Power Surge at Spokane Snaps Hops' Losing Streak
May 12, 2023 - Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release
The Hillsboro Hops beat the top slugging team in the Northwest League at their own game Friday night.
In front of a fireworks crowd of 5,839, Hillsboro (11-20) lit up the night sky with a season-best three home runs on the way to an 8-3 win over the Spokane Indians (15-13) at Avista Stadium.
The Hops scored seven unanswered run after Spokane took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning with Ivan Melendez capping the scoring with his third big fly in as many games. Meanwhile, the Tribe, who had hit 11 homers in the first three games of the series, were kept in the yard on Friday
Down 3-2 in the fifth, Channy Ortiz gave the Hops the lead for good with a 2-run shot to right field off Indians starting pitcher Victor Juarez (2-1), who had earlier surrendered a solo shot to Shane Muntz in the second inning. The Hops would put the game away in the sixth with a four-spot, capped by a two-out, three-run Melendez blast.
The Indians had responded to the Muntz bomb with a three-run third inning, taking advantage of a dropped third strike that put Yanquiel Fernandez aboard with one out. After a Juan Guerrero double and a walk to A.J. Lewis, another pitch eluded Hillsboro catcher J.J. D'Orazio, plating Fernandez. Ben Sems drove in two more with a base hit and Aiverson Rodriguez, making his 2023 debut, followed with another single. With five consecutive runners on base and still only one out, it seemed as if another big inning would spell the end for another Hops starting pitcher. But southpaw Spencer Giesting composed himself and retired Braiden Ward on strikes before inducing an inning-ending fielder's choice from Spokane's top prospect, 20-year old shortstop Adael Amador.
With that threat subsided, Giesting faced the minimum over the next two innings, helped by a pair of double plays, to become the first Hillsboro starting pitcher to pitch into the fifth inning this week.
In the sixth, Hillsboro put the game out of reach. After Ortiz drove in his third run of the night with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly following consecutive singles by Josh Day, Jacen Roberson and Wilderd Patino, Melendez followed with a no-doubt shot into the netting in left center, extending his current hitting streak to six games and his home run streak to three.
The Hops bullpen took care of the rest, tossing four innings of scoreless relief to provide Giesting (1-1) with his first professional victory. The second-year pro out of the University of Charlotte surrendered three runs, two earned, on seven hits through five innings with five strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter. Gerald Ogando followed in the sixth, but did not have his usual precise command, walking the bases full around a pair of strikeouts. Lefty Will Mabrey bailed him out by retiring Fernandez on a scorching line drive to S.P. Chen, the second baseman playing the lefthanded slugger hard to pull in perfect position to catch the rope.
Mabrey and Carlos Meza combined to retire 10 of the final 11 Spokane batters.
D'Orazio went 3 for 5 with an RBi, Ortiz had a double to go with his home run, scoring twice along with three RBI and Wilderd Patino had his third consecutive multi-hit game, going 2 for 5 with two runs scored.
The Hops outhit Spokane for the second consecutive night, and with 11 hits, put up a double-digit hit total in back-to-back games for the first time this season. The 23 hits and 18 runs combined on Thursday and Friday are the best two-day offensive total of the season for Hillsboro.
Four Hops pitchers combined to hold Spokane to eight hits, the first time they have been held under 10 hits in the series. The Indians were 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Fernandez continued his hot streak with two hits and a run scored. Guerrero has also hit safely in all four games of the series after going 2 for 5. Sems had a 2 RBI single for the second straight night.
Game five of the series is at 5:09 p.m. Saturday. Pregame coverage begins at 4:55 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
Northwest League Stories from May 12, 2023
- Power Surge at Spokane Snaps Hops' Losing Streak - Hillsboro Hops
- Emeralds Drop Game 4 Against the Dust Devils - Eugene Emeralds
- Wallace Unhittable, Canadians Cruise to Win, 10-2 - Everett AquaSox
- C's Stay Hot in Sun-Splashed Friday Win - Vancouver Canadians
- Indians Win First Three vs. Hops, Weekend Includes Fireworks & Family Feast Night - Spokane Indians
- Tirotta 7 RBI, Canadians Rout Sox 13-1 - Everett AquaSox
- Tribe Prevails in Epic Plunkfest - Hillsboro Hops
- Offense Explodes for 13 Runs in C's Rout - Vancouver Canadians
- Bunters Are People Too: Viñeros Lay It Down, Walk It Off - Tri-City Dust Devils
- Emeralds Drop Game 3 Against the Dust Devils - Eugene Emeralds
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