Mattingly Romanin crosses the plate with the first run of the game Sunday afternoon.
The Vancouver Canadians completed a three-game sweep thanks to a perfect day at the plate from the Toronto Blue Jays third-round pick of the 2017 draft and a near-perfect outing on the mound from one of its Dominican pitching prospects. Riley Adams—who holds a second-degree black belt in karate—went 4-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in while making his first start at catcher and Dany Jimenez did not give up a hit in his first 5-2/3 innings as the C’s defeated the Indians 8-3 at Nat Bailey Stadium Sunday afternoon. Thanks to the Everett AquaSox’s 13-inning win over the Tri-City Dust Devils, Vancouver is now tied for top spot in the Northwest League North Division at 8-3.
Starting with Adams, he came oh-so-close to getting a cycle. Needing a triple to complete the feat, the former San Diego Torero was thrown out at third base in the seventh inning on a well-executed 8-4-5 play and had to settle for a pair of doubles instead.
Riley Adams had a 4-for-4 day at the plate with a home run, two doubles and a single.
Adams drove in the first run of the game with his first double in the second inning, cashing on a Mattingly Romanin hit by pitch from Spokane starter Tyree Thompson as part of a two-out rally. The C’s would add on to the lead in the third when Deiferson Barreto doubled home a Kevin Vicuna single before scoring on a Brock Lundquist base hit. Kacy Clemens then followed by lining a double to left to plate Lundquist.
A home run by Adams in the fourth and another three-run outburst in the fifth expanded the Vancouver lead to 8-0. Clemens singled home a Lundquist double that went off the center field wall above the manual scoreboard. Romanin then rapped a single to left score an Owen Spiwak walk and Adams blooped a base hit to right to cash in Clemens.
The Canadians had at least one hit in every inning with Bryan Lizardo adding a hit to the C’s 15-hit attack. Lundquist tied Adams for the on-base lead by getting aboard four times on two doubles, a single and a walk. Barreto and Clemens had two-hit afternoons.
Reggie Pruitt did not join the hit parade but he made an incredible diving catch towards the gap in left-center to rob Kobie Taylor of extra bases to stop a two-run rally by Spokane in the eighth.
Matt Shannon had a perfect first inning in his professional debut Sunday.
Now on to the pitching side of the equation. Jimenez was listed as the probable starter for the game but it was righthander Matt Shannon who made his professional debut on the hill. The Jays’ 12th round pick this year from Angelo State needed all of nine pitches to retire the side in order. He may have spent more time standing around watching Spokane first base coach Turtle Thomas arguing than actually pitching. Thomas was ejected after complaining to the base umpire that Taylor was safe at first when Kacy Clemens managed to stretch out and snare an off-target throw from Vicuna at short while staying on the first base bag for the second out of the inning.
Dany Jimenez retired the first 14 Spokane hitters on Sunday.
Shannon then gave away to Jimenez on the hill to start the second and all the 23 year-old Dominican did was mow down the first 14 hitters in a row, striking out the side swinging in the fifth. Spokane ended the no-hit bid and the shutout with back-to-back doubles by Yohel Pozo and Andretty Cordero. Jimenez walked the next hitter and that led to a visit to the mound from pitching coach Jim Czajkowski. Jimenez settled down to strike out his ninth hitter of the day to end his outing.
Lefthander Grayson Huffman entered the eighth but ran into trouble immediately with a leadoff walk to Charles Leblanc and a two-run homer to left by Curtis Terry to bring Spokane to within five. Huffman walked the next hitter before retiring the next three hitters in a row.
Orlando Pascual came in for the ninth and worked around a one-out walk to finish things up for Vancouver.
Radar Gun Rundown
Matt Shannon checked in at 83-95 miles per hour in his one-inning stint.
Dany Jimenez ranged from 82-95 over his six frames while Huffman hit 95 and Pascual clocked in at 94.
C-Notes
Orlando Pascual debuted a new uniform number Sunday afternoon.
Orlando Pascual has boosted his uniform number by 10. Wearing #8 to start the year, he is now #18 on your program. That number was taken by Jared Carkuff before his recent promotion to Lansing.
Along with Riley Adams making his catching debut, Mattingly Romanin saw his first outfield action in left field. He had some communications issues with Reggie Pruitt in center field before Pruitt made the catch to start the sixth. He did convert the next two balls that were hit to him to end the inning.
Brock Lundquist is 6-for-12 to start his minor league career while Adams is 6-for-13. They lead the parade of seven .300-plus hitters in the C’s lineup so far, including Kacy Clemens who is 4-for-14 with four runs batted in. Mattingly Romanin is hitting just .150 on three hits in 20 at-bats but has an on-base percentage of .414 by reaching base in six of his seven contests thanks to seven walks and a hit by pitch. Vancouver is batting .252 as a team to place them fourth in the Northwest League.
Dany Jimenez has a 14-1 strikeout/walk ratio with a 1.64 ERA and a 0.36 WHIP in 11 innings while Jose Espada has a 12-1 K/BB in 6-2/3 innings. Vancouver hurlers have compiled a 2.78 ERA, just four points shy of Eugene for the Northwest League lead.
Congratulations goes to 2014 C’s shortstop Franklin Barreto for getting called up by the Oakland A’s Saturday. He had two hits in his major league debut, including his first home run in just his second at-bat off Chicago White Sox starter James Shields. He has four hits in his first 10 at-bats. Barreto slashed .311/.384/.481 with 23 doubles, four triples, six home runs, 61 RBI and 29 stolen bases during his one season in Vancouver.
After outscoring Spokane 26-12 in the three-game sweep, the C’s hit the road again as they begin a three-game series in Everett Monday night. All three games at Everett Memorial Stadium are set for 7:05 pm and can be heard at CanadiansBaseball.com. Vancouver will then return home for the Canada Day Weekend for a five-game set against the Eugene Emeralds beginning Thursday.
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