Emeralds Spoil Hernandez's Spotless Start
July 3, 2015 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
HILLSBORO, OR - On a hot night in the Tualatin Valley, a couple pitchers came to play. The bats would be left in the dugout for a majority of the evening as Hillsboro starter Carlos Hernandez and Eugene starter Oscar De La Rosa engaged a beautiful pitcher's duel. When all was said and done, the Emeralds squeaked out enough offense to steal the second game of the series, 2-1 in 11 innings.
Hillsboro (7-8) had a great chance to win the game, and were given that opportunity courtesy of Carlos Hernandez. The diminutive Dominican right-hander would throw seven shutout innings, allowing just three hits and three walks while fanning ten.
The Hops had staked him to a 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Zach Nehrir doubled to left field, and came around to score on a two-out Stephen Dezzi single. Nehrir would double again in the 8th, and holds a .375 batting average, second highest in the Northwest League.
Eugene (9-6) would stay in striking distance while Hernandez shined. Emeralds' starter Oscar De La Cruz threw six innings of one-run ball, and struck out nine while walking just one. He pitched well enough to give his team a chance to pull the game out late.
Lawrence Pardo, Brody Greer and Ryan Burr would scrape together a scoreless eighth inning, and Burr was given the assignment of preserving the one-run advantage in the ninth.
Chicago Cubs' 2015 1st round selection Ian Happ would lead off the top of the 9th with a walk, and move to second on a groundout by Cubs' 2015 2nd round selection Donnie Dewees. Down to their final out, Blake Headley stroked a single past a diving Fernery Ozuna to plate the tying run.
The two teams traded a scoreless 10th inning. Then, with Hops pitcher Kevin Landsheft was faced with Eugene's murderer's row, the winning run was tallied. Happ would launch a solo home run over the batter's eye in dead center field, his fourth of the season.
Hillsboro came to bat in the bottom of the 11th trailing by a run, and couldn't conjure any magic. The Hops fell 2-1, and will have to win the series finale to stave off the sweep.
Eugene and Hillsboro will do it one more time tomorrow night at Ron Tonkin Field. First pitch is at 7:05 PM, with pregame show at 6:35 on Rip City Radio 620 AM and at www.ripcityradio.com.
Northwest League Stories from July 3, 2015
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- Canadians Fall 17-2 on "Dog Day of Summer" - Vancouver Canadians
- Boise Bests Volcanoes 6-4 to Even Series - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Emeralds Spoil Hernandez's Spotless Start - Hillsboro Hops
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