Jesus Bugarin knocks in go-ahead run in 8th, Spokane Indians edge Tri-City 7-6

Jesus Bugarin delivered a go-ahead RBI single in the eighth inning and the Spokane Indians edged the Tri-City Dust Devils 7-6 in the finale of a three-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Sunday.

The back-and-forth, slow-paced affair took an even three hours to complete.

Tied at six entering the bottom of the eighth, Skyler Messinger delivered a one-out single and was replaced by pinch-runner Tevin Tucker. Jean Perez singled through the hole on the right side to put runners at the corners, then Jesus Bugarin laced a single to left center to bring in the go-ahead run.

Cade Denton walked one in a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

Bugarin led four Indians batters with two hits apiece.

After being held scoreless Saturday, the Indians (10-5 second-half) jumped on Dust Devils starter Ryan Costeiu in the first inning. Braylen Wimmer hit a one-out double off the top of the wall in left field, then with two down Blake Wright’s single to left brought in the first run of the game – though Wright was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double.

Tri-City’s Cole Fontenelle hit a solo homer in the second, his third of the week, to tie it.

The Indians answered in the bottom half. Andy Perez led off with a single and went to second when Messinger was hit by a pitch. The runners moved up on a wild pitch, and Perez scored on a flyout. Bugarin reached on an infield single to put runners at the corners. Bugarin stole second but with two down Caleb Hobson looked a strike three to end the inning.

The Dust Devils (10-5) tied it in the third on a two-out single by Adrian Placencia and an RBI double from David Calabrese.

Indians starter Braxton Hyde, who started the season in relief but has been converted to starter after several promotions, turned in a solid outing through four innings, but ran out of gas – quickly – in the fifth as he approached his season-high in pitches.

Rio Foster led off the Dust Devils’ fifth with a triple, Hyde walked Arol Vera, then No. 9 hitter and catcher Juan Flores – hitting .173 this season – hit a no-doubt homer to the top of the screen above the left field wall to make it 5-2.

All told, Hyde surrendered five runs on five hits and a walk with four strikeouts over 41/3 innings. He threw 51 strikes among 80 pitches – 11 more than his previous season high in his last start.

The offense tried to pick up Hyde in the bottom half. With one down, Hobson drew a walk and went to third on a single by Wimmer. Tri-City went to reliever Sandy Gaston, who was greeted by Aidan Longwell with an RBI single, then Wright’s long fly ball to center plated Wimmer to make it a one-run game.

Back-to-back RBI doubles by Andy Perez and Messinger put the Indians up 6-5, and the Dust Devils switched pitchers again.

Tri-City evened it in the seventh when Vera led off with a double and came around on a single by Placencia.

The Indians host first-place Eugene (10-2) in a six-game series at Avista Stadium starting Tuesday at 6:35 p.m.