The Eugene Emeralds split their second series of the year, 3-3, with the Hillsboro Hops. In their return to PK Park, Will Wilson continued to tear it up while the rest of the offense struggled. The Emeralds are 8-4 on the young season and in second place in the High-A West behind the 10-2 Everett AquaSox.
The first two games of their series were played in Hillsboro due to a scheduling conflict with the University of Oregon. The Emeralds lost both games as they played their eighth game in seven days and the fatigue was apparent. However, they won three out of four once returning to Eugene.
The offense took a step back.
The highest point of the Emeralds’ opening 5-1 series win against the Spokane Indians was their powerhouse offense. But they scored just two runs in Monday’s doubleheader, and then put up a collective .225/.299/.392 batting line in the four home games. They scored just 23 runs in the six-game series after putting up 54 in their first series.
The standout on the offensive side was Wilson, the Giants’ No. 12 prospect and Emeralds’ starting shortstop. He put up a .421/.450/1.200 line in the six games with two home runs and four doubles.
Meanwhile, fellow first-rounders Patrick Bailey and Logan Wyatt fell into a slump, going 4-for-20 and 2-for-17 in the series, respectively. Nearly every Emerald batter besides Wilson struggled.
Eugene certainly misses the presence of first-rounder Hunter Bishop, who was scratched in the middle of the Spokane series and is on the seven-day injured list. When he returns and some of the other hitters get going again, this offense could be scary.
The pitching staff recorded a ton of strikeouts.
Pitching was a strength for the Emeralds this week, as the staff struck out 68 batters in 50 innings of work, while posting a 3.96 team ERA.
While he gave up his first two runs of the year, Caleb Kilian was impressive again and is an early candidate for Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings, and has a 1.84 ERA on the season with 22 punchouts in 14 2/3 innings.
Giants No. 5 prospect Seth Corry also impressed with eight strikeouts and one run allowed in four innings. Manager Dennis Pelfrey will likely extend him longer as the season progresses.
The Emeralds have a very good team, but face tough competition.
The Emeralds are clearly a talented team stacked with first-rounders and top prospects and will only get better when Bishop returns. Looking at the standings though, they face a tough opponent in the Everett AquaSox, who boast a 10-2 record and an eight-game winning streak.
The AquaSox have a +57 run differential, with a staggering 94 runs in 12 games, compared to the Emeralds’ +23. The Vancouver Canadians are right in there too, with a five-game winning streak and an 8-4 record (despite only a +5 run differential) that ties them in the standings with the Emeralds. It should be a tight and competitive race as we get into the thick of the season.
The Emeralds have one of the most talented teams in Minor League Baseball, with seven players drafted in the top five rounds of the MLB Draft and six of the Giants’ top 20 prospects. While the offense was underwhelming against the Hops, they’re certainly on their way to having a successful and potentially dominant season.
They’ll go back on the road now to play six games against the 3-9 Tri-City Dust Devils, starting on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
