Published: Tuesday, August 23, 2011
AquaSox shut out Emeralds
Cameron Hobson pitches five scoreless innings to help Everett's playoff chances with a 7-0 win over Eugene.
EVERETT -- At this rate the Everett AquaSox aren't just going to make the playoffs, they're going to waltz into the postseason without breaking a sweat.
The Sox built their second-half lead in the Northwest League's West Division even further Monday evening, breezing past the Eugene Emeralds 7-0 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The victory gives Everett (18-9 second half, 34-31 overall) a four-game lead over Eugene (14-13, 38-27) and Salem-Keizer with just 11 games remaining in the season. And the Sox have all the momentum as they built this lead by winning eight of their past 10 while both Eugene and Salem-Keizer have sputtered around the .500 mark.
"We've got a good shot, I think," Everett starting pitcher Cameron Hobson, who tossed five scoreless innings, said about the team's playoff chances. "If we keep playing like we're doing we don't have anything to worry about. I think we've got a great team, our hitters are really coming around at the end of the season, and it's fun to watch."
Everett has different playoff scenarios against Eugene and Salem-Keizer. The Sox are in a head-to-head race with Salem-Keizer. However, Eugene won the first half and already secured a playoff berth, meaning if the Emeralds are able to pass the Sox then Everett needs to finish with the second-best overall record in the division to make the playoffs. Everett and Vancouver are currently tied in overall record.
But Eugene and Salem-Keizer need to get on their horses if they want to catch Everett, especially considering today's series finale between the Sox and Emeralds is the last shot either of those teams have against Everett head-to-head the rest of the way.
"We just come out and try and swing the bat every day, try to put up zeroes defensively," said Sox manager Scott Steinmann, who wasn't about to get ahead of himself where the playoffs are concerned. "At the end of the day hopefully we can scratch enough wins together to get into the playoffs."
Jim Wood hit his third homer in two days and he, Jabari Blash and Larry Gonzalez each had two hits to lead Everett's offense.
Hobson, David Colvin and Cody Weiss combined on a six-hitter on the mound for the Sox. It was Everett's fifth shutout of the season.
Hobson didn't think he had his best stuff Monday. Nevertheless, the left-hander turned in his second consecutive start without allowing a run. He allowed five hits and one hit during his five innings Monday, striking out six.
"It was a battle," Hobson said. "They were fouling some pitches off and getting some hits. It's not really the type of game I'm used to pitching, I wasn't getting those first-pitch outs as much tonight. But I battled and it worked out really well."
Eugene starter Will Scott tossed six innings of one-hit ball when the teams met in Eugene last week. However, he couldn't repeat that success Monday. Scott was living on the edge from the start, getting behind hitters and giving up long flyouts before eventually allowing four runs in four innings.
Everett got on the board in the bottom of the second, and it was the bottom of the order that did the damage. No. 8 batter Mike Dowd drove in the first run by dropping a two-out RBI single into center. Then No. 9 batter Jorge Agudelo put a two-run double into the left-field corner, with Dowd bowling over Eugene catcher Matthew Colantonio to score the trailing run as the Sox took a 3-0 lead. Dowd had to leave the game following the play because of a cut on his chin that required stitches.
The Sox made it 4-0 in the third on Ramon Morla's RBI single to left. Everett added two more in the seventh when Nathan Melendres tripled home one run, then scored on a wild pitch.
Wood completed the rout in the eighth when he led off the inning by sending a mammoth shot out to right-center, clearing the netting behind the scoreboard. The homer gave Wood nine this season, one shy of team leader Blash.
The Sox built their second-half lead in the Northwest League's West Division even further Monday evening, breezing past the Eugene Emeralds 7-0 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The victory gives Everett (18-9 second half, 34-31 overall) a four-game lead over Eugene (14-13, 38-27) and Salem-Keizer with just 11 games remaining in the season. And the Sox have all the momentum as they built this lead by winning eight of their past 10 while both Eugene and Salem-Keizer have sputtered around the .500 mark.
"We've got a good shot, I think," Everett starting pitcher Cameron Hobson, who tossed five scoreless innings, said about the team's playoff chances. "If we keep playing like we're doing we don't have anything to worry about. I think we've got a great team, our hitters are really coming around at the end of the season, and it's fun to watch."
Everett has different playoff scenarios against Eugene and Salem-Keizer. The Sox are in a head-to-head race with Salem-Keizer. However, Eugene won the first half and already secured a playoff berth, meaning if the Emeralds are able to pass the Sox then Everett needs to finish with the second-best overall record in the division to make the playoffs. Everett and Vancouver are currently tied in overall record.
But Eugene and Salem-Keizer need to get on their horses if they want to catch Everett, especially considering today's series finale between the Sox and Emeralds is the last shot either of those teams have against Everett head-to-head the rest of the way.
"We just come out and try and swing the bat every day, try to put up zeroes defensively," said Sox manager Scott Steinmann, who wasn't about to get ahead of himself where the playoffs are concerned. "At the end of the day hopefully we can scratch enough wins together to get into the playoffs."
Jim Wood hit his third homer in two days and he, Jabari Blash and Larry Gonzalez each had two hits to lead Everett's offense.
Hobson, David Colvin and Cody Weiss combined on a six-hitter on the mound for the Sox. It was Everett's fifth shutout of the season.
Hobson didn't think he had his best stuff Monday. Nevertheless, the left-hander turned in his second consecutive start without allowing a run. He allowed five hits and one hit during his five innings Monday, striking out six.
"It was a battle," Hobson said. "They were fouling some pitches off and getting some hits. It's not really the type of game I'm used to pitching, I wasn't getting those first-pitch outs as much tonight. But I battled and it worked out really well."
Eugene starter Will Scott tossed six innings of one-hit ball when the teams met in Eugene last week. However, he couldn't repeat that success Monday. Scott was living on the edge from the start, getting behind hitters and giving up long flyouts before eventually allowing four runs in four innings.
Everett got on the board in the bottom of the second, and it was the bottom of the order that did the damage. No. 8 batter Mike Dowd drove in the first run by dropping a two-out RBI single into center. Then No. 9 batter Jorge Agudelo put a two-run double into the left-field corner, with Dowd bowling over Eugene catcher Matthew Colantonio to score the trailing run as the Sox took a 3-0 lead. Dowd had to leave the game following the play because of a cut on his chin that required stitches.
The Sox made it 4-0 in the third on Ramon Morla's RBI single to left. Everett added two more in the seventh when Nathan Melendres tripled home one run, then scored on a wild pitch.
Wood completed the rout in the eighth when he led off the inning by sending a mammoth shot out to right-center, clearing the netting behind the scoreboard. The homer gave Wood nine this season, one shy of team leader Blash.
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