EVERETT – The Everett AquaSox’s bats turned Rafael Soriano into a sideshow Saturday night.
Luis Valbuena led an Everett barrage with two home runs, and the AquaSox routed the the Yakima Bears 12-3 in a Northwest League game.
Before a sellout crowd of 4,286 at Everett Memorial Stadium, the AquaSox pounded out 13 hits, leaving Soriano, the Seattle Mariners pitcher who was making a rehabilitation start, a mere footnote.
“We were doing what we had to do,” Valbuena said through translator Danny Santin. “We were getting pitches to hit and just having good at bats.”
Valbuena finished 3-for-4 with five RBI in the first game of the five-game series. His two homers gave him a team-leading eight for the season.
“It’s something that’s incredible,” Valbuena said about his two-homer feat. “I’ve never done it before and it’s definitely a great feeling.
“It felt good because I was able to make the proper adjustments,” Valbuena added. “That allowed me to get good wood on the ball.”
Reed Eastley was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI and Ronnie Prettyman was 3-for-5 with three runs for Everett (30-22), which remained five games behind West Division leading Vancouver. Also, shortstop Rob Hudson tied a league record for assists in a game with 12.
“I thought we made some nice plays on defense, we swung the bats and had good at bats when we needed them and we pitched well,” Everett manager Pedro Grifol said. “We showed bits and pieces of every part of the game today. Now we have to do it again tomorrow. We’re not taking anything lightly.”
Brandon Burgess went 3-for-5 to lead Yakima (22-30).
Soriano, the Mariners right-hander who made three rehab appearances with Everett earlier this season, was not quite as dominating as he was his first time through Everett. In two innings he gave up two runs – one earned – on three hits, striking out one. He was around the plate the entire time, throwing 24 of his 34 pitches for strikes.
Paul Fagan, the original scheduled starter, relieved Soriano and cruised to the victory. In six innings the lefty gave up one run on six hits and two walks, striking out four. He improved his record to 4-2.
Yakima starter Chris Kemlo took the loss to fall to 3-5. He gave up seven runs in three innings.
Valbuena left little doubt on either of his home runs. In the bottom of the first he finished off a five-run rally by launching a line drive well over the right-center fence for a two-run homer. Then in the third he lined a shot into the homer porch in straightaway right for a solo shot.
“Valbuena is giving us better at bats,” Grifol said. “His pitch selection is better and he’s being more patient. When you get a good hitter’s count you can do things.”
The AquaSox jumped all over Kemlo in the first. Eastley’s single up the middle drove in the first run. Santin later dropped a double down the right-field line, plating two runs. Finally, Valbuena blasted his first homer to give Everett a 5-0 lead.
Yakima then touched up Soriano for two in the top of the second. Burgess doubled off the left-field wall, then Jaen Centeno blooped a double to right, scoring Burgess. Centeno later scored on Lester Contreras’ groundout, cutting the lead to 5-2.
Everett got one back in the bottom of the second when Yakima shortstop Derek Bruce slipped after fielding J.B. Tucker’s two-out grounder cleanly, allowing Prettyman to score from third and make the score 6-2.
Valbuena’s second homer in the third was followed by an RBI single in the fifth, giving Everett an 8-2 lead.
Yakima got one in the sixth on Leyson Septimo’s RBI double off the center-field wall, but Burgess was thrown out at the plate to prevent any further damage.
Everett put the game away by batting around in the bottom of the frame. Eastley had an RBI double, David Hall hit a pinch-hit RBI single, Alex Gary drove in a run with a grounder that ended up an error, and Valbuena hit a sacrifice fly, stretching the lead to 12-3.
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