Boom to Bust: Record High to Record Low

SPOKANE, WASH. --- A franchise record for most hits on one night… and a franchise record for fewest hits the next? Yep --- that's exactly what the Hillsboro Hops accomplished over the last two games.
One night after notching a club-record 25 hits on Wednesday night at Salem-Keizer (which broke the previous mark of 20), Hillsboro matched the franchise-low with just two hits on Thursday in Spokane. (It is the ninth time in team history they've had just two hits.) Spokane took the series opener, 2-1.

On a 100-degree night in the Spokane Valley --- and after a long early-morning bus trip from Hillsboro --- the Hops' bats came out flat. Still, they had a chance to win.
Starting pitcher Riley Smith pitched out of jams in the first and third innings, and the game was scoreless going to the top of the 5th. Hillsboro loaded the bases with none out, but could only muster one run --- which came on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Bryan Araiza.
Smith allowed a two-out double to Spokane's Tyler Ratliff in the sixth, and Andretty Cordero singled him home to tie the game. Spokane scored the go-ahead run in the seventh off Smith, an unearned run which scored in part because of an error on Hillsboro third baseman Eudy Ramos.
The Hops could get nothing going against the Spokane bullpen, going in order in each of the last three innings.
Smith took the hard-luck loss. He allowed two runs --- one earned --- on three hits in seven innings, striking out three and walked none.
Hillsboro (12-10) has four more games on the road against Spokane (8-14). Friday's radio pregame show begins at 6PM on Rip City Radio 620AM.