is expected to pitch the final game of the series against Eugene on Sunday.

ON TAP

The Dust Devils will try to hold on to their one-game division lead during their five-game series against the Emeralds. All games are scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

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

Thursday: Patrick Murphy (LHP, 2-0, .41 ERA) vs. Emmanuel Ramirez (RHP, 3-0, 2.03 ERA)

Friday: Manuel Rondon (LHP, 3-0, 1.43 ERA) vs. Angel Mejia (RHP, 1-0, 2.45 ERA)

Saturday: Jesus Castillo (RHP, 2-0, 2.61 ERA) vs. Will Headean (LHP, 2-2, 6.55 ERA)

Sunday: Pedro Silverio (RHP, 1-1, 6.23 ERA) vs. Joey Lucchesi (LHP, 0-1, 3.00 ERA)

This story was originally published July 13, 2016 at 7:57 PM with the headline "NWL: Rested Dust Devils return to the diamond."