The Eugene Emeralds traveled to Salem to take on the division-leading Salem-Keizer Volcanoes and dropped the first game of their three-game set. The loss drops Eugene to 11-20 on the season, 0-4 against the Volcanoes.
The Ems offense got started early, with a Hunter Renfroe homerun to left in the first inning to give Eugene a 1-0 lead. Salem-Keizer would answer quickly, though, roughing up starter Erik Cabrera for four runs in the bottom of the inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out, until Ryan Tuntland unloaded them with a three-run triple to deep center field. An RBI single and a walk before the end of the inning called for Cabrera’s departure, his shortest outing of the season.
Eugene wouldn’t pose another threat offensively until the sixth, when Ronnie Richardson legged out a double to start the inning. Renfroe advanced Richardson with a ground out and a wild pitch allowed him to score with two outs. But once again, the Volcanoes were quick to answer in the home half. Brandon Bednar singled home Ty Ross who walked to lead off the inning. The Ems chipped away again in the seventh, but they scored via small ball and could only muster one run. The theme continued for Salem-Keizer as they scored two runs of their own. Singles by Brian Ragira and Tyler Horan and a walk by Tuntland put Emeralds reliever Jairo Gomez on a short leash, and he was taken out of the game after walking Shilo McCall to force home Ragira. Tuntland would eventually score on a John Plonious single, giving Salem-Keizer a commanding 7-3 lead through seven innings.
For the second time is as many innings, the Volcanoes scored a run on a bases loaded walk in the eighth, one of 11 free passes issued by Emeralds pitchers. Amazingly, McCall walked with the bases juiced and Ragira, Horan and Tuntland on base once again.
The Ems had a chance to get back into the game in the ninth with the bases loaded and one out. Henry Charles walked to force home a run, cutting the lead to 8-4, but ultimately Eugene’s comeback attempt would fall short.
Chase Jensen and Ryan Miller led the Emeralds offensively with two hits apiece including a double each. Although he went hitless, Charles tallied two RBI, bringing his team-leading total to 14. Renfroe, the MLB draft’s 13th overall selection, hit the second home run of his short career. He’s hitting .400 through five games with Eugene.
Starting pitcher Erik Cabrera (0-5) put the Ems in a hole early, giving up four runs in less than an inning of work. The bullpen wasn’t much better though. Three relief pitchers allowed another four runs to score on eight walks over the remainder of the game. The offense had their chances; the Ems went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position but failed to capitalize.
On the other side of the scoreboard, the Volcanoes managed to score eight runs despite leaving 11 men on base, but countered that by hitting .500 with runners in scoring position (6-for-12). Chris Johnson (3-2) pitched a solid six innings for Salem-Keizer and Raymundo Montero recorded the game’s final two outs for his fifth save of the season.