Hops' O Woes Continue in B.C.
June 24, 2016 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
Not even a long bus trip and an injection of several new players could snap the Hops out of their recent funk.
Hillsboro (2-7) managed just four hits Thursday as the Vancouver Canadians defeated the Hops 4-2 in the opener of a five=game series at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Dalton Rodriguez (1-1) pitched into the seventh inning, striking out four with two walks. Three Canadians relievers combined to limit the Hops to a single hit and no runs over the final 2 2/3 innings with Jackson Lowery pitching a perfect ninth with two strikeouts for his second save of the inning.
Rodriguez departed despite throwing just 66 pitches. Griffin Glaude inherited two base runners after Matt Railey drew a one-out walk and Jeff Smith reached on a fielding error. Smith stole second and Railey scored when the throw from the catcher bouned off shortstop Yeltsin Gudino's glove. Glaude proceeded to fan Nic Coffman for the second out of the inning before walking Adam Walton. With the tying runs on the corners, Max Brown grounded out to end the threat.
Luke Lowery's eighth inning double was the last base runner the Hops would have. He would be stranded at third after a pair of groundouts.
One night after going 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, the Hops went 0-for-8 in Vancouver.
Neither team was sharp defensively. The Hops scored the first run of the game in the second inning when Luis Veras scampered home from third base after an errant pickoff throw to first by Rodriguez. Veras and Matt Railey had reached on back-to-back singles and Railey raced to third on the error. But Rodriguez struck out Jeff Smith and coaxed an inning-ending ground out from Coffman to quell the threat.
Vancouver took a 2-1 lead in the third on an RBI double by Cavan Biggio--son of Hall Of Famer Craig--and a run scoring fielders' choice. The Canadians extended the lead to 3-1 on a Jacob Anderson homer to left leading off the fourth inning.
Hops' starting pitcher Tyler Mark (0-2) pitched into the sixth inning, the first time a Hops starting pitcher had exceeded five. Mark, who allowed six hits and three earned runs, would depart after a pair of Hops errors led to another Vancouver run. The second-year pro from Los Angeles struck out seven with one walk. Southpaw Kirby Bellow came on with runners at second and third and one out and got the Hops out of the jam, while Jake Winston and Nick Blackburn came out of the pen to retire six of the seven batters they faced to close the game. The four Hops hurlers combined to fan nine batters with one walk and seven hits allowed.
Luis Veras, a 2015 Hop assigned to Hillsboro for the series, had two of Hillsboro's four hits. Anderson went 3-for-4 for Vancouver. Veras, Blackburn and Brown all played in their first game with the Hops, who also welcomed pitchers Dean Jackson and Curtis Taylor to the roster. All were assigned to Hillsboro from rookie-advanced Missoula in the Pioneer League. The Diamondbacks shipped outfielders Anferenne Grier and Billy Endris, along with pitchers Austin Mason and Jordan Watson to Missoula. Some will return to the club after the Vancouver series when the Hops return to U.S. soil.
Game two of the series will be a "Nooner At The Nat", with a 1:05 p.m. first pitch. Hear live coverage of the game on Rip City Radio 620 AM with the pregame beginning at 12:30 p.m.
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Northwest League Stories from June 24, 2016
- Giants Send First Set of Draft Picks to Salem-Keizer - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Hops Clobber C's 12-2 in Vancouver - Hillsboro Hops
- Hillsboro Hands Canadians 12-2 Loss On Friday Afternoon - Vancouver Canadians
- Emeralds Take a Swing at Pediatric Cancer - Eugene Emeralds
- Mariners Pitcher Rehabs Tonight - Everett AquaSox
- Compton Drives in Four in Game 1 Loss - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Hops' O Woes Continue in B.C. - Hillsboro Hops
- Canadians Back To Winning Ways As Hops Come To Town - Vancouver Canadians
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