The Vancouver Canadians took a low scoring affair from the Hillsboro Hops, 4-2.  The Canadians grabbed an early lead, 2-0, in the first and stayed a run or two ahead throughout the game.  Starting pitcher Tyler Vail (L. 0-1) lasted through six innings allowing three runs on six hits while striking out ten.  Lately, that would have been enough for a win, but Vail picked a night of low scoring on both sides to make his Hops debut.

Zach Logue started for the Canadians but lasted only three innings despite allowing just one run on four hits.  Justin Dillon (W, 1-1) became the pitcher of record in the fifth to score the win.  Orlando Pascual (S, 2) pitched the eighth and ninth for the save.

Both teams managed eight hits apiece but Vancouver made theirs count with three doubles and a home run to Hillsboro’s one double.  Reggie Pruitt led off the third inning with a rarely seen inside the park home run when his fly ball went to deep right-center.  The Hops had closed to 2-1 earlier but Pruitt extended the lead back to 3-1.  Every time the Hops would creep to within one run, the Canadians would find a way to get the lead back to two.

Hillsboro did answer quickly to the first lead in the game in the bottom of the first when Camden Duzenack led off the inning with a single to get on base and later scored on Pavin Smith’s single.  The Hops second run of the game happened in the sixth when Tim Susnara doubled for the Hops lone extra base hit and came home on Ryan Dobson’s single.  Again, the effort brought the Hops within one run only to see the Canadians push it back to two with a run scored in the top of the seventh.

The effort of the Hops pitching staff went for naught as they limited the Canadians to four runs on the night.  Luis Castillo pitched the seventh and eighth allowing only Pruitt’s home run for one score and hit during his stay on the mound.  Matt Peackock took the mound in the ninth to allow just Pruitt’s single with one out.  Peacock did not allow any scoring.

The Canadians won the first half title for the Northern Division and are deemed a possible matchup with Hillsboro who won the first half of the Southern Division, if both teams make the second round of the playoffs.  Despite that pedigree, this was the first game in eight tries that Vancouver has won over the Hops this year.

The loss dropped the Hillsboro Hops (5-4) into a first-place tie with the Eugene Emeralds.  The win gained a game for the Vancouver Canadians (4-5) on the Northern Leader Spokane Indians, three games behind.

Both teams return to Ron Tonkin Field Saturday for an early 5pm game and the third game of the five-game homestand.  The series is tied at 1-1.  Expected pitchers are to be RHP Juan Nunez (2-4) for Vancouver and RHP Brian Shaffer (0-0) for Hillsboro.

Hops notes: The Hops received two more players to the roster to help with the recent promotions draining the team.

RHP Jhoan Duran returns to the Hops after a two-week stint with the AZL D Backs.  During that time, Duran started three games and went 0-2.  He struck out 13 batters in 11.1 innings.

Third baseman Luis Lara joined the team with a promotion from the Missoula Osprey and made his debut as DH batting third in the line-up in Friday’s game going 1 for 4.  In 26 games, Luis has batted .295 with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 20 RBI.  Lara is from the Dominican Republic.

Boxscore

By Greg Stoker
@GDStoker