Sixth-seeded Hillsborough overcame another bad postseason start by Justin Verlander and 13 strikeouts against Aaron Nola, coming back from two runs down with one out in the 9th for a thrilling 8-7 walk-off win over No. 3 Vancouver on Wednesday to force a decisive Game 5 on Friday night.
Verlander spit the bit for the second time in the series, ripped for 6 runs on 6 hits in 4 1/3 innings, thanks to 5 walks. He struck out 6. The trade deadline acquisition has an ERA of nearly 15 in two starts in the series.
Nola, who struck out 11 in a Game 1 victory, K'd 13 and walked just 1 in 6 2/3 innings but also got tagged for 5 runs on 10 hits. Still, he was the pitcher of record until the 9th-inning comeback, two outs away from his second win. Juan Nicasio wore the goat horns. After a clean 8th inning, he entered the bottom of the 9th with a 7-5 lead.
No. 9 hitter Alex Presley, playing center field after pinch-hitting for Byron Buxton in the 6th inning, doubled to lead off the 9th. After Mookie Betts harmlessly grounded out to 3rd base, Austin Barnes lifted a Nicasio pitch deep to left that cleared the wall to tie the game at 7-7. Kris Bryant grounded to 3rd for the second out and just as the teams started to prepare for potential extra innings, Rosario blasted a homer to right field, walking off with a 7-5 win in front of the home crowd.
An inning earlier, Vancouver had loaded the bases with no one out but only got one insurance run out of it. Shane Greene started the top of the 8th for Hillsborough and was greeted with a pair of singles. Pinch-hitting for No. 9 hitter Jean Segura, Mike Lamb drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Without retiring a batter, Greene's night was done, the Hit Men calling on Wade Davis to put out the fire. He got a huge double play ball from Alex Avila, allowing a run to score in exchange for two big outs. Davis got Carlos Santana to fly to left to end the inning, keeping the Hit Men within two runs.
The Iron Fist failed to make the most out of a bases-loaded situation in the 1st inning too, coming away with no runs after a walk and two singles. In the 2nd, Avila drew a leadoff walk and took third on a single by Santana. That allowed Avila to score when J.D. Martinez grounded into a double play, putting Vancouver up first, 1-0.
Nola started out on fire for the Iron First. After a one-out single in the 1st, he set down 6 of the next 7 batters by strikeout, including 5 in a row. He also retired the first two batters in the 3rd before consecutive singles by Betts and Barnes. With one swing, Bryant suddenly gave the Hit Men a 3-1 lead, taking Nola's offering deep to left field.
Vancouver responded in the top of the 4th. Anthony Rendon singled and advanced on a groundout and sac fly. Tiring of the bullshit run-scoring groundouts, Jonathan Schoop launched a bomb down the left-field line, tying up the game at 3-3.
Verlander's night hit its nadir in the 5th inning when he issued three of his five walks with one out, filling the bases with Iron Fisters again. Another single by Rendon drove in two, grabbing a 5-3 lead and sending Verlander to the showers. Joakim Soria came on to face Matt Kemp, who singled to left center, scoring Charlie Blackmon to make it 6-3.
In the bottom of the 5th, Buxton tried to get the Hit Men a run on his own out of the 9 hole. After a leadoff single, he stole 2nd base and then 3rd but in between Nola struck out the side to reach double digits in Ks.
Rosario singled to lead off the 6th and scored on a double by Yangervis Solarte to get the Hit Men within 6-4. Presley, pinch-hitting for Buxton, singled to lead off the 7th inning and got to 3rd on a double by Betts. After Barnes struck out, Bryant grounded to 2nd base to score Presley to slice the lead to a run and advance Betts to 3rd. Nola intentionally walked Rosario but after 125 pitches (80 for strikes, .640) he would not face Miguel Sano. Instead, Vancouver called upon Nicasio with men on the corners and he came through, getting Sano to end the inning on a grounder to short, still clinging to a 6-5 lead after 7.
In relief of Verlander, Soria struck out 5 over 2 2/3 innings to keep Hillsborough close. Mike Minor (1-0) was credited with the win on just 3 pitches, his first a wild pitch, before getting Matt Kemp to fly out to end the 9th. Nicasio (0-1) blew the save and the suffered the loss, slain for 3 runs and 3 hits in 2 innings.
Rendon had 4 hits for the Iron Fist. Bryant led all batters with 4 RBI. Rosario and Barnes each finished with 3 hits.
