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NWL Hillsboro Hops

Sosa Silences Hops in Opener

August 24, 2022 - Northwest League (NWL)
Hillsboro Hops News Release


VANCOUVER, B.C. --- In front of a near-capacity crowd, Andres Sosa hit a two-run, go-ahead home run in the seventh inning and the Vancouver Canadians bullpen polished off the Hops with two perfect innings in a 4-3 victory over Hillsboro (21-28 NWL 2nd half, 50-63 overall) Tuesday night in the first game of a six-game series at historic Nat Bailey Stadium.

The C's (29-19, 59-52), in the thick of a playoff chase with Spokane in the race for the Northwest Leagues second postseason berth, picked up a game on the Tribe, who fell 5-4 at Everett. Vancouver now leads the Indians by 1 ½ games in the overall standings and a full five games in the second-half standings. With Eugene leading the pack in the second half and winning yesterday, the overall chase stands as the more important number, although the Canadians only trail the Ems by 1 ½ games in the race for the second-half title.

Sosa, the C's starting catcher had an impactful night to say the least. He finished 3-for-4 and a triple away from the cycle and gunned down two Hops' base stealers from behind the plate.

Vancouver starting pitcher Abdiel Mendoza was wild, but effective, holding the Hops hitless, taking a 1-0 lead into the fifth. But his sixth walk of the night proved to be costly. After Hillsboro catcher Ramses Malave took his base, Hops newcomer S.P. Chen, who narrowly missed an extra-base hit in his first High-A at bat, scorched a single to left to put runners at first and second. Ryan Bliss blasted a double off the center field fence that was at most three feet from clearing the high wall. That plated Malave and tied the game. Caleb Roberts followed with a fly ball off reliever Matt Svanson that was misjudged by Vancouver right fielder Riley Tirotta. Tirotta initially charged in, then had to retreat and chase a ball that got over his head for a two-RBI go-ahead double and a 3-2 Hillsboro lead.

After the Canadians closed within one in the sixth on an Alex De Jesus one-out double and two-out RBi single by Gabriel Martinez, second baseman Miguel Hiraldo drew a one-out walk from Hops' reliever Justin Martinez (no relation) in the seventh. Sosa, who came into the game batting .381 in August and was 2-for-2 at this point, drove a 1-2 pitch into the Vancouver bullpen in left to put the C's up for good.

Svanson (3-2) pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for the win. Garret Farmer retired the side with two strikeouts in the eighth and Connor Cooke pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth save in six opportunities.

The Canadians outhit the Hops 12-5, but left 11 runners on base leaving the door open for a Hillsboro comeback. Roberts finished 2-for-4 at the plate, the only Hillsboro batter with multiple hits.

The Hops traveled to Canada without starting SS Jordan Lawlar, C Adrian Del Castillo, starting P Jamison Hill, closer Christian Montes de Oca and OF Jacen Roberson, all farmed out to other Diamondbacks' affiliates for the week. Hillsboro has added Fox Semones and Jarrod Watkins, each of whom played a handful of games with the Hops earlier in the season. Relief pitcher Collin Sullivan returned to the roster after rehabbing an injury that sidelined him in May and former Oregon State catcher Gavin Logan joined the team on Tuesday, the first of the Diamondbacks' 2022 draft class to earn an advanced-A roster spot.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 6:50 p.m. on Rip City Radio 620 AM.

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