For the first time this season, the Eugene Emeralds’ offense struggled on Monday.
Coming off their 5-1 series victory over the Spokane Indians, the Emeralds lost both games of Monday’s doubleheader against the Hillsboro Hops. Both games were technically “home games” for Eugene despite being played in Hillsboro due to a scheduling conflict with the University of Oregon baseball team. The Emeralds have now played eight games in seven days, and the fatigue was apparent in both of Monday’s losses.
Five runs against Kai-Wei Teng in the fourth inning fueled the Hops’ 6-2 victory in Game 1. The Emeralds couldn’t muster up any offense at all in Game 2 as they scratched out just two hits and got shut out, 2-0.
In Game 1, the Emeralds scored a run in each of the first two innings thanks to an RBI single by Diego Rincones and a steal of home on a double steal by Ismael Munguia. Those wound up being the only runs they would score on the day.
Teng, the Giants’ No. 18 prospect, got the start. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first and pitched two scoreless innings to hold Eugene’s 2-0 lead.
After giving up a run in the third, Teng completely cracked in the fourth, allowing three runs on three hits and a walk. Reliever Jasier Herrera allowed an inherited run and a run of his own as Hillsboro put up a five-spot and took a 6-2 lead. Teng’s ERA skyrocketed to an ugly 8.22.
Herrera wound up providing 3 2/3 strong innings in relief, but the Emeralds’ offense went quiet as they fell 6-2 in the seven-inning game. It was the first game this season in which they scored fewer than six runs.
Nick Avila started Game 2 for the Emeralds after he struggled in a relief outing in his first appearance of the year.
He battled in a pitching duel with Hillsboro starter Luis Frias, tossing four scoreless innings with four strikeouts before faltering in the fifth. After a double and a throwing error, a double play brought in the game’s first run. A solo homer with two outs then extended the Hops’ lead to 2-0.
Frias dominated the Eugene batters. Through five innings, he’d allowed just two hits while striking out eight and throwing only 62 pitches.
Jose Marte replaced Avila and pitched two hitless innings, striking out five of the seven Hops he faced.
Nick Snyder came in for Hillsboro in the seventh after Frias pitched six masterful innings. Carter Aldrete doubled with one out to bring the tying run to the plate, but the final two batters struck out as the Emeralds lost their second game of the day, 2-0.
The Emeralds (5-3) will now get two days of much needed rest. They’ll play the remaining four games of their series against the Hops starting with Thursday’s home opener at 7:35 p.m.
