Hops Keep Playoff Hopes Alive with 5-2 Win

August 31 (Hillsboro, OR)- The Vancouver Canadians and Hillsboro Hops battled for the second playoff spot on Saturday night at Hillsboro Ballpark. The Hops beat the Canadians 5-2 tonight, but Vancouver still holds a four-game lead in the standings over Hillsboro with seven games left to play.

Avery Short had the start for the Hops, pitching - innings and only allowing - runs. Short kept the Canadians from scoring until the fourth inning, where they plated one run after Short gave up a single and a double, with the run scoring on a fielder’s choice.

Tommy Troy, Gavin Conticello, and Jose Fernandez all recorded singles in the first, the Hops scoring two runs before the inning ended. Troy, Manny Peña, and Gavin Conticello repeated the pattern in the second, with Hillsboro scoring two more runs to put the Hops up 4-0.

Grant Rogers, the starter for Vancouver, gave up seven hits, and four earned runs and struck out two in five innings. Alex Almafi took the sixth and seventh, giving up two hits, one run, and striking out three.

After six innings of work, Phillip Abner replaced Short. Short was very effective in his appearance, only allowing three hits and one earned run, striking out four. Despite allowing a double in his first inning, Abner kept the Canadians from scoring, pitching one inning and striking out one.

Manny Peña tied the Hop's all-time hit record, hitting his 169th base hit in the seventh. With Troy on base after hitting a single, the Hops pulled off the double steal with Peña stealing second and Troy stealing home to put Hillsboro up 5-1.

Yordin Chalas had the eighth, striking out two. Geison Urbaez pitched the bottom of the eighth for Vancouver, striking out one and keeping the Hops off the basepath. Chalas gave up a double to start the top of the ninth, a single scoring a run to make it 5-2. Chalas struck out two and got a runner to ground out, securing the win for Hillsboro.

Tommy Troy went three-for-three, while Manny Peña, Gavin Conticello, and Jose Fernandez all went two-for-four. The Hops went three-for-thirteen with runners in scoring position but managed to plate five runs on nine hits.

The Candains and Hops play each other once more on Sunday at 1:05 pm at Hillsboro Ballpark. The pregame show will start at 12:50 on RipCity Radio 620 AM and Bally Live.