Portland's Castillo Crushes Two in Pickles' Win over Pippins
WCL Yakima Valley Pippins

Portland's Castillo Crushes Two in Pickles' Win over Pippins

July 19, 2025 - West Coast League (WCL)
Yakima Valley Pippins News Release


YAKIMA, Washington - A one-run Pippins lead disappeared in the late innings Friday night after Portland Pickles pinch-hitter Luis Castillo corked two home runs to first tie the game and then extend the Pickles' lead. Portland took down the Yakima Valley Pippins 10-7 in the first regular-season game for both teams since the All-Star break.

In the top of the seventh, the Pipps clung to a 7-6 lead after allowing two to score the inning prior. After new Pippins arm Kade Hammer induced a flyout by Portland power hitter Josh Schleichardt, Pickles manager Mark Magdaleno gambled by bringing in another power bat, Castillo, in place of Nolan Stoll, who was 2-for-3 with two singles. The gamble paid off, as Castillo took a fastball from Hammer to the opposite field for a towering solo home run that traveled 389 feet, tying the game 7-7.

Portland and Yakima Valley entered the top of the ninth tied 7-7. Garin Gurtler entered in relief of Hammer, immediately allowing a Bryson Glassco single, followed by an error committed by Garren Gooler, who had entered the game on offense in the previous half inning. Josh Schleichardt, the West Coast League's leader in home runs and RBI, hit next, sending a hard line drive to Greg Luna at third. The throw across the diamond sailed high, allowing Glassco to score and Schleichardt to advance to second base, making the game 8-7. Castillo dug in next and did not miss a fastball from Gurtler, torching his second home run of the game, a two-run shot, 110 miles per hour off the bat over the left-field wall, providing the Pickles with two runs of insurance, 10-7.

The Pippins found themselves down 4-1 early in the game after allowing Portland to send eight batters to the plate and score three runs in the top of the third inning. In response, the Pipps sent nine batters of their own to hit in the bottom of the third. Six Pippins in a row reached base safely, including Jack Varney's leadoff walk, Dillon Anderson, Luna, Julian Angulo, and Kyler Bittner singles, and Zech Samayoa's fielder's choice. Five runs scored on six total hits, with Ethan Buckley driving in the final run of the inning on an RBI single to give the Pippins a 6-4 lead.

Yakima Valley extended the lead to three runs in the next inning. Varney started the offense with a triple to the left field pole after Portland's Braydon Wooldridge could not catch the line drive on a diving attempt. With one out, Luna would ground out to second base, bringing home Varney to make the score 7-4.

Portland's Nick Bacura earns the win in relief to improve to 1-0 this season, while Gurtler suffers his first loss of the season, allowing three runs in his lone frame of work.

The Pickles remain atop the overall WCL standings, now at 29-6, and are 8-2 in the second half, riding a five-game winning streak. The Pippins fall to 2-8 in the second half, and 9-28 overall, dropping their last three games.

Game two of the three game series is Saturday at 6:35 p.m. Tickets for the Surprise Saturday contest are available at www.pippinsbaseball.com/tickets, the only official ticketing link of the Yakima Valley Pippins.



West Coast League Stories from July 19, 2025


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