EUGENE, Ore. — One night after setting the Northwest League record for most consecutive wins, the Eugene Emeralds looked far from a winning ball club giving up 11 runs and 11 hits to the Vancouver Canadians in an 11-1 loss — snapping the record at 14 strait.
The Emeralds (17-3), who have been an offensive machine over the winning streak, struggled to get any offensive momentum in the game only scoring one run off of four hits.
Eugene had multiple chances to score but was unable to capitalize leaving 10 runners on base.
The only run of the game for first-year skipper Pat Murphy’s team was scored in the bottom of the second inning off of a RBI-double from Matthew Colantonio that scored teammate Kyle Gaedele from second base — putting Eugene up 1-0.
“We got taken behind the woodshed tonight,” Murphy said. “You’re not surprised it’s going to happen at some point.”
The Emeralds, the single-A farm team for the San Diego Padres, looked as if they may break the game open but their hopes would be cut short — when they ended the inning with the bases loaded when left fielder Mykal Stokes hit a fly ball to center field that was caught with a leaping-catch by Vancouver’s Jon Jones.
“It could have been a triple as easy as it was an out,” Murphy said. “It was a great play by their guy.”
The lead would be short lived due to a three-run third inning from the Canadians (12-8).
The Emeralds starting pitcher, James Needy, retired six of the first seven batters he faced entering the inning but he struggled from there only making it 2 1/3 innings.
After walking the first batter he faced in the third Needy gave up a double to Vancouver’s catcher, Garrett Maines, which put runners on first and third base. The next at-bat the Canadians scored their first run of the game on a RBI-single by second baseman Jonathon Berti.
Berti finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with a RBI and a stolen base.
The Canadians, the single-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, scored their second run of the inning on a fielding error by Eugene’s third baseman, Travis Whitmore, which allowed Garrett Maines from third base, and the final run of the inning was scored the next at-bat by a sacrifice-fly by right fielder Nicholas Baligod.
Neither team would score over the next two innings before Vancouver exploded for seven runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Eugene’s relief pitcher, Greg Gonzalez, retired the first batter of the inning and then was replaced by Paul Bingham.
After allowing a double to Vancouver’s Randy Schwartz and a single to Roan Salas — Bingham allowed a three-run home run to Stephen McQuail over the left-field fence, making the score 6-1 Canadians.
Vancouver was not done scoring though after a strike out they came back with another three-run homerun this one by Jones putting the Canadians up by nine runs.
They scored the final run of the game in the top of the seventh inning when McQuail hit his second home run of the game — a solo shot to left field.
McQuail finished the game 2-for-3 with two home runs and four RBIs.
The Emeralds allowed three home runs in the game.
Even with the Emeralds’ offensive struggle – Cory Spangenberg, Eugene’s second baseman, has still reached base in every game of the season and leads the NWL in batting average (.391) and on base percentage (.557).
Eugene will look to return to its winning ways July 7 at PK Park when they start a five-game series with Yakima. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Alan K. Fox can be reached at alanfoxjr@gmail.com or on Twitter @alankfox
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