It couldn’t go on forever.
The Eugene Emeralds had won their last 10 matchups with the Hillsboro Hops heading into Friday night’s matchup. But they finally fell short, dropping Game 4 of the series to the Hops at Ron Tonkin Field. The Emeralds took a 2-0 lead into the third, but failed to score for the rest of the game, ultimately going down 4-2. The loss ends their five-game winning streak, and also snaps the Hops’ five-game losing streak.
The Emeralds still lead the series 3-1 and find themselves in first place in the High-A West.
After Ismael Munguia walked in the top of the first, newcomer Brett Auerbach singled. Auerbach, a catcher, was recently promoted to Eugene after posting a .970 OPS in 34 games for Low-A San Jose.
Also rejoining the lineup, fresh off a stint with Team Venezuela, was Diego Rincones, who singled with two outs. Munguia raced toward home plate on the hit but was thrown out as the Emeralds were kept off the board in the first frame.
Eugene starter Conner Nurse got through the first three innings unscathed, working around two runners in scoring position in the second.
The Emeralds struck first with a two-out rally in the third. A Will Wilson walk and a Rincones single put runners on the corners, and Sean Roby brought them both in with a double to give Eugene a 2-0 lead.
But the Hops struck back and finally got to Nurse in the fourth. The leadoff batter walked, stole second and advanced to third on a balk. A single and a double then tied the game at two apiece.
Despite Tyler Fitzgerald and Logan Wyatt both walking, the Emeralds were unable to score in the fifth. In the bottom of the frame, a walk and a double put the Hops on top 3-2 and knocked Nurse out of the game. John Timmins came in and induced a groundout that brought in the fourth run of the game for Hillsboro.
The Emeralds showed signs of life in the eighth, as Fitzgerald and Wyatt led off with back-to-back singles. Armani Smith, who’s put up a 1.009 OPS in 13 games with Eugene since being promoted from Low-A, came up to pinch hit with one out. He struck out on a check swing call, and, on his walk back to the dugout, was tossed from the game by home plate umpire Nathan Diederich.
Emeralds manager Dennis Pelfrey couldn’t believe it and got up in Diederich’s face. Diederich subsequently ejected Pelfrey as well.
Munguia grounded out on the next pitch, as the Emeralds blew a huge opportunity.
The Emeralds’ offense fell silently in the ninth as the game slipped out of their hands 4-2.
The Everett AquaSox also lost Friday, ending their seven-game winning streak and ensuring the Emeralds cling onto first place in the High-A West by a half-game. Up 3-1 in the series over the Hops, they’ll look to clinch the series win on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
