EVERETT – If these Frogs get any hotter they might need to start posing on three legs like those lizards that scuttle around the Sahara.
Robert Rohrbaugh, Justin Thomas and Stephen Kahn combined on a four-hit shutout and Luis Valbuena homered in the bottom of the fifth inning to lead the Everett AquaSox to a 1-0 victory over the Eugene Emeralds in a Northwest League game Sunday at Everett Memorial Stadium.
The red-hot Sox – three games below .500 a scant two weeks ago – improved to 26-20 with their 11th triumph in 13 games and remain just four games behind first-place Vancouver in the West Division.
Eugene (22-24) saw its three-game win streak come to an end in the first contest of a three-game series that continues today at 7:05 p.m. at Everett Memorial Stadium.
“That’s the kind of ball game I like. It was well played by both teams.” Everett manager Pedro Grifol said of the victory, which came before 4,117 fans, including Rohrbaugh’s parents Rick and Kathy who are visiting from his native Pennsylvania.
“When I was playing at Clemson my parents drove a lot of miles to see my games,” Rohrbaugh said. “But, this is 3,000 miles and it’s their only visit this summer. They didn’t even know if I would be pitching so I guess they got lucky.”
In a 29-pitch first inning Rohrbaugh issued consecutive one-out walks. After Grifol made a quick visit to the mound, Rohrbaugh struck out two batters looking to retire the side.
“I was nibbling early, but Pedro came out and said if I wanted to stick around more than three or four innings I needed to attack the hitters,” said Rohrbaugh (3-1).
Rohrbaugh cruised through the next five innings yielding two singles and facing one batter over the minimum. The left-hander had seven strikeouts in the game and did not walk a batter after the first inning.
Meanwhile Eugene pitcher Steve Delabar (4-2) kept Everett in check, allowing just a line-drive single by Mike Saunders through the first four innings.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth Valbuena crushed Delabar’s 2-0 offering over the wall in right-center field to give the AquaSox the only run they would need.
Valbuena leads the AquaSox with 28 RBI and is now tied with Casey Craig for the team lead in home runs with six.
Left-hander Justin Thomas relieved Rohrbaugh to start the bottom of the seventh. He cruised through two easy frames until Eugene’s Chase Headley hit a double to the wall in right center with one out in the ninth.
After Thomas walked Nick Hundley, Grifol plucked the right-handed Kahn from the bullpen to face pinch hitter Santiago Guerrero.
“Stephen likes the game to be in his hands,” Grifol said of Kahn. “He wants to be the guy to win it or lose it.”
With the count 2-2, Kahn struck out Guerrero on a check swing. The relief pitcher coaxed a ground ball out from Casey Smith to earn his fifth save in six appearances.
Neither team made an error and Grifol tipped his hat to Delabar, who gave way to reliever Alfredo Fernandez with one out in the bottom of the seventh. The pair combined to limit Everett to only four hits.
“Their guy pitched a heck of a game too,” Grifol said. “I know it may not have been real exciting for the fans, they like to see lots of runs. But to me, this is what good old-fashioned baseball is all about … I’m just extremely pleased with this ballclub.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
