Blake Wright hot out of the gate after promotion, Spokane Indians down Tri-City 10-8 in 10 innings

PASCO – Blake Wright has made a immediate impact on his new team.

The 23-year-old third baseman went 5 for 5 with three runs the Spokane Indians outlasted the Tri-City Dust Devils 10-8 in 10 innings in the second of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Gesa Stadium on Wednesday. 

Wright joined the team on Tuesday, promoted from Low-A Fresno when Charlie Condon and Jared Thomas moved up a level to double-A Hartford. He has collected seven hits with two doubles and four runs in two games. 

It was tied 7-7 after four innings and it stayed that way until the 10th. 

With free runner Andy Perez at second, Wright doubled to the wall in center and Perez scored without a throw. Jean Perez doubled down the line in right, but Wright had to hold to make sure it wasn’t caught. 

Tri-City brought the infield in, but Capri Ortiz couldn’t handle Jesus Bugarin’s hot shot to short, and he beat the throw to load the bases. That brought up Darius Perry, whose soft liner to the right side got over the infield for an RBI single. Perez scored on a fly out to provide a three-run cushion.

In the bottom half, Indians reliever Bryson Hammer (3-0) balked Tri-City’s free runner Rio Foster to third, then Foster scored on a sacrifice fly. Indians manager Robinson Cancel went to the bullpen for Cade Denton, who struck out Juan Flores but walked Adrian Placencia and Ortiz to load the bases.  

The brought up Ryan Nicholson, and Denton got strike three on a back-door slider to end the game and notch his second save. 

The Indians (8-3) jumped on top in the first courtesy of Braylen Wimmer’s 12 home run of the season, a two-run shot. They added a run in the third when Wright singled and later scored on a wild pitch.

Tri-City (8-3) rallied for five runs in the bottom of the second against Indians starter Albert Pacheco. Cole Fontenelle hit his first homer of the season, a two-run homer, and later Placencia hit a two-run double. 

The homers kept coming for the Indians in the fourth, as Bugarin unloaded for a three-run homer, his second of the campaign, and Perry hit the next pitch out for his second. 

The Dust Devils tied in in the bottom half, when Perry’s back-pick attempt at third hit the runner and Ortiz gathered himself and trotted home. 

Indians starter Albert Pacheco lasted just two innings. He allowed five runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks with two strikeouts. He threw 60 pitches, 38 for strikes.