Esmerlin Vinicio Leads the Emeralds to a Shutout Victory

SF Giants Minor Lines, April 30, 2025

We had mixed results yesterday, with the River Cats and Squirrels giving up a ton of runs, and the Emeralds not giving up any. Esmerlin Vinicio got the Emeralds started on their 2nd shutout of the year, closing out April by moving into a tie for 1st place in the Northwest League. The River Cats gave up a ton of runs and a grand slam for the second day in a row, missing a chance to close out April at a .500 record. Meanwhile, the Flying Squirrels finished off their worst April in franchise history, and San Jose went down in defeat to the first place Modesto Nuts.

In other news, earlier yesterday, the Emeralds put out a press release announcing that General Manager Allan Benavides is leaving the Emeralds after 15 seasons to become GM of the new Ontario team that will be beginning play next year in the California League as a Dodgers’ affiliate. That is part of the team shuffling next year in the league that also brings an end to the Modesto franchise. Benavides’ final day as the GM of the Emeralds will be May 21. One has to wonder if the failure to get a new ballpark done in Eugene was weighing hard on his decision.

HITTER of the NIGHT: Brett Wisely, 2B, HR, 3 RBI

PITCHER of the NIGHT: Esmerlin Vinicio, 4.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K

Vinicio looked strong, pitching four innings of shutout ball with six strikeouts, as Everett AquaSox hitters had trouble catching up with his fastball. Vinicio gave the Emeralds a leg up on pitching their 2nd shutout of the season in a win over the AquaSox.

Brett Wisely was in the middle of two of the River Cats’ scoring rallies, with three hits, two for extra bases, and hitting one of the three River Cats’ home runs. It was not enough for Sacramento, as they went down in a barrage of Reno Aces’ runs in a game that looked more suited to Reno than the friendly confines of Sutter Health Park.