C’s Visit Hillsboro

There is something about the Hillsboro Hops and Vancouver Canadians that makes you wish they could play each other all 76 times during the regular season, and Wednesday’s thriller to open a five-game series down in Oregon was no exception.

The Canadians, trailing 4-2 heading to the top of the 9th inning stunned Hillsboro with a three-run home run from Otto Lopez off a pitcher (Kai-Wei Lin) that had only given up one run all year.

Then, in the bottom of the 9th inning, the Hops scored four times that included a three run walk-off home run from Will Gorman off a pitcher (Fitz Stadler) that hadn’t given up a run the whole season!

That was the kind of game Hillsboro and Vancouver offered up for the first of five out at Ron Tonkin Field.

Vancouver grabbed a two-run lead in the top of the 2nd inning when Jake Brodt hit a double to left field that scored Bryan Lizardo.

The throw back into the infield from Swain missed the mark and went out of play allowing Brodt to come in giving the Canadians a 2-0 lead. 

Hillsboro would score a run in the bottom of the 5th on a passed ball charged to Vancouver catcher Brett Wright before the Hops scored three times in the home half of the 7th which included a two-run double off the bat of Francis Martinez that gave the South Division First Half pennant winners a 4-2 lead heading to the 9th.

The Canadians, down to their final out of the game in the top of the 9th with no one on, saw Sterling Guzman draw a walk off sure-armed reliever Kai-Wei Lin before Lin Brett Wright drew a walk that brought the lead run to the plate in the form of Otto Lopez who was without a hit on the night.

Lin offered Lopez a 2-1 fastball and the native of Santo Domingo, DR crushed it over the left field fence to give Vancouver a stunning 5-4 lead.

Prior to the three-run home run, the Canadians were 0-18 when trailing after eight innings.

Now it was the Canadians who were three outs away from victory when Troy Miller walked the first hitter he faced (Jake McCarthy) before being pulled for Fitz Stadler who came into the game with an ERA of 0.00.

Stadler walked the first hitter fe faced (Geraldo Perdomo) before getting Toronto, Ontario native Andy Yerzy to ground into a double play that left the tying run at third base. Joey Rose ‘rose’ to the occasion slamming a double off Stadler down the left field line tying the game at 5-5 before Canadians manager Dallas McPherson opted to walk Francis Martinez opting the face Will Gorman who was 1-for-4.

That strategic move backfired as with two outs, and a 1-2 count of Gorman, Stadler left a pitch up in the strike zone that Gorman crushed over the right field fence to give the Hops a 8-5 come from behind victory.

With the loss, Vancouver (5-4) falls into a three-way tie for second place in the North Division alongside both Everett and Tri-City while Spokane came from behind for a 5-4 win to take sole possession of top spot at 6-3 (.667).

Vancouver will send RHP Jose Espada (2-3, 3.79) to the mound opposite RHP Ryan Weiss (0-0, 3.00). First pitch is set for 7:05 pm.