EVERETT — Anthony Fernandez baffled the Eugene Emeralds bats for six strong innings to propel the Everett AquaSox to a 4-1 Northwest League victory Saturday night in front of 2497 at Everett Memorial Stadium.
Kevin Mailloux’s first-inning two-run home run to deep center field provided all the runs Everett would need to erase the memory of Friday’s 6-4 walk-off loss to the Emeralds — just the second Eugene triumph between the two teams this year.
“It was good to get back on track after the tough one last night,” AquaSox manager Jose Moreno said.
Mailloux, who was 3-for-4 on the day, was happy to be back home after losing the series in Eugene.
“I battled through some tough ABs there,” said the Everett No. 3 hitter. “It’s a tough hitter’s park.”
Right away Mailloux got better pitches to hit Saturday, since clean-up hitter Kevin Rivers had owned Emeralds pitching this season. Rivers was hitting .467 against them entering Saturday’s game.
“We are trying to play every day like it’s a playoff game and we did that today,” Mailloux said.
Fernandez left the game after six innings with a comfortable 3-0 lead. The lefty from the Dominican Republic used his breaking pitch and worked both sides of the plate to keep the Emeralds on their heels. Fernandez struck out seven against just one walk and three hits.
It was one of Fernandez’s best starts of the year at home where his earned run average was 4.66 entering the game, compared to his 1.91 mark on the road, but he was humble after the game despite the strong performance.
“It was normal,” Fernandez said (through a translator). “I just keep on doing what I’ve been doing.”
Fernandez’s replacement, Bennett Whitmore, took away some of the comfort from the 3-0 advantage, quickly allowing a run on three straight singles. It ended the shutout and gave the Emeralds some hope of taking their third straight from Everett. But Whitmore retired the next three batters end the Eugene threat.
The AquaSox got an insurance run in the eighth when first baseman Evan Sharpley made Eugene’s Matt Irsfeld pay for intentionally walking Rivers with two outs and Robbie Anston on second. Sharpley doubled to right field to make it 4-1.
Everett’s Jorden Merry struck out three over the final two innings to earn his first save of the year.
With just eight games to go in the regular season and a playoff berth long since clinched after winning the first-half Western Division crown, the AquaSox (16-14 second half, 43-25 overall) are keeping the playoff mentality and refuse to coast into the postseason.
“We played good fundamental baseball and that’s what we are going to need in the playoffs,” Moreno said.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
