The Eugene Emeralds defeated the Boise Hawks 3-1 on Tuesday night, continuing their late season surge.

The victory thrust the Emeralds into the Northwest League playoff picture. As of Tuesday night, the team holds a playoff berth, and with 11 games left, the Ems will need to close out the season strong to hold their current position.

“We’re just going to have to keep doing the same thing,” Emeralds manager Jesus Feliciano said. “We’re gonna keep playing one game at a time.”

The game started on a rough note for the Emeralds with pitcher Jose Albertos surrendering a run off of a wild pitch in the first inning. With runners on first and third, however, Albertos regained his composure, and got his team out of the jam.

“I knew he was capable of doing it,” Feliciano said. “He’s had a lot of quality outings, and tonight wasn’t any exception. He wasn’t able to control his changeup in that first inning, but he got his other pitches in there.”

The Emeralds struck back in the bottom of the second inning. With two runners on, Jose Gonzalez launched a fly ball to deep center field. Hawks center fielder Steven Linkous was unable to corral it, leading to a two-run triple.

Albertos went on to defend his team’s lead by pitching well through the fifth inning. For the second night in a row, Boise was simply unable to generate any offense.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Emeralds tacked on another run. A wild pitch from Garrett Schilling brought Jhonny Bethencourt across the plate, giving the Ems a 3-1 lead.

Keegan Thompson came in to replace Albertos in the top of the sixth inning, and went on to pitch three more flawless innings. Luis Aquino took the mound in ninth inning, and promptly clinched a victory for his team.

While the victory held playoff implications, getting a win with the Chicago Cubs 2016 World Series trophy in the stadium was a special moment for the team.

“It was awesome,” Feliciano said. “This was a unique thing for the fans and players, and I think it was one of the best nights of the year.”

Next up, the Emeralds will face the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes at PK Park at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday.

Follow Aaron Alter on Twitter @aaronalter95

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