AquaSox locked in tight playoff battle as season winds down
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Video: What you’ll see at an AquaSox game — besides baseball
EVERETT — The Everett AquaSox have yet to play a home game at Everett Memorial Stadium this month.
That changes Wednesday as the Frogs open up a four-game series with the Tri-City Dust Devils at 7:05 p.m.
Then it’s up to Vancouver for a quick three-game set before returning home for an eight-game homestand that takes the AquaSox through the end of the month.
More important, however, is the rapidly dwindling number of games remaining.
Following Tuesday’s game in Boise, the AquaSox have just 18 games to go before the Northwest League regular season comes to an end.
Everett entered Tuesday’s series finale in Boise with a 10-9 mark in the second half.
The Frogs were tied with Spokane and a game back of both Vancouver and Tri-City in the second-half standings. The Canadians clinched the first-half North Division title so they’re in the postseason.
So if the AquaSox are going to make a push to return to the postseason this four-game set with Tri-City is the chance to do so.
Winners of six of eight entering Tuesday’s game, the AquaSox lead the NWL in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base-plus-slugging percentage, RBI, total bases, runs, hits, doubles and triples.
They’re second in on-base percentage and home runs. Their offensive output is the main reason they’ve been able to hang near the .500 mark in the second half of the season.
A number of AquaSox players are among the league leaders in many offensive categories. Eugene Helder is slashing .313/.361/.439 and is the reigning NWL Player of the Month.
Greifer Andrade is the league’s second-leading hitter and is slashing .331/.344/.490 with four homers and 31 RBI. Onil Pena is second in on-base percentage at .397 and slashing .297/.397/.503 with seven home runs and 22 RBI.
Johnny Adams is slashing .308/.365/.444 with five home runs and 36 RBI. Five of the 13 NWL players with an OPS over .800 play for the AquaSox.
Entering Tuesday, the pitching staff is next-to-last in earned-run average at 5.07 and last in WHIP at 1.56. They’ve allowed league worsts in home runs (53) runs (364). The defense has committed a league-worst 110 errors for the NWL’s lowest fielding percentage of .950. That was 18 more errors than Boise, the second-lowest in the league.
Starting pitcher Michael Suarez leads the league with seven wins despite a 5.26 ERA. He’s struck out 50 hitters in 511⁄3 innings. Andres Torres was tied for second in wins with a 6-1 record and a 3.44 ERA.
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