Hops Sharp in Opening Night Victory

The Hillsboro Hops appeared to be in midseason form Friday night.
Kenny Hernandez pitched five shutout innings, supported by an early five-run cushion and the Hops played virtually mistake-free in a 5-2 victory over the Everett AquaSox in the Northwest League opener for both teams.

Tra Holmes put the Hops on the board with a two-run homer to left in the third inning and Joey Rose followed two batters later with a blast that cleared the protective netting about forty feet above the ground over the left field fence.
Rose added his second extra-base hit, a double to left-center with one out in the fifth inning, later scoring on Francis Martinez' two-run double to right-center.
Hernandez fanned six and did not walk a batter in his first start above rookie ball. The 19-year-old southpaw from Panama allowed just three hits and one runner to second base.
The Hops' infield was rock-solid behind Hernandez and spectacular in the case of second baseman Keshawn Lynch, who turned an athletic double play in the first and made two impressive sliding stops in the hole for outs in the second and third innings.
Hops' catcher Andy Yerzy, a second-round draft pick by the Diamondbacks in 2016, went 3-for-4 with a double and a run scored in his Hillsboro debut. Wesley Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning with a strikeout for the save.
Both Everett runs came on solo home runs off Luis Castillo. Jansiel Rivera went deep with one out in the sixth and Ryan Garcia led off the seventh with a shot to right field.
Everett starter Kane Roberts absorbed the loss, allowing all three runs and four hits in the third inning of his four-inning stint.
The Hops will send another teenager to the hill Saturday when 19-year-old righty Matt Tabor makes his Hillsboro debut against Everett's Carlos Hernandez (no, not the star of Hillsboro's 2015 championship season). 
Tune in for live coverage on Rip City Radio 620 AM beginning with the pregame show at 6:35 p.m. Saturday night.