EVERETT – An ideal leadoff hitter gets on base, is a constant threat to steal and generally makes life miserable for opposing pitchers.
Casey Craig has proven he can do all of the above for the Everett AquaSox.
But on Saturday night, the center fielder showed he also can provide a major power surge from the top of the order.
Craig hit his first two home runs of the season, including a tie-breaking grand slam in the second inning, and Everett held on to defeat the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes 12-11 in a Northwest League game at Everett Memorial Stadium. Among the league leaders in batting average, runs and stolen bases, Craig was 2-for-4 with five runs batted in and three runs scored as 3,111 fans watched the Frogs prevail in the opener of a three-game West Division series.
Craig’s slam was his first in more than two years. His last one came in rookie ball.
“They put them right there,” Craig said of the pitches he hit out of the park. “There’s not much you can do.”
“It’s pretty nice, because I don’t hit many home runs,” said Craig, who also walked and stole a base.
Everett improved its record to 10-9 to move into a tie with Eugene for second place in the division. First-place Vancouver (14-5) beat Eugene 2-1 Saturday.
D.J. Dixon was 3-for-5 with three RBI for Salem-Keizer (9-10), which slipped to fourth place in the West.
S-K trailed 12-3 through five innings but stormed back with a combined five runs in the sixth and seventh. Then things really got interesting.
The Volcanoes scored three runs in the top of the ninth to pull within 12-11. It seemed Craig’s long-ball heroics would be washed away, but S-K’s Anthony Contreras, representing the go-ahead run, hit into a game-ending double play. Everett shortstop Rob Hudson snared Contreras’ grounder up the middle, stepped on second to force out Henry Gutierrez and threw to first to finish off a wild game.
Everett hurt itself with three errors late in the game and several mental mistakes that had AquaSox manager Pedro Grifol shaking his head.
“The defense flat-out stunk,” said Grifol. “…I’m not happy about how we played defense and how we pitched.”
Everett starter Nick Allen pitched six innings and improved to 3-0. He allowed five runs and eight of S-K’s 13 hits. Three Frogs relievers struggled, allowing six runs over the final three innings.
S-K took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Dixon hit a home run to right-center field. Dixon’s first homer of the season also drove in Pablo Sandoval (4-for-4), who had an infield single before Dixon came to the plate.
In the bottom of the second, Everett countered with the offensive equivalent of a sledgehammer. Craig’s grand slam to right field highlighted an eight-run inning in which 11 Frogs went to the plate before S-K recorded an out.
All but one player in Everett’s lineup scored during the eruption, which included five hits, three walks and two hit batsmen. S-K manager Steve Decker pulled starting pitcher Matt Raguse (1-2) after Craig’s slam, which made it 6-2.
Raguse’s replacement, right-hander Taylor Wilding, didn’t fare much better as Everett continued its onslaught and went ahead 11-3 after three innings. Luis Valbuena and J.B. Tucker homered in the third for the Frogs.
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