AquaSox undone by 8 Dust Devils homers

Published 10:15 pm Wednesday, May 20, 2026

EVERETT — The Tri-City Dust Devils hit eight home runs Wednesday night, powering their way past the Everett AquaSox 12-4 at Everett Memorial Stadium in game two of the six-game series.

Seattle Mariners left-hander Gabe Speier made the start for the AquaSox (21-20), joining the team as part of a major league rehab assignment as he works his way back from left shoulder inflammation. The native of Santa Barbara, California, threw one inning, allowing three runs on three hits (two home runs) while collecting two strikeouts before departing the Northwest League baseball game.

“I felt good. Obviously, a little different pitching in a minor league setting, but the arm feels good,” Speier said. “The body feels good and I can’t complain.”

Looking ahead to his next rehab outing, Speier keyed in on wanting to mix in more offspeed pitches after hitting 96 miles per hour on the radar gun with his fastball.

“I thought I threw a lot of fastballs today,” said Speier. “Mixing in more breaking balls would be a good thing to do.”

Tri-City’s offense cleared the fences multiple times early on, hitting five home runs across the first three innings of the game to take a 7-0 lead. Caleb Bartolero opened with a solo home run on the game’s first pitch, and Juan Flores added a two-run homer to end the first inning’s scoring.

Aaron Graeber added a solo home run in his first Dust Devils (21-20) at-bat during the next frame, and Johan Macias hit a two-run homer to give Tri-City six runs after two innings. Ending the early home run surge in the top of the third was Flores, who hit his second homer of the game to score the night’s seventh run.

Ryan Nicholson hit the Dust Devils’ sixth home run of the night in the top of the fifth, providing his team a 9-0 lead. Flores doubled for his third extra-base of the game, allowing Nicholson to hit his third home run of the season. Macias raised his team’s run total into double digits in the next frame, hitting into an RBI groundout, and adding the seventh Tri-City long ball of the night in the top of the seventh was Randy De Jesus, who launched a solo home run to left field to make the lead 11-0.

Everett found the scoring column in the bottom of the seventh, plating three runs. Luke Stevenson walked and Felnin Celesten doubled to extend his hitting streak to 24 games, allowing Brandon Eike to open the Frogs’ scoring with a sacrifice fly. Contributing the other two runs was Matthew Ellis, who demolished a two-run home run to right field that traveled 425 feet.

Pinch-hitting in the top of the ninth inning, Jake Munroe belted the Dust Devils’ eighth home run of the game. Munroe’s big swing cleared the right field fence, setting Tri-City up 12-3. Additionally, he was the seventh different Dust Devils player to homer in the game.

Trailing by nine runs, the AquaSox added their fourth run in the bottom of the ninth as Carlos Jimenez hit into an RBI groundout. The Dust Devils ultimately secured their 12-4 victory, collecting a strikeout to end the game.

Herald writer Aaron Coe contributed to this report.