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NWL1 Hillsboro Hops

Hernandez K's 10, Hops Nip Sox 2-1

July 19, 2015 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


Hillsboro Hops Pitcher Carlos Hernandez
Hillsboro Hops Pitcher Carlos Hernandez
(Hillsboro Hops, Credit: Kevin N. Hume/Hillsboro Hops)

Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz? Meet Miller, Reed and Hernandez.

The latter trio is every bit to the 2015 Hops what the former was to the Braves of the 1990s.

Carlos Hernandez struck out 10 Everett batters in a 2-1 Hops win on Saturday at Ron Tonkin Field, and Hillsboro (18-12) now stands alone with the best record in the Northwest League. The Hops have a one-game lead on Salem-Keizer (17-13), and Eugene (16-14) is two games out. There are eight games remaining in the first-half pennant race.

Hernandez's 10 K's gives him 45 for the season, moving him past Miller (40) and Reed (40) for the Northwest League lead. His ERA has fallen to 1.70, fifth in the circuit. Miller (0.66) leads the league, and Reed (1.31) is third.

Hops catcher Jose Queliz belted a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third inning to give Hillsboro a 1-0 lead --- the 16th time in the last 19 games the Hops have scored first. Later in the inning Stephen Dezzi doubled home Zach Nehrir to make it 2-0.

And as it turned out, that was plenty for Hernandez and the Hops' bullpen.

Hernandez --- pitching in front of his father, visiting from the Dominican Republic, for the first time in three years --- didn't allow a baserunner into scoring position until the fifth inning. In that frame, Eugene had their best threat, after Jordan Cowan walked and Adam Martin singled. But Hernandez induced Connor Hale to bounce into a force play and struck out Braden Bishop to end the threat. In six innings, Hernandez allowed just three hits, no runs, with two walks to go along with the 10 strikeouts.

Lefthander Lawrence Pardo came on for the top of the seventh for Hillsboro, and uncharacteristically walked both hitters to face him. Righty Will Landsheft replaced him, and after a run scored on an error, Landsheft preserved the 2-1 lead by inducing Everett DH Drew Jackson to bounce into an inning-ending force-out at short.

Brody Greer worked a scoreless eighth, highlighted by Queliz picking off Everett's Corey Simpson at first base. And Ryan Burr, Arizona State's career leader in saves, earned his first save as a professional by retiring Everett in order in the ninth.

Hillsboro's team ERA dropped to 2.67, nearly a run better than the next-best team in the league.

The win came on the two-year anniversary of the Hops' franchise turnaround. In Hillsboro's inaugural season of 2013, they began 8-25. Since July 18, 2013, Hillsboro is 92-55, the best record in the Northwest League.

Game two of the five-game series is at 4:05 on Sunday. Righthander Jeferson Mejia (2-2, 3.52) --- coming off six shutout innings of his own in his last start --- takes the ball for Hillsboro. Lefty Luiz Gohara (1-2, 3.74) goes for Everett.

Sunday's radio pregame show begins at 3:35 on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.

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Images from this story

Hillsboro Hops Pitcher Carlos Hernandez
Hillsboro Hops Pitcher Carlos Hernandez
(Kevin N. Hume/Hillsboro Hops)		   



Northwest League Stories from July 19, 2015


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