Hillsborough finished with 8 runs on 13 hits, leaving 6 men on base while Vancouver had 7 runs on 11 hits and left 8 aboard.
Verlander may have been the big-name deadline acquisition for Hillsborough but others played huge parts in the Game 4 comeback. Minor was acquired from Livingston in July and two dates later they got Barnes from Hoboken. In late July, a deal with Livingston was made again, and in addition to Verlander, the Hit Men got Soria and Presley.
Rookie Luis Castillo, who started Game 2, is likely to get the call for Vancouver in Game 5. Jose Berrios won Game 2 for Hillsborough and could be the Game 5 starter for the Hitmen, although Carlos Martinez has yet to make an appearance in the series.
If Hillsborough takes the first round series, it would mean a matchup against top-seeded Sardine City in the semifinals and leave No. 2 Hopatcong to face the winner of the Tucson-Marietta matchup, which has its own Game 5 on Thursday. A Vancouver win on Friday would flip those semifinal matchups.
Nola, who struck out 11 in a Game 1 victory, K'd 13 and walked just 1 in 6 2/3 innings but also got tagged for 5 runs on 10 hits. Still, he was the pitcher of record until the 9th-inning comeback, two outs away from his second win. Juan Nicasio wore the goat horns. After a clean 8th inning, he entered the bottom of the 9th with a 7-5 lead.
An inning earlier, Vancouver had loaded the bases with no one out but only got one insurance run out of it. Shane Greene started the top of the 8th for Hillsborough and was greeted with a pair of singles. Pinch-hitting for No. 9 hitter Jean Segura, Mike Lamb drew a walk to load the bases with no outs. Without retiring a batter, Greene's night was done, the Hit Men calling on Wade Davis to put out the fire. He got a huge double play ball from Alex Avila, allowing a run to score in exchange for two big outs. Davis got Carlos Santana to fly to left to end the inning, keeping the Hit Men within two runs.
Vancouver responded in the top of the 4th. Anthony Rendon singled and advanced on a groundout and sac fly. Tiring of the bullshit run-scoring groundouts, Jonathan Schoop launched a bomb down the left-field line, tying up the game at 3-3.
Verlander's night hit its nadir in the 5th inning when he issued three of his five walks with one out, filling the bases with Iron Fisters again. Another single by Rendon drove in two, grabbing a 5-3 lead and sending Verlander to the showers. Joakim Soria came on to face Matt Kemp, who singled to left center, scoring Charlie Blackmon to make it 6-3.
In the bottom of the 5th, Buxton tried to get the Hit Men a run on his own out of the 9 hole. After a leadoff single, he stole 2nd base and then 3rd but in between Nola struck out the side to reach double digits in Ks.
Rosario singled to lead off the 6th and scored on a double by Yangervis Solarte to get the Hit Men within 6-4. Presley, pinch-hitting for Buxton, singled to lead off the 7th inning and got to 3rd on a double by Betts. After Barnes struck out, Bryant grounded to 2nd base to score Presley to slice the lead to a run and advance Betts to 3rd. Nola intentionally walked Rosario but after 125 pitches (80 for strikes, .640) he would not face Miguel Sano. Instead, Vancouver called upon Nicasio with men on the corners and he came through, getting Sano to end the inning on a grounder to short, still clinging to a 6-5 lead after 7.
Rendon had 4 hits for the Iron Fist. Bryant led all batters with 4 RBI. Rosario and Barnes each finished with 3 hits.
Hillsborough finished with 8 runs on 13 hits, leaving 6 men on base while Vancouver had 7 runs on 11 hits and left 8 aboard.
Verlander may have been the big-name deadline acquisition for Hillsborough but others played huge parts in the Game 4 comeback. Minor was acquired from Livingston in July and two dates later they got Barnes from Hoboken. In late July, a deal with Livingston was made again, and in addition to Verlander, the Hit Men got Soria and Presley.
Rookie Luis Castillo, who started Game 2, is likely to get the call for Vancouver in Game 5. Jose Berrios won Game 2 for Hillsborough and could be the Game 5 starter for the Hitmen, although Carlos Martinez has yet to make an appearance in the series.
If Hillsborough takes the first round series, it would mean a matchup against top-seeded Sardine City in the semifinals and leave No. 2 Hopatcong to face the winner of the Tucson-Marietta matchup, which has its own Game 5 on Thursday. A Vancouver win on Friday would flip those semifinal matchups.
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