Adrian Placencia homers twice, Spokane Indians lose series opener at Tri-City 7-4

PASCO – Adrian Placencia hit two solo home runs and finished with three runs batted in as the Tri-City Dust Devils beat the Spokane Indians 7-4 in the opener of a three-game High-A Northwest League series at Gesa Stadium on Tuesday.

The Indians (7-3 second half) went 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and stranded 11.

Spokane led 4-3 when lefty Stu Flesland (Mt. Spokane High) took over in the sixth. With two down and one on, Randy De Jesus lofted a long fly ball to left-center that carried out for his 12th home run of the season. The next batter, Placencia, drilled a 1-0 fastball on a line over the wall in straight left for his second of the game and ninth this season to make it 6-4.

The Indians loaded the bases with two down in the eighth against reliever Jake Smith on a walk, hit by pitch and infield single. Smith recovered to strike out Aidan Longwell to end the rally.

Tri-City (8-2) added a run in the eighth against reliever Hunter Mann, who walked the first two batters he faced and loaded the bases with no outs. The run scored on Placencia’s sacrifice fly.

The Indians took the lead in the first on Braylen Wimmer’s two-run homer, his 11th of the season. Tri-City tied it in the bottom half on Matt Coutney’s 11th homer of the season.

Placencia hit a solo shot in the second to put the Dust Devils up 3-2, but the Indians scored twice in the fourth – the big blow coming on Tevin Tucker’s RBI double.

The series continues Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

Transactions: The Indians announced earlier in the day OF/CI Charlie Condon and OF Jared Thomas were promoted to Double-A Hartford. In a corresponding move, 3B Blake Wright was promoted from Low-A Fresno to the Indians.