EVERETT — Seattle Mariners reliever Steve Cishek made his second rehab start Wednesday as the Everett AquaSox played host to the Tri-City Dust Devils.

Cishek threw 21 pitches in Wednesday’s outing, including 10 fastballs, nine sliders and two changeups. He allowed three hits – all on fastballs – and a pair of runs in one inning of work.

“Today I was just trying to work on getting my fastball down and away,” said Cishek, who tallied a pair of strikeouts, both on sliders. “As you can see, it didn’t really work out too well. Everything was kind of middle (of the plate). It’s kind of a work in progress. It felt better.”

Nate Easley led off the game with a bloop single to right and Chris Baker collected an infield single that glanced off Cishek’s glove. Kyle Overstreet lined a ball solidly up the middle with two outs to score Baker and Easley for a two-run lead.

Cishek finished his day by throwing another half-dozen or so pitches in the bullpen before heading to the locker room. He’s eligible to come off the disabled list, but said he isn’t sure what his timetable is to return to Seattle.

Viehoff settles down

Everett starter Tim Viehoff walked four batters in the first inning of Tuesday’s game to force in a run. But he was able to settle down and did not allow another baserunner in his final three innings to finish with four no-hit innings as the AquaSox went on to defeat Salem-Keizer 6-1 and win the series three games to two.

“Last night I was trying to be too precise and I wasn’t pitching; I was trying to locate too much and just trying to be too pretty,” Viehoff said. “When I came out of the first inning and regrouped and came out for the second I just said, ‘Whatever, I’m just going to throw.’ And when you just throw and are super-aggressive that’s when everything comes together.”

Viehoff, a lengthy lefty from the University of Southern New Hampshire, saw his ERA drop to 2.97. He has a team-best 48 strikeouts in 33 ⅓ innings this summer.

“My delivery is deceptive so hitters don’t see it until the very last moment,” said Viehoff, whose high leg kick helps disguise a fastball that tops out in the low 90s. “It just seems a lot harder than it is.”

Danny Garcia took over in the fifth inning to pick up the win as he scattered three hits and struck out three to close out the victory for the Frogs.

“(Garcia was) very economical with his pitches – no iffy innings,” Everett manager Rob Mummau said. “He was great. A lot of outs with three pitches or less. He did another wonderful job.”

Venturino in an “Empire State of Mind”

Everett AquaSox infielder Joe Venturino changed his walkup music prior to Tuesday’s game and he’s mighty glad he did.

Venturino finished 3-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a walk as the AquaSox knocked off the Volcanoes.

His choice? “Empire State of Mind,” by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, a homage to New York City.

“I wanted to get a song that kind of has me in it,” said Venturino, who hails from the NYC borough of Staten Island. “It’s a great song and it’s where I’m from.”

Tri-City series has playoff implications

The Tri-City Dust Devils are tied with the Spokane Indians for second place in the Northwest League North Division second-half standings behind the AquaSox.

Everett entered Wednesday’s game with a five-game lead, meaning this three-game series is the Dust Devils’ best opportunity to climb back in the race.

“Everybody knows where we’re at,” Mummau said. “We’re in first place and all the players know that. We don’t put too much stress on which team we’re playing. But we try to take the same approach no matter who it is.”

Notes: Everett outfielder Eric Filia is back on top of the NWL batting crown race with a .346 average. He’s also first in on-base percentage (.443), tied for first in hits (63) and RBI (34), third in total bases (88) and walks (33) and fourth in slugging (.484). Utility man Nick Zammarelli is tied for sixth in hitting (.311)… Infielder Bryson Brigman is second in runs scored (38).

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