High-A-Game 1: Eugene 10, Vancouver 3 (Eugene leads 1-0, Best-of-5)

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Eugene Notes:

  • Vancouver hit a leadoff home run to take the lead 1-0 in the top of the first, but it was all downhill from there.  In the bottom of the first, Luis Matos singled, Marco Luciano walked, and Hunter Bishop singled to load the bases.  From there, Andy Thomas hit a grand slam to put Eugene up 4-1 and they never looked back.  All three of Vancouver’s runs came off of home runs, but each were solo shots without runners on base.  Eugene pounded out 11 hits and to win 10-3 and take Game 1 of the Best of 5 series.
  • Grand slammer Andy Thomas had ten home runs in the regular season, but just one in 24 games with Eugene after he came over in the trade.  That one home run with Eugene was also a grand slam, on August 31st.  Thomas batted .238/.373/.381 in the regular season, but just .174/.304/.221 with Eugene.
  • Damon Dues was known for walks in the regular season, but his home run in the sixth was his first professional home run.  Across three levels this season, Dues hit .384/.539/.500 over 30 games, with 29 walks to 19 strikeouts.
  • It was a big day for Luis Matos, who had a rough regular season, as Matos was 3-for-5 with two doubles and a steal.  On the regular season, Matos had just 15 doubles in 93 games, 14 of which came in Eugene.  Matos ended the year in Eugene with a .211/.275/.344 batting line with 14 doubles, one triple, and 11 home run.
  • Marco Luciano’s first High-A playoff game went 1-for-4 with a double, and also had a walk.  Luciano missed a lot of time this season, playing just 57 games, with a .263/.339/.459 batting line, with ten doubles and ten home runs in Eugene.
  • Grant McCray was 2-for-5 with a pair of singles as he hit leadoff.  McCray finished the year overall with .289/.383/.514 batting line, and in 14 games at Eugene, he hit .269/.387/.423 with two doubles and two home runs, and eight steals in as many attempts.
  • Hunter Bishop played as DH, going 2-for-5 with a pair of singles and a steal.  Bishop hit just .235/.320/.406 with Eugene in 85 games in a season marred by more injuries, but did collect 20 steals in 22 attempts.
  • Leading off the playoff series on the mound was Carson Seymour, as he struck out eight in 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on two walks and six hits, but two of those hits were home runs.  Seymour had a 3.99 ERA in six games with Eugene after the trade, and he had allowed just one home run in those games.
  • Reliever Nick Morreale struck out the side while allowing just one hit, and having one balk.  Morreale had 64 strikeouts to 20 walks in 54.0 innings on the season, and had a 3.33 ERA over 40 appearances.