Ivan Melendez Ties HR Record in Hops’ Loss

PASCO, WASH. (June 28, 2023) --- Hillsboro corner infielder Ivan Melendez belted his 15th home run of the season on Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium --- matching the Hops’ single-season record set by A.J. Vukovich last year --- but Hillsboro fell 3-2 to Tri-City in the opener of a six-game series.

The Hops let a golden opportunity get away in the top of the first inning. Channy Ortiz led off the game by lofting a shallow fly ball to center, and Tri-City shortstop Arol Vera and center fielder D’Shawn Knowles collided. The ball popped out of Vera’s glove and Ortiz ended up at third base with a triple. (Both players involved in the collision were slow to get up, particularly Vera, but both stayed in the game.) Manuel Pena struck out, but reached base on a wild pitch, with Ortiz staying at third base.

But with runners at first and third and nobody out, 19-year-old Tri-City starter Caden Dana --- one of the younger starting pitchers in the Northwest League --- was unbothered. He struck out Melendez looking on a curveball, then induced J.J. D’Orazio to bounce into an inning-ending double play.

Then, in the bottom of the first, after a walk and a single, Vera drove home two with a base hit to center, and the Dust Devils led 2-0.

Tri-City added a run in the fifth on a solo homer by leadoff man Joe Stewart, his second of the season. Hops starter Joe Elbis allowed three runs (all earned) on four hits in five and two-thirds innings, and the Hops’ bullpen combo of Logan Clayton and Listher Sosa combined to toss 2.1 innings of shutout baseball.

But Hillsboro couldn’t get to Dana. He worked six shutout innings, allowing just three hits, with two walks and seven strikeouts.

The Hops got on the board in the seventh against reliever Willian Suarez. D’Orazio doubled, and with one out, Jesus Valdez singled him home. Shane Muntz drew a walk, and with the tying runs on base, Tri-City turned to Emilker Guzman. He struck out Brett Johnson and Kevin Vicuna to end the threat.

Melendez hit his homer with two out in the eighth, a tape-measure shot to left-center, cutting the Devils’ lead to 3-2. Melendez has 15 home runs in 188 at bats --- one per every 12.53 at-bats, among the leaders in minor-league baseball. (When Vukovich hit his 15 home runs last season, he did so in 424 at-bats, one per 32.27 AB.)

Ortiz made a highlight-reel catch in left field in the bottom of the eighth. Tri-City’s Adrian Placencia lifted a fly ball down the left-field line, and Ortiz made a full lay-out diving back-hand grab to rob Placencia of extra bases.

Hillsboro got the tying run on base leading off the top of the ninth when Gary Mattis Jr. singled to right, but after Valdez struck out, Mattis was picked off first by the Dust Devils’ Roman Phansalkar.

Muntz battled Phansalkar for 10 pitches, but popped out to third base to end the game.

Tri-City and Hillsboro are both 1-3 in the season’s second half.

Game two of the six-game series takes place on Wednesday night at 7:05, with pregame airtime at 6:50 on Rip City Radio 620 AM and www.RipCityRadio.com.