Hops Blank Ems, Now Two Up In South Standings

The Hillsboro Hops have owned the Eugene Emeralds the last two years except in the games that count the most. Trying to put the heartache of three straight seasons of playoff elimination behind them, the Hops slapped the cuffs on the Emeralds in game one of the biggest series of the season, blanking their rivals for the fourth time this year.
Connor Grammes and Marcos Tineo combined on a three-hit shutout, while Tristin English and Dom Canzone each homered as the Hops (16-10 second half, 40-24 overall) defeated the Emeralds 5-0 in the first game of a three-game series at P.K. Park in Eugene Tuesday.

It was Hillsboro's ninth shutout of the season, four of them coming against the defending NWL champions, who have beaten Hillsboro in the playoffs on their way to the title game each of the last three seasons. 
Hillsboro improved to 10-3 against Eugene (14-12, 30-34) this season and 17-7 combined the last two years in the regular season. But the Hops are just 1-6 against the Ems in the postseason the last three years and dropped two out of three games at P.K. Park back in July that would have solidified their chances at claiming a first-half North Division title.
Grammes, working three innings for the first time this season, pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the first with back-to-back strikeouts, retiring the final eight batters he faced. Tineo (6-2) picked up the torch, retiring ten straight before Grayson Byrd's one-out double in the seventh inning.
By then, the Hops held a 5-0 lead, scoring single runs in five of the first six innings. English went deep off left hander Didier Vargas (1-4) to lead off the third inning. Canzone launched his second Hillsboro home run and seventh of the year to right field off reliever Blake Whitney in the sixth. Liover Peguero added a pair of two-out RBI singles and Lyle Lin drove in a run with a base hit, coming just short of his first pro home when a deep fly ball down the left field line landed just shy of the fence foul in the fourth.
Tineo has had a hand in three of the last four Hops' shutouts and was the winning pitcher in four of them. He matched a season-high with eight strikeouts, walking none, while allowing just two hits as he pitched the final six innings of the game. Eugene had five total base runners and put runners on base in just two innings.
Tyler Holton tries to follow up two dominant winning performances as he takes the hill Wednesday night against the Emeralds. Yovanny Cruz will get the start for Eugene. Newest Hop Blake Walston, the 26th overall pick in the draft out of New Hanover High School in Wilimington, North Carolina will make his Hops debut on Thursday, getting the start on the mound in the series finale. Game time is 7:05 each night with pregame airtime at 7 p.m. on NBC Sports Northwest Rip City Radio 620 AM.