For the first time in 620 days, the Eugene Emeralds played baseball at PK Park.
They beat the Hillsboro Hops in their home opener, 8-2, to end their two-game losing streak on Thursday. Each team’s starting pitcher showed impressive stuff but also battled control issues, with the Giants’ No. 5 prospect Seth Corry facing off against former University of Oregon pitcher Ryne Nelson. The game was close until the Emeralds broke out with a six-run eighth inning.
Corry got his second start of the season after giving up four runs (two earned) in 2 1/3 innings in his first outing of the year.
He started things off on a much better foot, pitching a perfect first inning with two strikeouts.
Nelson got the start for the Hops in his return to PK Park. He showed why he was a second-round pick by the Diamondbacks in 2019, setting down the first six Emeralds batters with authority.
Corry allowed a homer to start the second and Hillsboro took a 1-0 lead. With runners on the corners, the Hops attempted a double steal that would have scored another run, but catcher Patrick Bailey threw the runner out at second.
Corry gave up a single to lead off the third, and the runner stole second before being thrown out by Bailey again at third. He walked his second and third batters of the game, but recorded two strikeouts to avoid further damage.
Franklin Labour led off the bottom of the third with a walk for Eugene’s first baserunner. Bailey drew another walk but Will Wilson struck out to leave them stranded.
Corry struck out the side in order in the fourth, and was subsequently taken out. He recorded eight strikeouts in his four innings.
The Emeralds didn’t record a hit against Nelson until Tyler Fitzgerald’s leadoff single in the fifth. Fitzgerald stole second and third, and Labour singled him home to tie the game at one apiece.
A bunt single and a walk loaded the bases, chasing Nelson from the game after 4 2/3 innings pitched. Sean Roby grounded out to leave the bags juiced.
After Logan Wyatt walked and Diego Rincones reached on catcher’s interference, Fitzgerald doubled to give the Emeralds a 2-1 lead in the sixth.
Travis Perry provided three hitless innings in relief for Eugene while collecting four strikeouts to hold the lead.
Solomon Bates relieved Perry in the eighth. After a walk and a passed ball by Bailey to move the runner to second, a single for the Hops tied the game at 2-2.
The Emeralds fought back in the bottom of the frame. Rincones singled, and Fitzgerald was hit by a pitch near his head that caused him to have to be taken out. Labour followed with a walk to load the bases.
A wild pitch gave the Emeralds the lead back. Rincones raced home to make it 3-2, limping back into the dugout. Ismael Munguia hit a fly ball that was dropped by the left fielder who took a poor route, extending the lead to 4-2.
Wilson, the Giants’ No. 12 prospect, broke it open with a grand slam that made it 8-2. All told, 10 Emeralds batted in the inning as they scored six runs in the frame despite only two hits, helped out by a pair of Hillsboro errors.
R.J. Dabovich struck out the side in order in the ninth as Eugene took the home opener, 8-2.
The Emeralds improve to 6-3 on the season and 1-2 in their six-game series with the Hops. They’ll play Game 4 of the series on Friday at 7:35 p.m.
