The Eugene Emeralds’ recent struggles at the plate carried over into Sunday’s 6-2 loss against the visiting Boise Hawks.
The Emeralds, who combined to go 5-for-30 with runners in scoring position over the course of the weekend home series, went 1-for-1 to start off the game. Shortstop Franchy Cordero led-off the Eugene offensive attack with a walk in the bottom of the first. A stolen base from Cordero and a RBI-double to left field from second baseman Jalen Goree, and the Emeralds were on the scoreboard with a 1-0 lead.
The first inning RBI from Goree was his twelfth of the season and his eighth in the last ten games.
Boise got a runner into scoring position the following inning on a double to lead-off the inning from second baseman Chesny Young. The Hawks, however, didn’t need a hit to bring Young home from second. First baseman Alex Tomasovich flied out to right field in the following at bat, allowing Young to tag up and make it safely to third. A pass ball later in the inning allowed him to score and tie the game at one.
Thomas Dorminy got the start for the Emeralds, but it was reliever Travis Radke who took the most damage from the Boise lineup. In the top of the fourth, the Hawks scored four runs with a fielding error from Goree, two bunts that went for singles and three solid singles.
Boise designated hitter Mark Malave singled in run in the top of the eighth inning to bring the score to 6-1. The hit from Malave encapsulated a combined 5-12 effort with runners in scoring position for the Hawks on the evening.
Eugene left fielder Jose Urena hit his first home run of the season — a solo shot to center field — to begin the bottom of the ninth, but Boise reliever Josh Davis got the next three batters out to end the game.
With the loss, Eugene falls to 13-17 and will now head to Canada for a five-game road series with the Vancouver Canadians. The road hasn’t been kind to the Emeralds so far this season. The team is just 5-11 away from PK Park.
Notes:
– Trea Turner, who was promoted from Eugene to high-class single A Fort Wayne after the game on Friday, batted lead-off and started at shortstop in his debut on Sunday. Turner went 1-for-5.
Follow Joseph Hoyt on Twitter @jhoyt42