It was a night of opportunities for the Eugene Emeralds, and they squandered them all.
The Emeralds (24-13) stranded four runners on third base, hit 0 for 14 with runners in scoring position and had runners on base in eight different innings and still failed to score in a 3-0 loss to the Everett AquaSox (15-22) Sunday night in front of a sold-out crowd at PK Park. Eugene had an opportunity to clinch a Northwest League playoff spot with a win, but now are awaiting the final result of the Vancouver Canadians’ (23-13) game against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes. The Emeralds have one more game in the first half of the season in which they can clinch a playoff berth, which would happen with a win, or a loss by the Canadians.
“I’m just frustrated,” first-year Emeralds manager Pat Murphy said. “Steal six bases, I guarantee you you can’t find a game ever played in the Northwest League where the team that stole six bases didn’t score a run. Offensively inept.”
The Emeralds had their first runner on third base in the first inning, when shortstop Jace Peterson hit a bunt single down the third-base line with one out, stole second base and moved to third base on a flyout to center field warning track from right fielder Lee Orr, but designated hitter Dan Killian also flew out to center field, ending the threat.
The AquaSox nearly scored in the second inning, loading the bases against Emeralds starter Matt Andriese with two outs before Andriese struck out Everett second baseman Danny Lopez to end the inning. Andriese went five innings, giving up two hits, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out six AquaSox batters.
“Our starting pitching was erratic,” Murphy said. “But (Andriese) battled, he got five innings of shutout.”
Eugene next got a runner to third base in the bottom of the sixth inning when Orr hit a ball to left field that bounced high off the wall, seemingly missing being a home run by about a foot. Orr advanced to third on a wild pitch by Everett starter Stephen Kohlscheen, but was stranded when Killian hit a ball right at Lopez for the first out, first baseman Zach Kometani popped out to Everett shortstop Marcus Littlewood for the second out, then Emeralds second baseman Travis Whitmore grounded out on a lunging play by Everett first baseman Jharmidy DeJesus.
Kohlscheen went six shutout innings, giving up four hits and a walk and striking out three Emeralds batters before being replaced by reliever Tim Griffin, who got the save after pitching three shutout innings of his own, giving up one hit and two walks while striking out four.
“You’ve got to credit their pitching,” Murphy said. “Their reliever right there, he was dominant. Three pitches for strikes and a great out pitch.”
Everett scored the first run of the game in the seventh inning as DeJesus, who led the inning off with a single, went to second on a single by AquaSox third baseman Ramon Morla and then advanced and scored on two wild pitches from Emeralds reliever Cody Hebner.
Emeralds left fielder Mike Gallic reached third base in the seventh inning, but was stranded when center fielder Donavan Tate struck out to end the inning. In his first game back after a 25-game suspension for a second positive drug test, Tate went 0 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.
“Definitely expected to win, didn’t get the result we wanted to, but we need to come out and play better tomorrow,” Tate said. “But it was exciting. It was fun to get back on the field tonight.”
Orr got to third base with one out in the eighth inning after drawing a walk and stealing both second and third bases. Pinch hitter Jose Dore struck out swinging — the fourth consecutive at-bat in which he’s done so — and Kometani grounded out to Lopez to end the inning.
After DeJesus led off the ninth inning with a double off Eugene reliever Luis De La Cruz, Morla hit a two-run home run to left-center field to give the AquaSox a 3-0 lead that the Emeralds were unable to dent in the bottom half of the inning.
Peterson was not overly concerned about the loss, given that the Emeralds will still have another opportunity to clinch tomorrow night, regardless of the Canadians’ performance.
“That’s the wonderful thing about baseball,” Peterson said. “We get another chance to do it tomorrow, and if we come out and compete and start off good, I think we’re going to do it.”
The final game of the first half of the Northwest League season will take place between the Emeralds and AquaSox tomorrow night at 7 p.m. The Canadians will host the Volcanoes at the same time.