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Josh Winckowski allowed just two runs over six innings in a quality start for Vancouver Wednesday.

C's RecapThe Vancouver Canadians snatched defeat from the jaws of victory as they fell to the Boise Hawks 6-5 at Boise Memorial Stadium Wednesday night. They were victimized by a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. The C’s find themselves in a three-way tie again for first place in the Northwest League North Division at 13-13 with Tri-City losing in Hillsboro and Everett winning at home against Salem-Keizer.

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Griffin Conine (left) and Yorman Rodriguez (center) teamed up to produce the first run of the game for Vancouver Wednesday. Shortstop Vinny Capra is on the right.

Vancouver picked up a run in its first at-bat with a two-out rally. The inning had a promising beginning when Otto Lopez singled but was caught stealing at second before Vinny Capra flied out to right. Yorman Rodriguez kept the inning with a two-out double to center off Boise starter Pearson McMahan before coming home on a Griffin Conine double to the middle patch out of the outfield.

The Hawks quickly responded with the tying run in the bottom of the first when Matt Hearn reached on a throwing error by Capra at short. Hearn proceeded to steal second before Terrin Vavra drove home with a single up the middle off Josh Winckowski.

There was no scoring until the top of the fifth when McGregory Contreras singled to left but made it all the way to third on a throwing error by Hawks left field Luke Morgan. After Jesus Severino walked, a run-scoring single to left by Tanner Kirwer scored Contreras. An RBI knock to center by Lopez brought home Severino to chase McMahan from the game. Shelby Lackey got Boise out of the inning without any more damage.

Boise would get one back in their half of the fifth with a two-out rally when Daniel Jipping and Hearn singled before a double by Vavra. Jipping came in to score but Hearn was cut down at the plate on a 9-4-2 play from Conine, Lopez and Rodriguez to maintain the C’s lead.

The Canadians would increase their lead again with another two-out uprising in the seventh. Kirwer doubled to left off Mike Bunal and came in to score on a Lopez base hit to center. Lopez tried to score after Capra reached base on an error by Boise rightfielder Cade Harris but Harris threw out Lopez at the plate to end the inning.

Vancouver added one more run in the eighth when Hawks lefthander Hunter Williams plunked Rodriguez with a pitch. Rodriguez had to leave the game and was replaced on the basepaths by Brandon Polizzi. A Sterling Guzman single advanced Polizzi to third before scoring on a Jake Brodt sacrifice fly to right. However, Guzman ran into an out at second to end the rally on a 9-1-4 play.

After Denis Diaz and Fitz Stadler worked a shutout seventh and eighth innings respectively, Justin Watts got the ball in the ninth for the C’s. Willie MacIver greeted Watts with a base hit to left and walked Jipping after striking out Harris. Will McAffer took over on the mound and he proceeded to load the bases on a Hearn single up the middle before they were unloaded on Vavra’s grand slam over the center field wall. Lefthander P.J. Poulin got the win for Boise after working a perfect ninth.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
otto_lopez_crouch_fielding Otto Lopez had a perfect night at the plate by going 4-for-4 with two RBI Wednesday.

C-Notes

The C’s had more chances to score in this one.

  • A Contreras single in the second was stranded at third.
  • Capra was doubled off first on a liner to first by Rodriguez to end the third.
  • Kirwer and Lopez were stranded at first and second in the fifth with nobody out and two runs already in.

C's NotesLopez had four hits while Contreras and Kirwer had two apiece. Rodriguez was on base twice with a double and a hit by pitch before leaving the game. Vancouver was 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left four men stranded.

Winckowski was in line for the victory after giving up just one earned run on six hits over six frames. He struck out three, walked nobody and got 10 outs on the ground.

Diaz gave up one hit in a scoreless seventh and Stadler’s Northwest League debut saw work around a hit by pitch and an error by Jesus Severino at third for a shutout eighth. Stadler pitched to Brett Wright to replace Rodriguez behind the plate after Rodriguez was injured.

The second game of this five-game set goes Thursday night at 6:15 pm. Elio Silva (2-1, 4.22) will start this one for the C’s against the Hawks’ Nick Bush (0-1, 3.60) in a match-up of lefthanders. You can listen in at CanadiansBaseball.com with Rob Fai.

C-Tweets

cs-tweetCongratulations to 2014 C’s outfielder Jonathan Davis as he is now one step away from getting to the big leagues. He was promoted from New Hampshire to Buffalo after playing in the Eastern League All-Star Game. The 26 year-old posted an OPS of .829 with 30 extra-base hits and 19 stolen bases with the Fisher Cats this season. The native of Camden, Arizona was Toronto’s 15th round pick out of Central Arkansas in 2013.

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Published by Niall O'Donohoe

My name is Niall O’Donohoe and I am an avid follower of baseball. My blog beginnings began in 2007 with Batter’s Box under the alias #2JBrumfield. The blog formerly known as Niall On Baseball, C’s Plus Baseball strives to deliver plus coverage of the C’s through photos, observations and interviews of the players striving to make it to the major leagues. If you like what you see here, please spread the word about CsPlusBaseball.ca through your favourite social media platform. This blog began just before the C's championship season in 2017 and the goal is to deliver awesome content about Canada’s only affiliated professional minor league baseball club. Thanks a million for being here!

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