Hops Weekly: Hops win series with help from Mother Nature

Hillsboro is getting good at going from feast to famine.

For the second straight week the home Hops have won the first three of their six game home sets, only to lose the remainder of the series’ games—along with the potential momentum generated from them.

In all, Hillsboro won three of the five games played against the visiting Ems, with the last of the scheduled six games being postponed due to rain.

The team continues to hit at bottom-tier Northwest League level, batting .222 as a team, placing them second to last in that category in the league. At the same time, they’re dominating the NWL in pitching, leading the league in ERA (2.90), hits allowed 344), earned runs allowed (140), home runs allowed (19), and opposing team batting average (.218).

At the end of the week, the Hops sit a game under .500 (24-25) and in fourth place in the Northwest League standings.

Organizational news and notes…Hops starting pitcher Spencer Giesting lowered his season ERA to just 0.94 this past week, and is one of three Hops starters with season-long ERAs under 2.00…Hops reliever Kyle Amendt continued his torrid stretch, lowering his ERA to 0.75, while striking out 27 and walking just two in 13.1 innings of work…Hops shortstop Jose Fernandez went 7-for-15 in four games this past week versus Eugene…Adrian Castillo and Tristin English combined to go 22-for-48 with three home runs and nine RBI this past week with Triple-A Reno…Reno’s Kyle Garlick went 9-for-26 with three home runs and seven RBI in his last six games…Former Hop Billy Corcoran started two games in Double-A Amarillo this past week, allowing one earned run and just three hits in 12 innings of work…Former Hop and West Linn High School product Tim Tawa is batting .266 with nine home runs in 44 games in Amarillo this season…Single-A Visalia outfielder Angel Ortiz hit .444 with a home run and five RBI over six games this past week…Former Hops shortstop Blaze Alexander is hitting .353 over his last eight games with the Diamonbacks.

The Hops travel to Spokane this week for six games against the first place Indians.

Below is the summary of last week’s action:

May 28 — Hillsboro 4, Eugene 1

The hits just don’t keep coming for Hops opponents who are averaging less than two runs-per-game over the team’s last seven games.

That trend continued in Hillsboro’s series opener with Eugene on Tuesday night, with Hops starter Joe Elbis dominating the Ems to the tune of a 4-1 win at Hillsboro Ballpark.

Elbis allowed one earned run while striking out eight in 6.2 innings of work, lowering his season ERA to 1.91.

Eugene starter Nick Sinacola was equally impressive, allowing no runs on just four hits in five innings of work, but the home Hops (22-23) jumped on reliever Kyle Cody to the tune of four eighth inning runs en route to their series-opening win.

Kevin Sim, Jack Hurley and Christian Cerda all had RBIs in the game, with Sim, Hurley and Gavin Conticello all tallying two hits.

Hillsboro relievers Alfred Morillo and Kyle Amendt were dominant in relief of Elbis, allowing just a single hit while striking out six over the game’s final 2.1 innings.

Amendt picked up his fifth save in the game, while lowering his season ERA to just 0.68.

Ems first baseman Zach Morgan was 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Eugene (24-21).

May 29—Hillsboro 3, Eugene 2

Two in a row.

Spencer Giesting has been virtually unhittable over the season’s first two months, and that didn’t change in a 3-2 win over Eugene on Wednesday night, May 29, at Hillsboro Ballpark, marking the second straight win over the rival Ems to start their six-game home series.

The 22-year-old lefthander allowed his first runs in four starts, but was still impressive, allowing two earned runs on seven hits, while striking out nine and walking one in seven innings of work against the Ems.

Giesting entered the game with the lowest ERA of any starter in the minor leagues, and left with a 0.94 mark for the season.

Offensively, the Hops got a home run from Jack Hurley, his fifth of the season, two hits from Jose Fernandez, and a game-winning single from Manuel Pena in the bottom of the seventh inning after Eugene had tied the game with two runs a half inning earlier.

The Ems outhit the Hops 9-7 in the game, but they say timing is everything and on this night it was, with Hillsboro stranding just five men on base opposed to nine for Eugene.

Zach Morgan and Andrew Kachel had two hits apiece for the Ems.

Daniel Blair took the loss for Eugene, in relief of starter Hayden Wynja who allowed two earned runs while striking out eight in six innings.

Listher Sosa notched the win for Hillsboro after closing out the Ems in the ninth, striking out two of his three batters faced.

May 30—Hillsboro 4, Eugene 0

The Hops scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning and that’s all they would need in a 4-0 win on Thursday afternoon, May 30, thanks to another dominating performance from starting pitcher Avery Short.

Short improved to 2-3 on the year and lowered his season ERA to 1.69, allowing eight hits while striking out five in eight shutout innings versus the Ems.

Jack Hurley singled home David Martin for the game’s first run in the third inning; Gavin Conticello later scored on a Eugene fielding error; then Hurley and Neyfy Castillo both scored on a Juan Corniel two-run single to center field to cap the scoring.

Will Bednar, a 2022 first-round draft pick by San Francisco, made his 2024 Eugene Emeralds’ debut, allowing a single hit while striking out three in two shutout innings.

Bednar was relieved by Jack Choate who allowed four runs—one earned—in four innings, taking the loss.

Andrew Kachel had three hits in the game for Eugene, while Alexander Suarez added two.

Jean Walters led the Hops with two hits.

With the win, Hillsboro improved to 24-23 on the season, marking just the second time the team has been above .500 since April 7.

May 31 — Eugene 4, Hillsboro 3

The Hops were three outs from a fourth straight win—then they weren’t.

Reliever Listher Sosa hit the first batter he faced after entering the game with a 3-1 lead in the ninth, then proceeded to allow three runs on three hits, ultimately leading to a 4-3 Emeralds victory.

Sosa’s blown save erased an otherwise impressive Hillsboro pitching performance, including starter Roman Angelo who allowed a single earned run on just four hits, while striking out seven in 6.1 innings of work.

Offensively, the Hops got runs in the second, sixth and seventh innings, and were led by Jose Fernandez and Andrew Pintar who had two hits apiece, while David Martin, Manuel Pena and Christian Cerda who all drove in a run.

June 1 — Eugene 10, Hillsboro 2

On the heels of the momentum the visiting Ems secured in a comeback win a night prior, Eugene tallied 12 hits—including at least one from everyone in their starting lineup—on their way to their second straight win in the series.

Diego Velasquez, Andrew Kachel and Alexander Suarez all had two hits for the Ems, with Suarez tallying three runs-batted-in.

Jose Fernandez and Manuel Pena each had two hits for Hillsboro.

Hops starter Ricardo Yan allowed just three hits over his three innings, but was done in by five walks and two errors in allowing five runs.

In all, Hillsboro tallied seven hits, but left 10 runners in scoring position.