EVERETT — Chris Jakubauskas’ rehab assignment was a complete success.
Unfortunately his success didn’t rub off completely on the Everett AquaSox.
Salem-Keizer ruined Jakubauskas’ Northwest League debut using six extra-base hits to defeat the AquaSox 4-3 in front of a packed Everett Memorial Stadium Friday night.
The one-run loss was Everett’s 15th of the season.
“It was a real good game, fun to watch, the bad thing was we took the loss,” AquaSox manager Jose Moreno said.
Jakubauskas, a right-handed starter for the Tacoma Rainers, was with the Sox for only one start and he made it a good one. He worked 21/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out seven of the nine batters he faced. Jakubauskas is rehabbing a sore back and hasn’t pitched since July 6.
Jakubauskas gave way to AquaSox reliever Walter Suriel (4-4), who pitched two scoreless innings before giving up a double to left fielder Casey Bond and a home run to centerfielder Caleb Curry.
“Suriel made just (a couple) mistakes — the home run and the back-to-back doubles,” Moreno said.
Curry broke the scoreless tie with a line shot over the left field wall. The home run was Curry’s first as a professional.
The Volcanoes tacked on two more runs in the seventh with doubles by Johnny Monell, Ryan Lormand and Curry.
Curry finished 2-for-3 with three RBI.
Salem-Keizer (35-29) had six just six hits for the game, but all went for extra bases (five doubles and home run).
Everett (27-37) made it interesting in the ninth when shortstop Ben Billingsley hit a two-run home run to right field that cut the Volcanoes’ lead to 4-3.
Manilek Pimentel followed with a walk and Welington Dotel, who had driven home the Sox’s first run with a pinch-hit single in the seventh, bunted Pimentel over to second.
Second baseman Anthony Phillips grounded out to second moving Pimentel — the tying run — to third base. But Tyson Gillies grounded out to first to end the game. With the loss, the Sox fell eight games behind the Volcanoes in the West Division.
“We battled back, had the tying run at third with two outs,” Moreno said.
Gillies was the player the Sox wanted at the plate. The outfielder has been on a tear in August.
“He was trying to do too much. He wanted to answer right there. His first swing his shoulders were wide open like he wanted to hit the ball 700-feet,” Moreno said.
Gillies finished 2-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 13 straight games. He’s reached base in 18 consecutive games and has 23 hits and a .333 batting average in the month of August.
“He’s been doing a real good job. That’s the guy we want at the plate,” Moreno said.
Everett’s offense was done in by the double-play ball.
Everett had multiple opportunities to score, putting the first two runners on in both the first and fourth innings before double plays ruined the scoring chances.
“We didn’t score when we had the good situation with first and second and none out. We had two or three opportunities to score and we didn’t,” Moreno said.
Everett travels north to Vancouver for a three-game series against the Canadians before returning home for its final homestand of the season.
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