For the second night in a row, the Eugene Emeralds’ pitching staff gave fits to the Spokane Indians.
After a two-hit shutout Friday night, the Emeralds retired 16 straight batters from the third inning through the eighth inning and did not allow a hit after the third inning, coming away with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Indians at PK Park Saturday night. The win gives the Emeralds the lead in the Northwest League’s second-half standings with the Everett AquaSox’s loss to the Yakima Bears. Having already clinched their playoff berth in the first half of the season, the Emeralds’ lead over the AquaSox would currently give the other West Division playoff spot to the Vancouver Canadians, whom the Emeralds beat out by one game in the first-half standings.
“We’re trying to get hot before the playoffs, and right now, that’s what we’re doing, so, hopefully, down the road, we can keep that going,” said Emeralds shortstop Jace Peterson, who finished the game 1 for 2 with two runs and an RBI.
First-year Eugene manager Pat Murphy was impressed with the performance of his relief pitchers, who have given up one hit in eight innings over the last two games.
“We’ve been very good out of the (bullpen) all year,” Murphy said. “We don’t let our starters go very far and it’s forced the ‘pen to get a lot of work.”
Emeralds starting pitcher Will Scott had an early hiccup in the first inning, hitting Indians shortstop Hanser Alberto in the hand on a pitch he was ruled to have swung at. Alberto’s finger was gushing blood, and he was removed from the game and replaced by Edwin Garcia, who hit a single to Emeralds third baseman Duanel Jones. Scott also gave up a two-out single in the second inning to Indians left fielder Ruben Sierra.
“I don’t think (Scott) had good feel right then,” Murphy said. “But he bounced back.”
Scott surrendered three hits and a run in the top of the third inning, when a leadoff walk to Indians third baseman Drew Robinson came in to score when Garcia grounded into a double play with no outs. Scott gave up singles to Spokane first baseman Trever Adams and catcher Brett Nicholas before hitting right fielder Guillermo Pimentel with a fastball to the helmet, loading the bases. However, he coaxed a strikeout from designated hitter Jorge Alfaro on an 0-2 pitch in the dirt to end the inning and escape giving up the lone run.
The Emeralds tied the game back up in the bottom of the inning when shortstop Jace Peterson hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score catcher Matt Colantonio from third base off Indians starter Nick McBride. McBride threw five innings, giving up one run on three hits, striking out two Eugene batters.
After that inning, Eugene’s pitching staff took over the game. Scott threw perfect fourth and fifth innings, ending his start with one run allowed on five hits with five strikeouts — all swinging — and one walk. Reliever Kyle Brule took his place and threw two perfect innings with two swinging strikeouts.
“Will Scott, he doesn’t have the best stuff, but he’s a pitcher,” Murphy said. “This kid’s grew a little bit. He’s starting to understand himself, understand his identity.”
After loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Emeralds cashed in with three runs off Indians reliever Richard Alvarez. Eugene center fielder Alberth Martinez led off with a single past Garcia, and designated hitter Jose Dore and Peterson followed with walks. Left fielder Justin Miller was hit in the arm with an Alvarez fastball to drive in the Emeralds’ first run in the inning, and then Dore was thrown out at home trying to advance on a wild pitch during the at-bat of second baseman Casey McElroy, who struck out; it was Dore’s fourth out on the basepaths in Eugene’s series against Spokane so far. Jones then hit a two-out, two-run single to center field, giving the Emeralds pitching staff all the cushion it would need.
Eugene reliever Luis De La Cruz took over for Brule and threw a perfect eighth inning, and the Emeralds put another run on the board in the bottom of the inning when Peterson scored on a two-out double from McElroy to make the score 5-1.
De La Cruz issued a leadoff walk to Nicholas in the ninth inning to break up the Emeralds’ five-inning streak of perfection, and he hit Alfaro with a pitch, but didn’t give up a hit as he earned his first save of the season.
The Emeralds go for the sweep against the Indians and wrap up their five-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. at PK Park.