Already more than halfway through the season, the Hillsboro Hops turn to closing out the season a bit stronger than they started. Currently, the Hops stand in last place in the Northwest League with a 12-27 record, with only 5 games won on the road. The Hops are three games behind the Eugene Emeralds in the Northwest South League.
Independence Day weekend, the Hops took the Vancouver Canadians into 19 innings in game two and provided some exciting baseball for fans. The Hops were able to thrill in front of a home crowd, with Ryan Gebhardt hitting a sac fly to right field that drove in the winning run on third.
Though another nail bitter, things turned the next day with the Hops dropping the final game, losing to Vancouver 8-6. It is not a question of whether the Hops can play great baseball. They have showed it countless times, and with heart.
Jump forward a couple weeks, the Hops have appeared to make some adjustments, kicking off the second half of their season with a win on Tuesday against Salem-Keizer, the team currently in first place in Northwest South League.
In Tuesday night’s game, Braden Shipley took the mound for the Hops, and allowed one earned run in three innings. He also had three strikeouts. Gebhardt again helped carry the Hops victory with a single early in the game to tie it up. Gebhardt is hitting just under .300 this season.
Teammate George Roberts continued his hitting streak driving in four runs for the Hops, securing the 9-6 for the Hops.
The season seems to be flying by, with the Hops still pushing ahead to surpass goals for the second half of the season. The Diamondbacks franchise has some great young players on their hands. Though only 19-years-old, pitcher Jose Martinez continues to perform for his team. With a 2-2 record, Martinez continues to challenge each batter that comes to the plate.
Relief pitcher Austin Platt holds a 3.29 ERA in the last two games, and received the win on Tuesday relieving Shipley and pitching four innings.
Offensively, third baseman Jordan Parr continues to drive in runs for the Hops, proving his offensive capabilities with his solid on-base percentage. Outfielder Yogey Perez-Ramos is batting .340 this season for the Hops. Fellow outfielder Zach Esquerra is also showing impressive stats, having over 25 RBIs this season.
The Hops have the perfect tools needed for a successful conclusion to their season. Watch the Hops take on Salem-Keizer tonight before returning home to take on the Everett AquaSox in a five game series.
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