Eugene Hits Fourth Grand Slam This Season Versus Hops

Hillsboro, OR (August 21, 2022) – Nick Zwack made his third appearance for Eugene since being acquired by the Giants and struck out eight over five innings. Jordan Lawlar hit his first Ron Tonkin Field home run and Neyfy Castillo had a solo home run, the only runs Zwack surrendered in the game. Vaun Brown reached base five times and Luis Matos hit the second grand slam of the series for Eugene, in the 8-3 Ems win.

For the second game in a row, Vaun Brown led off the game with an extra-base hit. Yesterday, a triple, today, a double. Brown scored after an RBI single by Pomares, giving the Emeralds an early 1-0 lead.

The Hops got runs in the first two innings against Zwack on a pair of solo home runs. Jordan Lawlar hit his 11th home run to the Emeralds’ left field bullpen in the first and Neyfy Castillo hit his ninth home run to a similar spot in the second.

Jamison Hill put together three scoreless innings after allowing the run in first, but ran into trouble in the fifth inning. Emery and Wright both walked to start the fifth, when Vaun Brown tripled for his second extra-base hit of the game, clearing the bases and giving the Emeralds a 3-1 lead. Brown came in to score his 95th run of the season, which is good for second in all of MiLB, extending the lead to 4-2.

Hill lasted six complete innings for the third time in four starts, allowing four earned runs and striking out seven.

Conor Grammes came in to pitch the seventh and struggled to find the zone. The first four batters reached base on three walks and a hit-by-pitch, bringing up Luis Matos with the bases loaded. Matos, the Giants No. 3 prospect, hit his ninth home run of the season, a grand slam. That marked the Emeralds’ ninth grand slam of the season and fourth against the Hops (Brown, Glowenke, Luciano, Matos), with two coming in this series (Luciano, Matos).

Deyvison De Los Santos hit a ball 417-feet off the top of the fence in the power alley in left-center field, missing a home run by inches. The double brought home the Hops’ third run of the game.

Vaun Brown scored three runs and reached base five times on a double, triple and three hit-by-pitch. Three, is the most times one player has ever been hit-by-pitch in a Hops’ game. Luis Matos drove in five, including a grand slam, in the Eugene 8-3 victory.

The Hops (50-62) will hit the road to face Vancouver (58-51) at Nat Bailey Stadium in Canada this week. First pitch for game one of the series is at 7:05, with the pre-game show starting at 6:50, on Rip City Radio 620.