No Love in the Glove, Hops Blow Lead in 9th
August 13, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
One night after sending a large chunk of a crowd of 6,000 fans home before the fireworks show, the Hillsboro Hops lit the fuse on a defensive stink bomb in the final few innings to spoil a masterful pitching performance by Joe Elbis
Despite just two hits on the night, the Spokane Indians capitalized on four Hillsboro errors in the final three innings, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a walk-off 4-3 win in front of another crowd of 6,000-plus at Avista Stadium Saturday night.
Elbis departed with a 1-0 lead in the seventh, but a hit batter and two Hops errors allowed the Indians to plate the tying run. Down to their final out in the top of the ninth, Junior Franco wrapped a home run around Spokane's version of the Pesky Pole in the right field corner for a go-ahead, two-run home run, putting Hillsboro up 3-1.
But in the bottom of the ninth, Eli Saul walked the first two batters. Light-hitting catcher Bryant Quijada put a bunt down to the third base side of the mound. The charging first baseman Jean Walters fielded the ball and threw toward first where the second baseman Manuel Pena was covering. The ball clanked off the 19-year-old infielders glove into the wide expanse of foul territory, allowing Parker Kelly and Robby Martin, Jr. to score, tying the game 3-3. Still nobody out, number nine hitter A.J. Lewis failed to get a bunt in play, but grounded a 3-2 Saul pitch to short as pinch-runner Jamari Baylor made a break toward third base. Juan Corniel fielded the ball with a chance to get Baylor, but his throw came up well short of the mark, skipping past third baseman Josh Day into the Hillsboro dugout to score the game-winning run.
The Hops outhit Spokane 6-2, but all four Indians runs were unearned on four infield errors. The four errors tied a season-high mark done twice before, the last time coming in a 10-6 home loss to Everett on June 23.
The loss means the Hops slip to six games back of the second-place AquaSox, who stormed from behind with multi-run rallies in the 9th and 10th innings to shock Eugene 7-4. The Indians took sole possession of fourth place in the Northwest League standings, breaking a tie with Hillsboro.
Both starting pitchers had outstanding nights. Spokane's Carson Palmquist matched a career-high with 10 strikeouts and only one walk over six innings, but had his shutout broken up by Wilderd Patino's second home run of the series, a one-out shot to right field in the sixth. The second-year lefty from the University of Miami allowed three hits over six.
Elbis completed six innings for the fourth consecutive start and also matched a career-high with eight punchouts, walking two with two hit batters. After plunking Kelly to open the seventh, Pena's throwing error at second on a potential double-play grounder ended his night. Carlos Meza came in to face Quijada and fielded a bunt with a chance for the force at third, but his throw bounced off Day's glove for an error to load the bases with none out. Kelly scored on Braiden Ward's grounder to short to tie the game, but that's all Meza allowed as he fanned Lewis and retired Benny Montgomery on a fly out to right.
Day made up for his error with a two-out single in the top of the ninth off Indians closer Angel Chvilli setting up Franco's dramatic, go-ahead homer, which extended his hitting streak to seven games.
The Hops will try to recover from Saturday night's punch to the gut and salvage a series split as they face the Indians at 1:05 p.m. Sunday. Pregame coverage begins at 12:50 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Northwest League Stories from August 13, 2023
- Everett Split Series in Eugene - Everett AquaSox
- Emeralds Take Series Finale Against AquaSox - Eugene Emeralds
- Hops Slug Way to Spokane Split - Hillsboro Hops
- Brown, Doughty Slug C's to Series Sweep - Vancouver Canadians
- Sox Tie It in the 9th, Win It in the 10th - Everett AquaSox
- Bewildered in B.C.: Dust Devils Clipped Again by Canadians - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Cardiac Canadians Do It Again to Win 8-7 - Vancouver Canadians
- No Love in the Glove, Hops Blow Lead in 9th - Hillsboro Hops
- Emeralds Drop Game 5 in Extra Innings - Eugene Emeralds
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