EVERETT — Jurrangelo Cijntje started to lose his command. After allowing a solo home run to Eugene Emeralds first baseman Charlie Szykowny in the top of the fourth inning to go down 3-1, the Everett AquaSox switch-pitcher walked the next two batters. Manager Zach Vincej made a call to the bullpen, inserting Jordan Jackson on the mound in search of stability.
What he got was five straight Emeralds reaching base before the next out, including a Bo Davidson RBI-single to clear loaded bases and balloon the Eugene lead to 8-1. After a six-run fourth inning, the Emeralds never looked back, taking a 9-3 win and dropping Everett to five losses in its past six games.
Cijntje allowed four hits and three walks while striking out four in 3.1 innings. By the time he left the mound, he had three earned runs with two runners on base. Eugene hit back-to-back RBI singles off Jackson (1.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K) to bump that figure up to five earned.
“(Jackson) was filling it up,” Vincej said. “He was filling strikes, they just capitalized on it. … They just put together some good things — a couple walks, I believe — so a couple of free bases. But other than that, they capitalized on some big hits, had a big inning.”
Aside from the pitching woes, the AquaSox continued their trend of failing to get base-runners home. They went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position (RISP) and having 12 left on base. Across this whole week against Eugene — including Friday’s 3-0 win — Everett is 6-for-37 (.162) with RISP.
Despite this, both Vincej and catcher Josh Caron, who had an impressive night at the plate (3-for-3, 1 R, 2 RBI), said the team is keeping things status quo.
“I don’t think we’re going to change a whole lot,” Caron said. “I think we got a great team. I mean, you saw it in the first half. Sure, we lost a couple bats (Lazaro Montes and Michael Arroyo to Double-A Arkansas), but we still got a really good team, and it’s a long season, so we’re just going to keep competing.”
The Emeralds took an early lead when Drew Cavanaugh launched a two-run homer to right field in the top of the first inning, but the AquaSox responded by loading the bases in the bottom of the frame. Caron sent the first pitch he saw just outside the left foul pole, then settled for a sacrifice fly to right field to score Curtis Washington Jr. and cut it to 2-1.
Washington Jr. took over the leadoff spot on Saturday, and immediately worked a walk in the top of the first inning to start the rally. Vincej praised Washington Jr.’s plate discipline and speed on the bases, making him a natural fit.
Washington Jr. went 0-for-3 on Saturday, but reached base twice with a pair of walks. In five games since he was called up from Low-A Modesto, the 2022 19th-round pick out of West Memphis, Ark. is 4-for-15 (.267) with a .450 on-base percentage and three stolen bases.
“It’s been going really good, (…) besides the losing,” Washington Jr. said. “I’ve been with these guys, last year in Modesto, so I’m pretty familiar with all the players, the coaching staff, so they were excited to see me. I already feel like I’m at home.”
After Caron scored Washington Jr. to cut the deficit, Cijntje hit Szykowny with a pitch to lead off the second. He retired the next two batters before Caron caught Szykowny stealing to end the frame. Cijntje got into a little trouble in the third with another hit by pitch, but struck out Cavanaugh to strand two runners.
After Cijntje allowed the home run to Szykowny and walked Croes in the fourth, pitching coach Matt Carasiti went out for a quick mound visit. Cijntje followed it up by throwing four straight balls to Quinn McDaniel after starting with an 0-2 count, and Vincej made the change.
“Basically, it’s just kind of getting him a breather,” Caron said about the discussion on the mound. “Those innings where guys start to get on base can really speed up on you a little bit, and I think the biggest thing is just to slow it down and kind of get a good reset for him.”
After Eugene’s fourth-inning outburst, the AquaSox didn’t pose a threat to cut the deficit until they loaded the bases in both the fifth and sixth innings. After they came up empty in the fifth, Carson Jones hit a sacrifice fly to score Caron and cut it to 8-2 in the sixth. Brandon Eike singled right after to reload the bases, but all three runners were left stranded once again.
Croes hit an RBI-double into right field corner to make it 9-2 in the top of the seventh, and Caron hit his second sac fly of the night in the bottom of the ninth to set up the 9-3 final. Shortstop Colt Emerson sat out again as a precaution due to soreness, according to Vincej, while outfielder Tai Peete was given a rest day.
The AquaSox have one more game against Eugene on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. before heading on the road for three games in Vancouver.
“I was telling our hitting coach (Jordan Cowan), we were having some good (at-bats),” Vincej said. “Just looking for that big hit that we’ve been doing a lot this season. But yeah, I mean, nothing really needs to change. Just keep hitting the ball hard, and hopefully good things will happen.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
