Scott Bandura is confident, Emeralds are too in yet another dramatic win

It wasn’t exactly the blueprint the Emeralds had in mind.

An early deficit. A recently brought-up reliever pitching late in a one-run game. A lineup scuffling to start the game.

But when it mattered most Friday night, in the Emeralds’ bid to win their second-straight win and build some momentum toward the last two games of the series they had exactly who they wanted at the plate.

Scott Bandura — or since he was recalled from San Jose — Babe Ruth.

In 53 plate appearances since being called up late last month Bandura has totaled 18 hits, good for a .339 batting average.

The rule, at least in the sectioned-off seats inside the many press boxes of minor league baseball, is to not overreact to the results on the field, that the young players are often not even really in the roles they’ll eventually fill on MilB diamonds.

But the individual assignment for Bandura Friday night against Hillsboro looked a lot like the one that has been presented for his future as the San Francisco Giant — hit in the clutch. And for the second time this series Bandura came through.

A day after blasting a three-run double in the eighth, Bandura came through again, lining a single in the seventh and providing the extra push the Emeralds would need to get past Hillsboro, 3-2 Friday night at PK Park.

“We’re confident,” Bandura said of the team’s approach late in games. “We know they are going to throw some good arms at us, but also know we have some guys too that can come through for us.”

“I had a tough start to the game,” Bandura who went 0-3 in his first trio of at-bats said. “And they had some good arms at the back-end of the bullpen who were throwing well. I knew he had a good splitter, but I told myself ‘don’t get beat by a fastball’ and I didn’t.”

The Emeralds allowed two runs in the second, via a homerun, the crowd groaning as the Emeralds struggled to start the game on the mound well. The detractors continued to murmur while supporters had to settle for moments such as a hit here and there, a throw out base runner and a clutch strikeout until Bandura’s go-ahead single was coupled by a Jonah Cox two-run triple to right.

Then they roared.

“Nothing else matters before that at-bat,” Bandura said. “Being able to help the team win despite a slow start and stay locked in and compete.”

A big-picture reminder that although the Emeralds’ odds of making the Northwest league playoffs may be low, there is already something that baseball always has in mind

But there were plenty of other tangible moments of success, ranging from Sluggo’s theatrics to a successful pink-out of the ballpark.

But Bandura’s second-straight day with a clutch hit proved paramount with the left-hander showing the Emeralds more of his prowess as their newly-minted everyday leadoff man.

“We feel like we are always in a position to win, gotta keep going.”