Hops' Bullpen Loses Late Lead at Tri-City
Published on September 4, 2025 under Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
PASCO, WASH. - One night after pounding out 17 hits at Tri-City, the Hops mustered just seven hits --- five of them singles --- in a 6-4 loss to Tri-City on Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium. Hillsboro took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the sixth, and a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the seventh, and in each case the Hops' bullpen let it get away.
Neither starting pitcher had much working. Tri-City's Chris Cortez --- the Angels' second-rounder in 2024 out of Texas A&M --- walked three straight batters to load the bases with one out in the first inning. With two out, Hops right fielder Anderdson Rojas hit a grounder to short. Capri Ortiz hesitated briefly, unsure whether to go to second or first; the hustling Rojas beat his throw to first and the Hops led 1-0. Ruben Santana then hit one toward the hole, and Ortiz couldn't get the ball out of his glove, and the inning's second run came home on the error. And when Adrian De Leon was struck by a pitch to force home a third run, Cortez's night came to an abrupt end. Sandy Gaston got the final out to prevent further damage.
The Hops' David Hagaman, their best starter in the wake of Daniel Eagen's promotion to Double-A, didn't have his typical command, either in or out of the zone. Anthony Scull homered to right field leading off the bottom of the first, and after Ortiz was struck by a back-foot slider, Rio Foster doubled him home to cut the Hops' lead to 3-2. Hagaman hit another batter later in the first inning (his three hit batsman in his two and two-thirds innings were the first three of his brief pro career) but he escaped by inducing Mitchell Daly to ground out to end the inning. He pitched around a leadoff walk in the second, and after a hit batter and a walk in the third, he was lifted with two out.
Jake Fitzgibbons, the Hops' only effective reliever on Wednesday, got the final out of the third and worked a scoreless fourth.
The score remained 3-2 going to the bottom of the sixth, as Gaston and Keythel Key kept the Hops' offense quiet.
Daly hit an opposite-field homer off Lorenzo Encarnacion leading off the sixth to tie the game, but the Hops got the lead back in the top of the seventh. Druw Jones led off the inning with a walk, and with two out, Junior Franco singled to center to bring him home.
Hillsboro's 4-3 lead was short-lived. Right-hander Teofilo Mendez, making his second appearance of the year following a spring training rotator cuff injury, walked Foster to start the bottom of the seventh. Adrian Placencia sacrificed Foster to second, and then Foster stole third. Randy DeJesus --- who was 0 for his last 23 --- singled to right to tie the game. After DeJesus stole second with two down, Devils catcher Peter Burns hit a seeing-eye ground ball up the middle to bring DeJesus home with the go-ahead run.
An inning later, still leading 5-4, Tri-City loaded the bases with none out against Hops righty Ricardo Yan. Although just one run scored (on a wild pitch), the Dust Devils had an insurance run and took a 6-4 lead to the top of the ninth.
Hillsboro had a golden opportunity. Tri-City reliever Carlos Espinosa --- who had pitched around a leadoff walk in the eighth by striking out the next three batters --- walked Jones with one out in the ninth. Torin then grounded a single up the middle, and a wild pitch put runners at second and third.
With the tying runs in scoring position, Hillsboro had Jansel Luis at the plate and Franco on deck, two of the league's better hitters. Espinosa, however struck both of them out to end the game and pick up his second save. Key got the win.
The Hops, who for the season are averaging just 7.5 strikeouts per game (fifth best of 120 minor-league clubs), whiffed 14 times on Wednesday.
Luis went 0-for-4, dropping his batting average to .303 and damaging his slim hopes of a batting title.
There are only four games remaining in the season. Thursday's third game of the six-game series will begin at 6:30PM, with the radio pregame show beginning at 6:15 on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.
Northwest League Stories from September 4, 2025
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- Canadians Homer Three Times in 8-2 Win - Everett AquaSox
- Early Deficit No Struggle for Tri-City in Comeback Win over Hillsboro - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Hops' Bullpen Loses Late Lead at Tri-City - Hillsboro Hops
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