Not good, not bad. That’s how the Hops’ series with Spokane feels after the fact.
With hopes of a Northwest League second-half title on life support, Hillsboro needed a dominating performance against the first-place Indians to make up the necessary ground to make a run over the season’s final stretch. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, as the home Hops managed just a split with Spokane, leaving them in third place and nothing shy of a miracle from that second-half championship.
Hillsboro’s pitching was dominant throughout the week, holding the visiting Indians to just a .189 team batting average over the six games.
Gavin Conticello and Tommy Troy both hit .348 over six games, but the week was highlighted by Jose Cabrera who pitched 8.2 innings of no-hit baseball before an error ended his no-hit bid, and a batter later Spokane’s only hit left Cabrera remarkably on the losing end of a pitcher’s duel with the Indians’ Yunjanyer Herrera.
Cabrera has allowed only two earned runs in has last five starts, including 34 innings.
The Hops host Vancouver in their final homestand of the season Aug. 27 through Sept. 1.
Organizational news and notes…West Linn native Tim Tawa was promoted to Triple-A Reno on Aug. 20, where he hit .375 with two home runs and drove in seven runs…Former Hop Wilderd Patino too was promoted to Reno this past week…Spencer Giesting allowed one earned run while striking out eight in six innings at Double-A Amarillo this past week…A.J. Vukovich batted .409 with two home runs and six RBI over six games in Amarillo last week…Third baseman Ben McLaughlin had eight RBI in five games with Single-A Visalia…Deyvison De Los Santos has batted .273 with seven home runs and 21 RBI at Triple-A Jacksonville since being traded from the Diamondbacks to the Marlins.
Here's a recap of last week’s games:
Aug. 20 — Spokane 11, Hillsboro 3
Better late than never, and that couldn’t have been more apt for a Spokane team that scored 10 runs over the last two innings en route to an 11-3 win over the Hops on Tuesday, Aug. 20, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
The Indians scored five runs in the eighth inning and another five runs in the ninth, blowing open a 3-1 game.
Spokane had 10 of their 12 hits over the game’s final two innings after struggling mightily against Hops starter Avery Short
Short threw six innings, allowing one earned run on two hits, while striking out seven.
Colorado Rockies 2024 first round and third overall pick, Charlie Condon, led the visiting Indians offensively, going 2-for-5 with a triple, three RBI and two runs-scored.
In all, Spokane had four players tally multiple hits in the game.
Victor Juarez started the game on the mound for the Indians and allowed three earned runs on seven hits, but was spelled by three relievers, Welinton Herrera, Sam Weatherly and Luis Amoroso who combined to allow just one hit over the game’s final three innings.
Two of Hillsboro’s three runs came on a Jose Fernandez two-run home run in the fourth inning.
Christian Cerda and Manuel Pena each had two hits for the Hops.
Aug. 21 — Hillsboro 4, Spokane 1
Hillsboro had eight hits and scored four runs Wednesday night, but it wasn’t their bats that led them, but rather the arm of Roman Angelo that did the bulk of the work in a 4-1 win over first place Spokane on Aug. 21, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Angelo allowed no hits in seven shutout innings, while striking out nine and walking two. He was just the second Hop to throw seven hitless innings in franchise history.
Reliever Yordin Chalas took over for Angelo and took the no-hitter to the ninth before giving up a leadoff hit to GJ Hill to start the ninth.
Offensively, the Hops scored two runs in the first inning and two more in the third, and were led by Gavin Conticello and Manuel Pena who had two hits apiece.
Gino Groover, Christian Cerda and Jose Fernandez all had RBI for Hillsboro, with Cerda driving in two.
Cerda also broke the franchise record for hits in a season, recording his 117th hit in the first inning.
Aug. 22 — Hillsboro 8, Spokane 2
Like in the series opener on Tuesday, Hillsboro took an early lead. But unlike Tuesday’s game in which Spokane surged back, it was all Hops in an 8-2 win over the Indians on Thursday night, Aug. 22, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Similar to his teammate a day earlier, Hillsboro starting pitcher Jacob Steinmetz baffled Spokane batters, allowing one earned run on two hits over six innings, earning the win.
In all, four Hillsboro pitchers allowed just two hits while striking out six, and at the same time walking eight.
Offensively, the Hops tallied 12 hits, led by Gavin Conticello and Juan Corniel who both notched three hits apiece.
Gino Groover had three RBI, two of which came as the result of his eighth-inning double.
Hillsboro scored four runs off of Spokane starting pitcher Michael Prosecky who took the loss after lasting just two innings.
With the win, the Hops pulled within six games of both the Indians and Vancouver who are now tied atop the NWL standings.
Aug. 23 — Spokane 7, Hillsboro 2
The Hops were looking to make it three out of four this week against Spokane, but the Indians had other thoughts and their pitching made those thoughts so in a 7-2 win on Friday night, Aug. 23, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Spokane used six pitchers in the game, with Carlos Torres earning the win.
Combined, Indian pitchers allowed two earned runs on six hits, while striking out 11.
Hillsboro starting pitcher Logan Clayton was good as well, allowing one earned run on two hits over four innings, but watched as relievers Alec Baker and new Hop, Jorge Minyety, combined to allow five earned runs over four of the final five innings.
Baker took the loss.
Cole Carrigg led the Indians offensively, going 4-for-5 with a home run, triple, four RBI and three runs-scored.
Carrigg has 12 home runs on the season.
The Hops were led by Manuel Pena who was 2-for-3 with a home run.
In all, Hillsboro left seven runners on base and was 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
The two teams will face off again at 7:05 p.m. this evening, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Aug. 24 — Spokane 1, Hillsboro 0
There are tough losses, then there was the Hops’ 1-0 loss to Spokane on Saturday night, Aug. 24, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Hops starting pitcher Jose Cabrera was one out away from nine no-hit innings and appeared to have gotten that out before a Kevin Sim error put Dyan Jorge on base. A batter later, Kyle Karros doubled to center field, scoring Jorge and ultimately winning the game for the visiting Indians.
The Hops loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth but failed to plate a runner after Jack Hurley struck out, Jose Fernandez flew out to right, and Manuel Pena ground out to Spokane pitcher Luis Amoroso.
Cabrera allowed a walk in the first inning and then retired 17 straight batters before allowing another walk.
Cabrera sadly took the loss despite allowing one hit and no earned runs over nine innings.
Spokane starting pitcher Yunjanyer Herrera was nearly as good as Cabrera over his seven shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out six.
Hillsboro finished with four hits, with Troy tallying three and Gavin Conticello notching the other.
Aug. 25 — Hillsboro 5, Spokane 4
Gavin Conticello to the rescue.
Less than 24 hours from a heartbreaking loss, the Hops got an eighth-inning two-run home run from Gavin Conticello to steal victory from the jaws of defeat in a 5-4 win in their series finale on Sunday, Aug. 25, at Hillsboro Ballpark.
Conticello was one of three Hops hitters in the top third of the lineup that accounted for six of the team’s nine hits in the game.
Tommy Troy, Junior Franco and Conticello combined to go 6-for-11 with three RBI and five runs-scored.
Spokane scored the game’s first run in the third inning, then added two more in the fifth before the Hops tied the game with three runs in the sixth.
The Indians took a 4-3 lead in the eighth on a Jesus Bugarin double, setting up Conticello’s heroics in the bottom half of the inning.
Avery Short started the game for Hillsboro and allowed three earned runs over five innings.
Five Hops relievers held Spokane to just four hits and a single run.
Bugarin and Charlie Condon had two hits apiece for the Indians.
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