Davis Daniel took a perfect game into the fifth inning before hitting Hillsboro Hops catcher Andy Yerzy with a pitch.  Daniel took a no-hitter into the seventh until Tristin English hit a one-out single.  He was allowed to finish the inning and walked off to a deserved rest after 94 pitches.  The Tri City Dust Devils beat the Hops 6-0.

Half Inning Oasis

 On a day that one inning seemed to go into overkill with only six runs, the Hops barely made two hits.  Forget about any runs.  But, until then, the game was tied 0-0 and it looked like whoever scored first had the best chance to win.

That turned out to be true because the Dust Devils were the only team to score this afternoon.  In the fifth inning, all nine batters came to the plate.  Six runs scored on only four hits.  Mostly due to the Hops trying to stop the bleeding.  Twice, with two runners in scoring position, the Hops infield took a grounder home to tag the runner trying to score from third.

Even though the force out to first was there and easier than trying to tag a runner going anywhere, the Hops went for the bold play.  Admirable if successful.  Costly if failed.  Both times, the runners, Carlos Herrera and Brandon White, beat the throw to the plate to score leaving everyone else safe on their respective base.  All the Hops had to show for their daring attempt was two runs for the other team and still only one out.  The two batters, Drevian Williams-Nelson and Ty Greene, reached first on a fielder’s choice which did not count for a hit.  They later scored.

Kyle Kasser singled, gained second and third on two different wild pitches before scoring on Brendon Davis’ sacrifice fly.  Francisco Del Valle doubled and scored easily on Herrera’s RBI single.

Of the nine batters from the Dust Devils, six reached base safely and scored.  Two more successfully sacrificed either a runner home or runners into scoring position.  The remaining batter flew out deep to right field

Davis Daniel: Eight Innings of Desert

That sixth inning contrasted starkly to the rest of the game.  Of the other eight innings for the Dust Devils, seven were either 1-2-3 or only four batters stepped to the plate.  The first inning was the only one that might be considered dangerous with two runners on first and second with two outs.

The Hops were even worse off.  They didn’t get a fourth batter in an inning until the fifth.  Then Andy Yerzy led off by taking a pitch off his foot.  Voila!  The Hops had a base runner.  Yerzy even made it to third but it seemed that for every base he advanced, it cost the team another out.  Andy stole second as Axel Andueza struck out.  Andy then took third on Cam Coursey’s ground-out to second baseman Carlos Herrera.  After Leodany Perez popped up to Herrera, there weren’t any outs left for Andy to come home.

That one inning was a perfect representation for the Hops tonight.  Full of effort but not quite getting there.  Two innings later, Tristin English singled with one out to give the Hops a fourth batter in the inning for the second time in the game.  The Hops took it even further in the eighth when Leodany Perez walked and Ricky Martinez singled in the same inning.  They not only had five batters in the inning but also two runners on base.  Specifically at the corners.  But, like the fifth, there was effort but it didn’t quite reach home plate.

Davis Daniel Shows Pride

On the night, Dust Devil pitching faced four batters over the minimum for a perfect game.  When starter Davis Daniel (W, 2-2) saw English’s single scoot up the middle before a glove could touch it, Davis faced the plate with a smile and shook his head.  He knew his no-hitter was gone but the smile showed pride in what he accomplished.  Luis Ramirez and Erick Julio completed the last two innings on only one hit among them but the lead was too big for them to earn either a hold or a save.  Bryce Jarvis (L, 1-2) started for the Hops and took the loss.

Standings

The loss dropped the Hillsboro Hops (15-17) down to five games behind the leader Everett.  The win for the Tri City Dust Devils (11-22) maintain the nine game difference from the top.  Both teams meet Friday night at 7:05 PM for game four.  The Hops lead the series 2-1.

After week three, I asked if the new guys will turn things around for the Hops.  Check out my column at a hopeful look forward to now.

Box Score

by

Greg Stoker

@GDStoker