Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Missed chances doom AquaSox
Everett strikes out 16 times in 5-4 loss to Eugene
EVERETT -- The weather conditions were nearly perfect for Tuesday night's game between the Everett AquaSox and Eugene Emeralds at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The one exception may have been the breeze, but that wasn't the work of Mother Nature. That was a product of Everett's bats waving at air.
The Sox struck out 16 times Monday night, many of those coming with runners on base, and Everett missed out on a chance to pad their lead in the Northwest League's West Division by falling 5-4 to the Emeralds.
Everett had countless opportunities to score after Eugene took its 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning. But the Sox couldn't take advantage, twice stranding two runners on base and leaving the bases juiced on another occasion.
And the main culprit was fanning on strike three as 15 of those strikeouts came swinging. Everyone in Everett's lineup except Danny Lopez struck out at least once, and Jim Wood and Marcus Littlewood both fanned four times.
"We squandered a lot of opportunities," Everett manager Scott Steinmann said. "We had 16 punchouts tonight and you have to put the ball in play to win."
Jace Peterson's home run in the top of the fourth proved the difference for Eugene (15-13 second half, 39-27 overall), which avoided being swept by the team that's the odds-on favorite to face the Emeralds in the playoffs. Eugene clinched a place in the postseason by winning the first half.
The Emeralds also received clutch pitching from their bullpen. Daniel Cropper, Chris Wilkes and Matthew Stites combined to toss six scoreless innings, striking out 12. Wilkes was credited with the win after recording more strikeouts (six) than outs (five), thanks to one of those strikeout victims reaching on a wild pitch. Stites earned the save by retiring the final seven Everett batters in order.
"We pitched very well," Eugene manager Pat Murphy said. "Our bullpen is depleted. We had 18 guys total available to play today because we're a little banged up and we've lost some players who have moved up. So this was fun."
The strikeouts weren't Everett's only issue Tuesday. The Sox were unable to hold an early 4-0 lead as Eugene immediately answered Everett's four-run second inning by scoring four of its own in the top of the third. The Sox also had a bad day in the field, committing four errors and having another play ruled a hit that could have been error No. 5.
Even usually dependable Everett starting pitcher Stephen Landazuri was off his game. Landazuri lasted just four innings and although he struck out six, he allowed five runs on six hits and two walks. It was just the second time in his 13 starts that Landazuri didn't last at least five innings.
"Stephen struggled a little bit out there, then our defense struggled a little bit and our bats went asleep," Steinmann said. "We didn't do some simple baseball things today."
Jabari Blash had three hits and Jharmidy De Jesus drove in two runs for Everett (18-10, 34-23), which saw its lead over Eugene and Salem-Keizer shrink to three with 10 games remaining.
The Sox jumped all over Eugene starter Simon Berroa in the bottom of the second, batting around to take a 4-0 lead. De Jesus got things started by going the other way to rattle a two-run triple into the right-field corner. Larry Gonzalez followed by bouncing an RBI single up the middle through a drawn-in infield, and later Nathan Melendres added a run-scoring double.
Eugene returned the favor in the top of the third, batting around itself to tie it at 4-4. Casey McElroy laced a two-run, ground-rule double to right to get the Emeralds on the board. An RBI double by Duanel Jones and a run-scoring single by Jose Dore knotted the score.
The Emeralds then took the lead in the fourth when Peterson led off by belting a line drive that cleared the fence in dead center, his first professional homer giving Eugene a 5-4 lead that the Emeralds bullpen wouldn't surrender.
The one exception may have been the breeze, but that wasn't the work of Mother Nature. That was a product of Everett's bats waving at air.
The Sox struck out 16 times Monday night, many of those coming with runners on base, and Everett missed out on a chance to pad their lead in the Northwest League's West Division by falling 5-4 to the Emeralds.
Everett had countless opportunities to score after Eugene took its 5-4 lead in the top of the fourth inning. But the Sox couldn't take advantage, twice stranding two runners on base and leaving the bases juiced on another occasion.
And the main culprit was fanning on strike three as 15 of those strikeouts came swinging. Everyone in Everett's lineup except Danny Lopez struck out at least once, and Jim Wood and Marcus Littlewood both fanned four times.
"We squandered a lot of opportunities," Everett manager Scott Steinmann said. "We had 16 punchouts tonight and you have to put the ball in play to win."
Jace Peterson's home run in the top of the fourth proved the difference for Eugene (15-13 second half, 39-27 overall), which avoided being swept by the team that's the odds-on favorite to face the Emeralds in the playoffs. Eugene clinched a place in the postseason by winning the first half.
The Emeralds also received clutch pitching from their bullpen. Daniel Cropper, Chris Wilkes and Matthew Stites combined to toss six scoreless innings, striking out 12. Wilkes was credited with the win after recording more strikeouts (six) than outs (five), thanks to one of those strikeout victims reaching on a wild pitch. Stites earned the save by retiring the final seven Everett batters in order.
"We pitched very well," Eugene manager Pat Murphy said. "Our bullpen is depleted. We had 18 guys total available to play today because we're a little banged up and we've lost some players who have moved up. So this was fun."
The strikeouts weren't Everett's only issue Tuesday. The Sox were unable to hold an early 4-0 lead as Eugene immediately answered Everett's four-run second inning by scoring four of its own in the top of the third. The Sox also had a bad day in the field, committing four errors and having another play ruled a hit that could have been error No. 5.
Even usually dependable Everett starting pitcher Stephen Landazuri was off his game. Landazuri lasted just four innings and although he struck out six, he allowed five runs on six hits and two walks. It was just the second time in his 13 starts that Landazuri didn't last at least five innings.
"Stephen struggled a little bit out there, then our defense struggled a little bit and our bats went asleep," Steinmann said. "We didn't do some simple baseball things today."
Jabari Blash had three hits and Jharmidy De Jesus drove in two runs for Everett (18-10, 34-23), which saw its lead over Eugene and Salem-Keizer shrink to three with 10 games remaining.
The Sox jumped all over Eugene starter Simon Berroa in the bottom of the second, batting around to take a 4-0 lead. De Jesus got things started by going the other way to rattle a two-run triple into the right-field corner. Larry Gonzalez followed by bouncing an RBI single up the middle through a drawn-in infield, and later Nathan Melendres added a run-scoring double.
Eugene returned the favor in the top of the third, batting around itself to tie it at 4-4. Casey McElroy laced a two-run, ground-rule double to right to get the Emeralds on the board. An RBI double by Duanel Jones and a run-scoring single by Jose Dore knotted the score.
The Emeralds then took the lead in the fourth when Peterson led off by belting a line drive that cleared the fence in dead center, his first professional homer giving Eugene a 5-4 lead that the Emeralds bullpen wouldn't surrender.
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