When it comes to facing teams in the High-A West not named the Everett AquaSox, the Eugene Emeralds are undefeated this season.
They nearly surrendered that streak last week, losing three out of the first four to the Hillsboro Hops. But they bounced back and won the final two games to come away with a series split at Ron Tonkin Field as they return home for seven games against the mighty Frogs.
Sporadic offense
The offense was up and down this series. They struggled for two runs on Tuesday and no runs on Friday, but exploded for 11 runs in each of Thursday and Saturday’s games.
Sean Roby had a big week, playing in all six games while batting .304/.448/.696. Armani Smith and Tyler Fitzgerald also posted OPSs north of 1.000.
Newcomer Kwan Adkins made a good first impression with the team, going 3-for-11 with a homer, two doubles and two walks in four games.
Giants top prospect Marco Luciano had a rough series, going 4-for-24 with 11 strikeouts. He’s struck out 21 times in 46 plate appearances so far for Eugene, posting a .481 OPS after tearing up San Jose with a .930 OPS. He’s yet to adjust to the higher level of competition.
First baseman Logan Wyatt also struggled in his return to the lineup, going 2-for-21. He did, however, draw five walks, something he’s done well all year. His plate discipline and on-base ability are impressive, but the bat is yet to fully come around.
Some strong pitching performances
The Emeralds’ pitching wasn’t perfect, giving up 35 runs and posting a 5.30 ERA. But they did hold opposing batters to a .219 average and limited the Hops to 21 walks in 52 2/3 innings — something they haven’t always been able to do this year.
They also struck out 62, and still boast an impressive 11 K/9 for the season. While it’s no longer in record-breaking territory, it’s a dominant mark nonetheless.
Kai-Wei Teng pitched 11 innings between his two starts this series, holding Hillsboro to three earned runs while striking out 18. Ryan Murphy allowed his first two earned runs as an Emerald, but still turned in his third straight dominant start with Eugene. He owns the MiLB lead for strikeouts between Eugene and San Jose.
Seth Corry, perhaps one of the most intriguing and possibly infuriating storylines for the Emeralds this year, hasn’t been with the team the last couple of weeks. Roger Munter of therergiants.com reported that he was put on Developmental Assignment.
When looking at Corry’s stats, it’s hard to be too surprised about this — his ERA has shot up to 6.83, plus he’s walked 59 and hit 15 batters in only 59 1/3 innings.
Pivotal series against Everett coming up
The Emeralds will now return home for seven games in six days against the vaunted AquaSox. The Emeralds made up some of the lost ground in their series win over the Tri-City Dust Devils two weeks ago, and now find themselves within striking distance again, just three games back.
This series could easily make or break the Emeralds’ season. The AquaSox have been in a rare funk, going 3-7 in their last 10 games. The Emeralds have played three series against the Frogs so far this season and lost all three, although their most recent matchup in Everett was the most competitive. The AquaSox still blow the Emeralds away in run differential, with their +170 mark compared to Eugene’s +37.
The top two teams in the High-A West will get things going on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. in PK Park, and play a doubleheader on Saturday as part of a marathon of games.
