Hops’ Five-Run Ninth Not Enough

BOX SCORE

VANCOUVER, B.C. --- Down 6-1 entering the top of the ninth inning on Thursday night at Nat Bailey Stadium, the Hillsboro Hops plated five runs to tie the game, only to see the Vancouver Canadians score a run in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-6 win. The Canadians have taken the first three games of the six-game series.

The Hops’ ninth-inning rally began when Jarrod Watkins drew a one-out walk off the Canadians’ Will McAffer. Danny Oriente singled to left, and Lyle Lin walked to load the bases. Cam Coursey dunked one into shallow right-center to score the first run of the inning, but Lin was forced out at second base for the second out. Channy Ortiz then drove a two-run double to the right-center field power alley to cut the deficit to 6-4. Fox Semones fell behind 1-2, and hit a ground ball to short that should have ended the game; however, Hugo Cardona’s throw went into the Hops’ dugout. Ortiz scored to make it 6-5, and Semones went to second.

Juan Nunez came out of the C’s bullpen to replace McAffer, and Ryan Bliss jumped on Nunez’s first pitch, lining it down the left-field line for a two-bagger to tie the game. Caleb Roberts flew out to center to end the inning.

Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Christian Montes De Oca, who has lately become a solid late-inning option, came out of the Hops bullpen. Incredibly, Montes De Oca hit the first three batters he faced --- his first three hit batsmen in 10 innings this year --- to load the bases with no one out. Miguel Hiraldo tapped a 2-2 slider up along third, and with Steward Berroa --- one of the faster players in the minor leagues --- racing toward the plate, A.J. Vukovich had little chance. His throw was off line, and probably wouldn’t have been in time anyway. It was a single for Hiraldo, and the fifth consecutive win for the Canadians.

It was the first walkoff loss suffered by the Hops this year; by contrast, Hillsboro has seven walkoff wins at Ron Tonkin Field, four against Vancouver.

Hillsboro got on the board first in the top of the third when Ryan Bliss hit a short-porch home run to left. Vancouver answered with four runs (three earned) in the bottom of the inning. Hops starter Marcos Tineo gave up four singles and a walk to five consecutive batters, the key blow being a two-run single by Leo Jimenez. The Canadians added single runs in the fifth and sixth to build their five-run advantage heading to the top of the ninth.

Hillsboro (8-10) has fallen three and a half games behind first-place Vancouver (11-6) in the second-half playoff race.

Three games remain in the series, with day baseball on tap for Friday and Sunday. Friday’s game begins at 1:05PM, with pregame airtime at 12:50 on Rip City Radio 620AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.