Unlucky 31: Hops Blown Out For First Time

It had to happen at some point, didn't it?

The Hillsboro Hops --- in their 31st game of the season --- saw their pitching staff struggle worse than in any game all year in a 14-6 loss at home to the Everett Aquasox. The team's previous high for runs allowed had been eight, and only four times in the previous 30 games had the team allowed more than six runs. Hillsboro's remarkable staff ERA of 2.67 climbed to 3.04.

Even with the loss, Hillsboro (18-13) matches Everett (18-13) for the best record in the Northwest League. At time of posting, Salem-Keizer (17-13) was a half-game behind the Hops in the South Division, pending the outcome of their game at Tri-City. Eugene (16-15), which was blown out 16-5 at Vancouver earlier today, is two games out. The Hops have seven games remaining in the first-half pennant race.

Things began ominously for the Hops. Starting pitcher Jeferson Mejia issued three free passes --- two walks and a hit batsman --- to load the bases with nobody out in the top of the first. Everett's Corey Simpson singled home a run, and one out later, Yojvan Quevedo had a sacrifice fly to give the Aquasox a 2-0 lead.

Things might have gotten better in the second inning, but after a leadoff double by Everett's Ryan Uhl, Mejia fielded a sacrifice bunt and double-clutched prior to his throw to third base. He lost a chance to get the lead runner, and may have lost some composure. After two singles, another hit batter, a ground out and another single, Mejia was lifted from the game. He was charged with seven runs, all earned, in an inning and a third, and after two frames, Everett led 7-0.

Hillsboro got one back in the bottom of the third on a one-out triple by Fernery Ozuna and a passed ball. And they had another opportunity in the fifth when Jeff Smith and Jose Queliz each singled to begin the frame, but Everett starter Luiz Gohara retired the side from there without incident.

Troy Marks pitched well in relief of Mejia, but ran out of gas in the top of the sixth after 3-2/3 innings. With one out, he allowed a walk and two singles, and Ariel Hernandez was summoned from the Hillsboro pen. He faced five batters, allowing hit batter, a walk, two singles, and a bases-clearing double by Quevedo. When the dust settled on the inning, Everett had plated seven more runs for a 14-1 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, Hops DH Nate Irving had an RBI ground-out and Jeff Smith had a run-scoring double to make it 14-3.

The only drama for the remainder of the game surrounded Hops outfielder Zach Nehrir: would he get a hit to extend his hitting streak to 10 games? The baseball gods smiled on Nehrir in the bottom of the ninth. He was 0-for-3, and Hillsboro needed three base runners in the inning to give him one more shot to extend the streak. Nate Robertson, Sergio Alcantara and Josh Anderson all singled, and when Stephen Dezzi beat out a potential game-ending double-play ball, Nehrir had his chance. He promptly yanked a 3-1 pitch into the left-field corner for his league-leading 11th double, scoring two and making it 14-6. His 10-game hitting streak matches Stryker Trahan and Jordan Parr (both in 2014) for the third-longest in franchise history. Steve Nyisztor (15 games in 2014) and Kevin Cron (14 games in 2014) are ahead of Nehrir.

The Hops square off against Everett at Ron Tonkin Field in Hillsboro in the third game of the five-game set on Monday at 7:05. The radio pregame show on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com begins at 6:35 PM.