Dust Devils' Pitching Silences Hops
Hillsboro, OR (April 30, 2023) – The Hillsboro Hops and Tri-City Dust Devils closed out their six-game set at Ron Tonkin Field on Sunday, with the Dust Devils needing a win to even the series. Tri-City got just that, as their pitching staff retired the final 16 Hillsboro hitters, en
Hillsboro, OR (April 30, 2023) – The Hillsboro Hops and Tri-City Dust Devils closed out their six-game set at Ron Tonkin Field on Sunday, with the Dust Devils needing a win to even the series. Tri-City got just that, as their pitching staff retired the final 16 Hillsboro hitters, en route to a 5-1 win.
Hillsboro pitching had a bullpen day, with Eli Saul making his second start as a Hop. Tri-City struck first in the second inning on an Osmy Gregorio RBI single, the only run allowed by Saul in 2.1 innings.
Jack Kochanowicz, the 92nd overall pick in the 2019 draft, made his fourth start of 2023 in the final game of the series. He was brilliant over six innings of work, allowing only one run in the fourth inning. Channy Ortiz’s RBI single in the fourth was the last baserunner of the game for the Hops.
Kochanowicz threw 75 pitches over six innings, allowing just four hits and zero walks. He was routinely hitting 98 MPH with the fastball in his first win of the season.
The Dust Devils bullpen combination of Burns, Jones and Caceres were scoreless over the final three innings without allowing a baserunner.
Listher Sosa was electric out of the bullpen for Hillsboro, pitching 3.2 innings and striking out five. Sosa didn’t allow a baserunner.
It was still 1-1 entering the seventh, when the Dust Devils took the lead. Gabe Matthews brought in both runs with a two-run homer that barely made it over the outstretched glove of Gary Mattis in right field. The Salem, Oregon native hit his first home run of the year and drove in his sixth and seventh RBI. The home run gave Tri-City a 3-1 lead.
Two more runs in the ninth gave the Dust Devils a four-run cushion. Joe Stewart had two hits and two runs scored in the game, including an RBI double in the ninth.
Both teams won three games in the series and the Hops will be right back at home next week against the Vancouver Canadians. Game one of the series is on Tuesday at 6:35, with the pregame show starting at 6:20 on Rip City Radio 620 and Bally Live.