The Vancouver Canadians were downed by the Spokane Indians 4-1 at Nat Bailey Stadium on Thursday.
The scoring began in the top of the fourth as Spokane got to Connor O’Halloran. Dyan Jorge was issued a four-pitch leadoff walk and raced home on a Juan Guerrero two-out double to the left field corner.
Vancouver tied in the bottom of the sixth when Jace Bohrofen blasted a two-out, two-strike home run from Sean Sullivan.
Another player with the initials J.B. would untie the game when Jack Blomgren belted a one-out solo shot in the seventh off C’s reliever Chay Yeager.
Another leadoff walk came back to haunt Vancouver when Josh Mollerus lost Jake Snider on a full-count offering after a 10-pitch battle. A one-out wild pitch put Snider at third and Blomgren got aboard with a base on balls. José Cordova then bunted the ball up the first base side that Mollerus could only put in his pocket as Snider scored the third Spokane run. Robby Martin Jr. lined out to Mollerus for the second out and Mollerus tried to double off Blomgren but his throw sailed into center field. Blomgren got tangled up at second and did not advance but he would go on to score when Jesus Ordoñez singled to right.
After Sullivan worked the first eight innings, Zach Agnos closed it out with a perfect ninth for Spokane.
C-Notes
O’Halloran struck out Cole Carrigg to begin the ball game before Jorge got aboard with an infield single to third. Jorge stole second but he was eventually thrown out trying to steal third by Jommer Hernández for a 2-6 CS on the scoreboard to end the inning.
In the second inning, O’Halloran showed off his athleticism by recovering a comebacker that handcuffed him. He raced behind the mound to get the ball and throw out Jake Snider just in time. That proved to be big as Guerrero got aboard on an infield single to short and advanced to third on a Blomgren double to left. José Cordova lifted a fly ball to right that Bohrofen caught and he unleashed a bullet to home plate where Hernández tagged out Jorge at the plate for a 9-2 double play. Hernández then gave Jorge his best Dikembe Mutombo impression by wagging his finger at Guerrero before heading back to the dugout.
Spokane threatened to take the lead in the fifth when Cordova walked and went to second on a passed ball with nobody out. O’Halloran rallied by striking out Martin Jr. for the first of three consecutive outs. The Mississauga southpaw finished up with a three-up, three-down sixth inning.
Mollerus had to contend with a two-out double to center by Jorge which moved up another 90 feet on a wild pitch by striking out Carrigg and Karros before and after to end the eighth.
The C’s did not get their first hit against Sullivan until Bohrofen collected a one-out hustle double to right field. Bohrofen got as far as third base when Nick Goodwin grounded out to third but Peyton Williams flew out to left.
Another one-out double by Glenn Santiago in the fifth was also advanced to third when Estiven Machado grounded out to short but Dylan Rock fouled out on the third base side of home plate.
Machado was in discomfort after running to first on the grounder to short. He remained in the game at third base in the top of the sixth but was replaced by Baylor at third and Jean Arnaez filled in at second for Baylor.
The C’s got a two-out base knock to left field by Jommer Hernández in the eighth. Pinch-runner Marcos De La Rosa would be stranded when Sullivan’s 99th pitch resulted in a Baylor groundout to third. Robert Brooks took over the catching duties for Vancouver in the ninth.
Vancouver and Spokane will play twice on Friday. Game 1 of the doubleheader will begin at 1:05 p.m. Carson Pierce will get the ball in the first game for Vancouver as he goes up against Chase Dollander, Colorado’s 2023 first-round pick. Chris McElvain will start Game 2 for the C’s against TBA for Spokane. Tyler Zickel and Chris Georges will be on the air at CanadiansBaseball.com and MiLB.TV.
Radar Gun Rundown
Connor O’Halloran checked in at 78-96 miles per hour and registered strikeouts at 81, 83, 83. Chay Yeager was at 85-97 and Josh Mollerus had strikeouts of 84, 83 and 84 and was up to 94.
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