EVERETT – The countdown has begun.
With just 10 games remaining in the Northwest League regular season, including tonight’s series finale against the surging Boise Hawks, the first-place Everett AquaSox are trying to shake off their recent struggles and wrap up the West Division title.
AquaSox manager Pedro Grifol has seen his team pitch well but also hit poorly during the last week. Everett will have to play better to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002.
“When we’re hitting (well), we’re not pitching and when we’re pitching, we’re not hitting,” Grifol said before Thursday’s doubleheader against Boise at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“Maybe we can put it all together. We’re going to have to earn our way in there.”
Judging by their performance in the first game of a doubleheader Thursday at Everett Memorial Stadium, the AquaSox still have plenty of work to do. Everett was dreadful in nearly all aspects of a 12-2, seven-inning defeat.
Everett’s lead over the Vancouver Giants in the West has shrunk to a half-game. The AquaSox have lost four consecutive games to fall to 37-29. Vancouver (36-29) defeated Yakima 3-2 Thursday night.
Boise has won five straight to improve to 37-29.
In Game 2, which started at 9:05 p.m. and ended less than half an hour before midnight, Everett played better but fell 4-1. The AquaSox are now 1-8 against Boise this season. Everett starting pitcher Aaron Jensen allowed three runs on four hits in five innings, falling to 6-3. The right-hander struck out six and walked three.
Everett’s pitching and defense were decent but it struggled to generate offense yet again. The Frogs mustered just four hits. Their only run came on a bases-loaded walk in the fourth issued to Mike Wilson by Boise reliever Andy Mejia.
Boise reliever and University of Washington alum Will Fenton struck out four in two scoreless innings to improve to 1-0.
Grifol was ejected in the top of the fourth for arguing a call with field umpire Garrett Wilson. Boise’s Ryan Harvey appeared to be thrown out at third base by AquaSox catcher Omar Falcon, but Wilson said Harvey slid in ahead of third baseman Brandon Green’s tag.
In game 1 Everett seemed primed for victory. The AquaSox had their top gun, ace Shawn Nottingham, on the mound and designated hitter Matt Tuiasosopo hit a second-inning home run that gave the Frogs a 2-1 lead. The way Nottingham has pitched this season (he entered the game with a 9-1 record and a 2.81 earned-run average), that could have been enough.
It wasn’t even close on a night when Nottingham looked nothing like the crafty left-hander Northwest League hitters have consistently struggled against.
After Nottingham (9-2) struck out the side in the first inning, he couldn’t find the strike zone. He surrendered a run after walking a pair to start the second, gave up a solo home run to Boise’s Jasha Balcom in the third and fell apart in the top of the fourth, when the Hawks scored three times for a 5-2 lead. Nottingham recorded just nine outs before leaving with the bases loaded in the fourth. Overall he gave up four earned runs, walked four, uncorked a wild pitch and hit a batter.
Conversely, Boise starter Luis Brito allowed just two runs in six innings to improve to 6-4. Brito scattered seven hits and further stifled Everett’s sinking offense despite entering the game with a less-than imposing 5.31 ERA.
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