Speedball Special As Eugene Zips Past Hops

EUGENE, Ore. -- If Friday night's game had taken place the night before, it might have meant record beer sales at PK Park.

The Hillsboro Hops (4-10 2nd half, 39-40 overall) and Eugene Emeralds (7-7, 40-39) made it quick work on the diamond as the Ems needed just two hits to defeat the Hops 2-1 Friday. The game ended in less than two hours under bright sunshine on a day where the mercury fell just short of triple-digits. Had there been a fireworks show scheduled, it would have required a nearly one hour delay before darkness allowed.

The expected pitching duel that never materialized Independence Day was a day late. Both Eugene's Joe Whitman (2-5) and Hillsboro's Jose Cabrera (0-1) were in fine form, combining for 12 innings, five hits and no walks with 14 strikeouts. Each pitcher fanned seven without a free pass.

Cabrera, making his second start since coming off the restricted list for a PED violation, combined with Eli Saul on a two-hitter. Eugene had just three baserunners in the game, but left only one on base.

Cole Foster launched his first high-A home run to right center with one out in the second inning to put the Ems up 1-0. The Hops answered with an unearned run in the top of the third. A Foster throwing error put Jose Fernandez aboard. Then Whitman threw wide of first on an attempted pickoff, sending Fernandez to third base. With one out, Brett Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to center to even the score.

Eugene took the lead for good in the fourth, Speedy center fielder Jonah Cox singled, stole second, then advanced to third base when Bryce Eldridge pulled a grounder to first. Cleanup hitter Rodolfo Nolasco hit a slow chopper toward third with Cox breaking home on contact. Kevin Sim made a fine bare hand play to get Nolasco at first, but Eugene had a 2-1 lead and made it last.

The Hops did not have a hit until the sixth inning, when they loaded the bases with one out on bloop singles by Sim and Jack Hurley and a line single to right by Jean Walters. Walters ball was hit too hard to score Sim. Tommy Troy, last year's Diamondbacks' first round pick, came to the plate with a chance to tie the game or give Hillsboro the lead, but fanned against the former MAC Pitcher Of The Year Whitman, a Giants' compensatory round draft pick in 2023 making his fourth Eugene start. Whitman retired the cleanup hitter Neyfy Castillo on a harmless grounder to short to end the threat, ending his longest pro start after six innings.

Cabrera also pitched through the sixth in his second-best of eight Hillsboro starts since 2023. The Ems had only one baserunner after Cox's 4th inning single, when Zach Morgan walked with one out in the eighth against Saul, who fanned two over two hitless innings.

Nick Morreale pitched two scoreless innings on two hits with one strikeout as a bridge to Cam Cotter in the ninth. The Eugene closer carded his third save with a 1-2-3 inning, getting two groundouts to Foster and a strikeout.

Hurley singled and doubled in four trips to the plate, giving him ten hits this week. He was the only Hop to reach base twice. Walters extended his hit streak to nine games. Eldridge, the Giants #2 prospect, saw his eight-game hits streak end, but his fourth inning grounder to the right side set up the winning run.

The Hops and Emeralds wrap up the series at 5:05 p.m. Saturday before each team gets two days off. Pregame airtime on Rip City Radio 620 AM is at 4:50 p.m.