A bad hop, some bad walks and a few well-timed hits led to an eight-run first inning for the Hillsboro Hops in Everett on Saturday night, as they notched a 12-4 win in the season's third game.Everett starter Cody Mobley --- coming off a flexor tendon injury --- was making
A bad hop, some bad walks and a few well-timed hits led to an eight-run first inning for the Hillsboro Hops in Everett on Saturday night, as they notched a 12-4 win in the season's third game.
Everett starter Cody Mobley --- coming off a flexor tendon injury --- was making his first appearance of the year, and just his second since 2015. Billy Endris earned an eight-pitch walk off Mobley to begin the game, and Yan Sanchez then dumped a single in to center. Eudy Ramos came up for the Hops --- three batters into the game, and it turned out to be the biggest play of the night.
EVERETT, WASH. --- A bad hop, some bad walks and a few well-timed hits led to an eight-run first inning for the Hillsboro Hops in Everett on Saturday night, as they notched a 12-4 win in the season's third game.
Everett starter Cody Mobley --- coming off a flexor tendon injury --- was making his first appearance of the year, and just his second since 2015. Billy Endris earned an eight-pitch walk off Mobley to begin the game, and Yan Sanchez then dumped a single in to center. Eudy Ramos came up for the Hops --- three batters into the game, and it turned out to be the biggest play of the night.
Ramos bounded what looked like a sure-fire double-play ball to short. The ball exploded in front of Everett's Joseph Rosa, going over his head for a single. When the dust had settled, a run was home and runners were at first and third with none out. Kyle Smith was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Mobley walked Luke Lowery to force home the second run, and Bryan Araiza flared a hit to left to bring home another.
With the Hops leading 3-0, Mobley struck out Paxton De La Garza and Stephen Smith. He'd thrown 34 pitches at that point, and was removed by manager Jose Moreno in favor of Jose Santiago.
Santiago wasn't much better, walking Connor Owings and Endris, each bringing home a run and making it 5-0. Sanchez came up again and yanked one down the left field line for a two-run double, with a third run scoring on the play on an error by Everett left fielder Greifer Andrade. Ramos then flied to right to end it --- 12 batters, four walks, four hits, a hit batter, and eight runs.
Carlos Hernandez, the 2015 Northwest League pitcher of the year, was making an injury rehab start for the Hops, coming off elbow soreness that cost him the first two months of the season. He worked four innings, allowing five hits and two runs, including the first-ever professional home run for Everett's Joe Venturino. Hops reliever Pierce Romero gave up a run in the fifth, but Tyler Keele came on with the bases loaded in that inning and two down and the tying run on deck. Keele struck out Austin Grebeck to strand all three.
Keele pitched three and a third innings, allowing just one run (a solo home run by Rosa).
The Hops' offense was shut down after the first inning --- that is, until the eighth. Two hits, two walks and two errors on Rosa at short led to four runs to squelch any thoughts of an Everett comeback. The Hops led 12-4, and when Cody Clark recorded three strikeouts (after a leadoff walk) in the bottom of the ninth, that was the final score.
The Hops and Aquasox meet again on Sunday at 4:05 and Monday morning at 11:05. Each day's pregame show begins 30 minutes prior to the first pitch on Rip City Radio 620 AM.
