On the opening day of Northwest League play, the Eugene Emeralds beat the Boise Hawks 5-4 on second baseman Cory Spangenberg’s eighth-inning bases-loaded walk, capping a game full of wildness from both teams’ pitching staffs.
The Emeralds (1-0) and Hawks (0-1) combined for 14 walks Friday night in front of 3,352 at PK Park, so it was fitting that the game-winning run came on a bases-loaded base on balls.
“You don’t like to walk that many guys, and you don’t like to walk them in bunches, but we kept our composure and we kept the pressure on,” manager Pat Murphy said.
But Eugene nearly squandered its opportunity for the win earlier in the bottom of the eighth inning with the game tied at 4. Emeralds left fielder Jose Dore hit a single to right field to lead off the inning before stealing second base and advancing to third base on an errant throw from Hawks catcher Yaniel Cabezas. Later in the same at-bat, Dore broke for home when it appeared that a pitch had sneaked behind Cabezas, but the catcher had picked up the ball on its first bounce and tagged Dole out without a slide.
“We showed some tenacity right there,” Emeralds third baseman Clint Moore said. “It was kind of a momentum-killer trying to advance on the passed ball.”
The Emeralds loaded the bases on a single by Jeremy Gonzalez, an infield hit by Moore and a walk from shortstop Jace Peterson, Spangenberg’s fellow 2011 first-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres, the Emeralds’ parent club.
“We stayed with it, had some positive at-bats, came back up and got a nice knock, and it was nice to stay up on it,” Moore said.
Murphy also had praise for his team’s ability to bounce back after seemingly squandering its best chance to win the game.
“That’s a great lesson for everyone to learn,” Murphy said. “When the momentum is killed like that, you’re responsible for turning it back.”
The Emeralds dug themselves into a hole early in the game, as starting pitcher Johnny Barbato gave up two runs on one hit in the first inning after two walks and an RBI double from Cabezas.
Eugene got one back in the second inning when Kyle Gaedel hit an infield single and came around to score on designated hitter Lee Orr’s sacrifice fly.
Barbato, who struck out five Hawks, walked the bases loaded with two outs in the third inning before being lifted for reliever Greg Gonzalez, who proceeded to walk in two more runs for the Hawks.
“What struck us early in the game struck them,” Murphy said. “You’re pleased to come out on the winning end and it worked out for us.”
After Gonzalez escaped the inning with a strikeout, the Emeralds did not give up another baserunner until the seventh inning, and held the Hawks to one hit until the eighth inning.
“I’m really pleased with our pitching,” Murphy said. “Johnny struggled a little and Gonzalez came in and scuffled, but after the third inning, we were pretty solid.”
The Emeralds cut the score to 4-2 in the fifth inning when Moore scored on center fielder Donavan Tate’s 4-6-3 double play, and scored two runs in the sixth inning on a Rodriguez bases-loaded walk and a sacrifice fly from Peterson.
There was one more nervous moment for Eugene, as winning pitcher Jeremy Gigliotti had runners on second and third with two out in the top of the eighth. However, he coaxed a fly ball from Boise designated hitter D.J. Fitzgerald to end the Hawks’ threat.
After taking the one-run lead into the ninth inning, Eugene closer Kevin Quackenbush retired the last three Boise battters to close out the game.
The Emeralds will play game two of their five-game series with the Hawks tomorrow at 7 p.m. at PK Park.
Editor’s note: Clint Moore’s quotes were originally misattributed. The Emerald regrets the error.