Hops Beat Spokane, on Cusp of Record-Setting Playoff Berth

SPOKANE, WASH. --- The Hillsboro Hops defeated the Spokane Indians 7-2 on Monday night at Avista Stadium, moving the Hops within one win of earning their sixth consecutive playoff berth, which would break a Northwest League record they currently share with the Vancouver Canadians. (Vancouver made the postseason five consecutive years, 2010-14.) The Hops' win, coupled with Eugene's 8-0 loss at Everett, puts Hillsboro five games in front of Eugene with six games remaining in the second half (and the Hops hold the tiebreaker).
Hillsboro (20-12 second half, a league-best 44-26 overall) worked the strike zone from the plate and the mound --- Hops batters drew 11 walks (cashing in five of them) against just five strikeouts, while a quartet of Hops pitchers combined to strike out 16 Spokane batters, while walking only two. Hops starting pitcher Tyler Holton fanned 10, becoming the first Hillsboro pitcher to notch double-digits in strikeouts in consecutive outings.

The Indians jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a solo home run by Eugene native Kellen Strahm (the team that scored first lost all four games in the series, which was split 2-2). Hillsboro bounced back in the top of the third as Ryan January and Ricky Martinez walked to begin the inning, and later scored on a wild pitch and a Tristin English sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 Hops.
January and Martinez were center-stage in the next inning as well, recording RBI singles to put Hillsboro up 4-1. The Hops added single runs in the fifth (on an RBI single by Dom Canzone), in the sixth (on a double by Jesus Marriaga) and the ninth (on a sac fly by January). Spokane could only muster one run after the first inning, as Strahm doubled home Jake Hoover, who had led off the fifth inning with a triple.
Only 13 times in the Hops' seven-season history has a pitcher recorded at least 10 strikeouts in one game, including Holton in each of his last two starts. The strikeouts, however, took a toll, driving up the rookie hurler's pitch count and keeping him from working the five innings required to qualify for the win. In 4.1 innings, Holton allowed four hits, two runs (both earned), with one walk and the 10 K's.
Justin Garcia got the final two outs of the fifth, and Nick Snyder (2-0) worked three innings (no hits, no runs, one walk and five strikeouts) to get the win. Mailon Arroyo finished the game with a 1-2-3 ninth.
Tuesday is a rare Northwest League off day, and the Hops' first chance to punch their postseason ticket will come on Wednesday night at 7:05 PM when they host the Boise Hawks in the opener of a three-game series at Ron Tonkin Field. Eugene will also be back in action on Wednesday, hosting Salem-Keizer. With six days left in the season, any Hops win or Eugene loss earns Hillsboro the right to face Salem-Keizer in the best-of-three South Division Series, which would begin with game one at Ron Tonkin Field on Wednesday, Sept. 4th. Game two and, if necessary, game three, would be at Salem-Keizer on Sept. 5th and 6th.
Wednesday's game will air live at 7PM on Rip City Radio 620AM, and on the internet at www.RipCityRadio.com.