Vancouver Canadians Nick Podkul

Nick Podkul did not come up with the ball when Jonathan Sierra slid into second after a wild pitch in the sixth inning but Podkul did come up with the biggest hit of the game against Eugene Sunday.

C's RecapThe Vancouver Canadians clinched a series win over the Eugene Emeralds by scoring eight unanswered runs in their last three at-bats to give them an 8-1 triumph at Nat Bailey Stadium Sunday afternoon.

The first run of the game did not come until the sixth inning when the Emeralds staged a two-out rally against Josh Winckowski. Jonathan Sierra singled up the middle and got to second on a wild pitch. Levi Jordan flared a ball down the right field line to score Sierra.

Vancouver Canadians Christopher Bec

Christopher Bec (#3) is greeted by Griffin Conine after scoring on a bases-clearing double by Nick Podkul in the sixth.

The C’s were shut down by Emeralds starter Eury Ramos for the first five innings but found reliever Yan De La Cruz more to their liking when he took over in the sixth. Griffin Conine grounded one up the middle with one out and Bryan Lizardo followed with a walk. A two-out walk to Christopher Bec loaded the bases for Nick Podkul. The Notre Dame product was behind in the count at 1-2 after De La Cruz got him to chase a curveball. It was on a 2-2 pitch when Podkul pulled a double to left field to score Conine, Lizardo and Bec to give Vancouver a 3-1 lead.

Vancouver Canadians Tanner Kirwer Tanner Kirwer is safe at home with Vancouver’s fourth run against Eugene Sunday.

Mitch Stophel took over for De La Cruz in the seventh and walked Tanner Kirwer with one out. Kirwer then stole second and third base before sliding home on an Otto Lopez sacrifice fly to right to give the C’s a 4-1 lead. Kirwer showed off his speed as Lopez’s fly ball was medium depth at best. Vancouver Canadians Jake Brodt A big fly from Jake Brodt put the game away for Vancouver in the eighth.

Stophel ran into more trouble in the eighth when he issued walks to Jesus Severino and Podkul around a Bec base hit to right. Jake Brodt stepped up and clobbered a grand slam in the parking lot in left-center field to give the C’s a converted touchdown lead. Stephen Ridings was called in to get the last two outs of the inning. Fitz Stadler pitched a scoreless eighth inning after taking over for Winckowski and Denis Diaz put up a goose egg in the ninth to wrap this one up. Vancouver Canadians 8 Eugene Emeralds 1 The C’s improved to 4-2 in the second half with their third straight win over Eugene Sunday.

Radar Gun Rundown

radar_gun_iconWinckowski had strikeouts at 87, 95, 84 and 88 miles per hour.

Stadler had one strikeout at 93.

Diaz was clocked in the low 90’s.

Vancouver Canadians Josh Winckowski

Josh Winckowski pitched seven innings to pick up his third victory of the season.

C-Notes

Derek Casey was listed as the probable starter for Eugene Sunday but Ramos got the call instead. He set down the first seven hitters he faced before Brodt reached on an error in the third by Luis Diaz at third. Ramos then plunked Kirwer in the hand. Ramos struck out six and allowed just three hits over five innings.

Vancouver Canadians Griffin Conine Griffin Conine slides into third but is tagged out by Luis Diaz in the fourth.

C's NotesConine had the first hit against Ramos when he lined a double to right field but he was thrown out at third on a 9-4-5 play to start the fourth. Lizardo and Bec later singled that inning before Ramos got Podkul to line out to left for the final out.

Josh Winckowski had to work his way out of trouble in the first after Luke Reynolds singled to left and Jake Slaughter singled to right before Lizardo charged a grounder at third to retire Sierra to end the frame.

Winckowski got a 6-4-3 double play grounder from Caleb Knight to wipe out a Jordan leadoff single to get out of the second. He navigated his way around a Reynolds leadoff single in the fourth but his biggest escape came in the fifth. Diaz doubled to left and got to third on a Knight groundout to second. Luis Vazquez hit a comeback to Winckowski and he threw it home where Bec stood up Diaz at the plate and applied the tag to keep the game scoreless. Fernando Kelli singled up the middle but Winckowksi got Grant Fennell on a swinging bunt where Bec threw him out to get out of that jam.

Winckowski had two more defensive plays of note turned behind him to end the seventh. Jesus Severino stayed with a tricky hop at short to retire Vazquez before Kirwer retired Kelli with a nice running catch in right.

Bec and Conine turned in the two-hit games for Vancouver while Lizardo singled and walked. Kirwer also reached base on a base on balls and a hit by pitch while stealing bases 18 and 19 on the year. Severino and Hunter Steinmetz reached base on a walk. Only Lopez was kept off the bases. The C’s had seven hits, six walks and a hit by pitch while striking out eight times. They were 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position with six men left aboard.

Winckowksi gave up one run on nine hits but did not walk a batter over seven innings and struck out four to improve to 3-4. Stadler gave up a hit and a walk and struck out one in the eighth. Diaz walked one and struck out one in the ninth.

The C’s and Em’s play again Monday night at 7:05 pm at Nat Bailey Stadium. Lefthander Elio Silva (2-1, 3.67) gets the starting assignment for Vancouver against Riley Thompson (0-2, 5.14). The game is available on CanadiansBaseball.com and TSN 1040 with Rob Fai. Pregame show is set for 6:00 pm.

Former New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Mookie Wilson will be at the game to sign autographs on the first base side of the concourse. The first 1,000 fans through the doors will receive a Mookie Wilson baseball card.

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