Hops on Wrong Side of 5-4 Final Yet Again

Hillsboro, OR (August 11, 2022) – The final score of 5-4 has not been kind to the Hops in 2022 and they would find themselves on the wrong side of yet another 5-4 game on Thursday. Hillsboro is now 0-7 in games that end 5-4. Ryan Bliss, Caleb Roberts and Gary Mattis Jr. all had two-hit games, but a three-hit game from Hunter Goodman led Spokane to another win.

Spokane scored first for the third consecutive game, after three hits, including back-to-back doubles. Mateo Gil got the first double of the inning to bring home a run and later scored, as Robby Martin Jr. hit a ground rule double over the head of Mattis Jr.

The Indians added onto their lead in the third against Yilber Diaz, when Hunter Goodman picked up his 81st RBI on a single to center field.

It was an inning full of threes for the Hops in the third, scoring three runs on three hits and tying the game at 3-3 . Mattis singled and Ortiz walked, putting two on base for Ryan Bliss. Bliss hit a ball to center field that got under the glove of Restituyo and all the way to the warning track. Bliss ended up at third with a two-RBI triple, his second of the year. Caleb Roberts continued his hot hitting with another extra-base hit, this time an RBI double.

Yilber Diaz was taken out after three innings, allowing five hits and three earned runs. He received a no-decision.

Coming off a three-hit game yesterday, Bladimir Restituyo tripled to lead off the fifth. He scored the fourth run of the game for Spokane, as Goodman drove in his second run, giving the Indians a 4-3 lead.

Hillsboro immediately answered to tie the game in the bottom half of the inning, when Channy Ortiz hit a double and Roberts picked up his second RBI hit of the game. Roberts has a team-leading 12 RBI over the last ten games.

A throwing error by a relief pitcher attempting to record an out at third costed the Hops a run for the second game in a row. The speedy Braiden Ward stole second and later in the at-bat took off for third, but the pick-off throw by Junior Mieses sailed past De Los Santos, scoring Ward. Ward stole his 46th and 47th bases of the season in the frame.

Christian Montes De Oca kept Hillsboro in the game during the late innings, pitching two innings and striking out three, while not allowing a base runner.

It was déjà vu in the ninth inning when Caleb Roberts was at the dish. For the second straight game, Roberts was at the plate with two runners on, two outs and a 5-4 score in the bottom of the ninth. He worked the count full, but flew out to center to end the game.

Hillsboro (45-58) and Spokane (54-48) will play game four at Ron Tonkin field on Friday. The pre-game show will start at 6:50, with first pitch at 7:05 on Rip City Radio 620, MiLB.tv and Portland's CW.