Hops Take Early Flight to Playoffs
August 28, 2016 - Northwest League (NWL1)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
A full six days before a final regular season showdown with NWL-leading Eugene, the Hillsboro Hops already know their playoff fate.
Josh Anderson hit the Hops' second grand slam of the season, one of three home runs in an eight-run second inning, and Hillsboro (19-11 2nd half, 38-30 overall) held on to defeat the Boise Hawks 11-8 Sunday afternoon at Ron Tonkin Field. Even before Eugene's game vs. Salem-Keizer was completed Sunday night, the win eliminated both Boise (13-17, 29-39) and Salem-Keizer from contention and sent the Hops ahead in pursuit of a third consecutive NWL championship.
Colorado Rockies' first-round draft pick Robert Tyler (0-2) continued to struggle with his control, escaping the first inning despite two walks, a hit batter and a wild pitch. He would not make it out of the second inning, nor would the bullpen bail him out.
Tyler walked the bases full before being lifted for Austin Moore. Jason Morozowski followed with a sacrifice fly to score Connor Owings before Moore hit Mark Karaviotis with a pitch. That loaded the bases for Josh Anderson, who cleared them with a home run to left, his fifth of the season for the Hops and sixth overall. Then Luke Lowery turned on a 2-0 pitch and followed with his fourth homer of the year. Before the inning was out, Connor Owings had come back to the plate and jacked one out as well, his first as a pro, and the Hops had an 8-0 lead.
It would not be cruise control from there. Right-hander Ethan Elias, making his second rehab appearance after being assigned to the Hops from advanced-A Visalia, took over on the mound in the sevemth for Hops' starting pitcher Junior Garcia with the Hops leading 8-2. Garcia (4-1) allowed two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and walk. The Hops six-run lead vanished as Elias allowed five straight Boise baserunners on two hits, two walks and a hit batter. After hitting Tyler Follis with the bases loaded and walking Steven Linkous to force in another run, Elias gave way to Jake Winston, who inherited three baserunners and no outs. Tyler Orris greeted Winston with an RBI single and a bases-loaded walk to Garrett Hampson forced in yet another run. Now 8-6 Hops, bases still loaded and still none out, Willie Abreu grounded out to third plating Linkous and moving the tying runner to third base. Wesley Jones hit a grounder that pulled first baseman Alexis Olmeda off the bag, Winston covered first to get the out and Orris stayed at third base. Winston got Jacob Bosiokovic to ground out to short to preserve the one-run lead.
The Hops immediately bolstered their lead in the bottom of the seventh, again a walk and hit batsman factoring in the scoring. Hawks reliever George Thanopoulos walked Owings with one out and plunked Ben DeLuzio. Adam Walton lined a single to right to score Owings and DeLuzio scored on Morozowski's second sacrifice fly of the game.
The Hops added a run in the eighth on a Stephen Smith RBI triple, scoring Anderson who doulbed off Thanopoulos to lead off the inning. Boise had one last gasp, scoring a run in the ninth off Hop' closer Curtis Taylor on a Bosiokovic triple. But with the tying run in the on-deck circle, Taylor induced a groundout from Luis Castro to set off the postgame party.
Hillsboro outhit Boise 10-8 with two hits each from Anderson, Olmeda, Smith and Owings. Anderson drove in four runs and scored two, raising his NWL batting average to .330. Unfortunately, Everett's Eric Filia went 5-for-5 Saturday and had three more hits Sunday to raise his league-leading average to .353. Owings had his best day as a pro, scoring three runs with two RBI. The former right fielder for the national champion Coastal Carolina Chanticleers reached base four times on the afternoon.
Linkous and Orris each drove in two for Boise and Castro and Wilkyns Jimenez scored two runs each. It was not a great day for the pitchers. The two teams combined for 14 bases on balls and five hit batters.
The NWL playoffs are scheduled to begin on Wednesday, Sep. 7 but an official announcement of the league playoff schedule is forthcoming. The Hops will tune up with a five-game series at Spokane starting Monday night before hosting Eugene in a three-game playoff preview, beginning Saturday night at 5:03 p.m. at Ron Tonkin Field. Monday's series-opener at Spokane is at 6:30 p.m. with pregame airtime at 6:05 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Northwest League Stories from August 28, 2016
- Tejeda's Two Taters Not Enough in Tough 3-2 Loss - Spokane Indians
- Hops Take Early Flight to Playoffs - Hillsboro Hops
- Volcanoes Lose 14-9 in Shootout - Salem-Keizer Volcanoes
- Aces Wild as Indians Fall 9-3 in Front of Sellout Crowd - Spokane Indians
- Lemieux's First Win Evens Series with Boise - Hillsboro Hops
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