EVERETT — This time there was no playing catch-up. There was no protecting a one-run lead. The Everett AquaSox took control of Monday’s Northwest League game with a four-run fifth inning and stayed in control en route to a 6-4 win over the Vancouver Canadians at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Manelik Pimentel had the big hit in the fifth, a two-run double. Brandon Fromm had a two-out RBI double in the sixth to gfive the AquaSox a three-run cushion.
“We were able to move runners over and score some runs,” Everett manager Jose Moreno said.
“Pitching-wise, we did a good job of holding them.”
Three relief pitchers combined on the victory. The first, Phil Hann (1-3) got the win, his first. The second, Javier Martinez, got a hold. The third, Eddy Fernandez, got the save, rescuing Martinez, who gave up back-to-back hits to start the ninth after retiring six of the first seven he faced.
Hernandez yielded a sacrifice fly, but closed the game with two strikeouts.
Everett improved to 18-29, stopped a three-game losing streak and pulled within a game of the third-place Canadians in the West Division.
Vancouver starter Pedro Figueroa issued his first two walks in the fifth and was removed after Ryan Royster loaded the bases on an infield single.
Reliever Fabian Gomez gave up the tying run on Anthony Phillips’ fielder’s choice grounder to short and he gave up the go-ahead run on Luis Nunez’s dribbler down the third-base line.
Pimentel followed with a two-run doubled to the gap in right center.
Vancouver scored an unearned run in the sixth to cut the lead to two runs at 5-3. Jeremy Barfield reached on a one-out single, took second on a wild pitch and scored when Marco Luis’ grounder went through the legs of Nunez at second.
Vancouver broke a 1-1 tie in the top half of the fifth. After Everett starter Nolan Gallagher issued a two-out walk, he was replaced by reliever Phil Hann, who gave up a single to Francisco Tirado followed by a double to Dusty Napoleon.
Vancouver tied the score in the fourth inning. Tirado drew a leadoff walk and advanced to second when Everett center fielder Jareck West dropped Napoleon’s fly ball. Two outs later, Jeremy Barfield singled to right to drive in Tirado.
Napoleon had a rough second inning at first base. He misplayed a grounder by Travis Howell. Then, after Howell advanced on a passed ball, he booted a ball hit by Brandon Fromm and threw it past the pitcher at first, allowing Howell to score.
The three errors in the inning were more than Napoleon’s season total coming into the game.
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